Couple of interestingly colored & marked bears

[Okanagan]

My young hunter friend whom I got started calling went bear hunting with four friends/relatives last week in north central BC.  Five young men got five bears, three with bows, all spot and stalk.  Two of the black bears have unusual color markings.

One has a large donut ring of white on his chest.



The other has bluish colored large patches on each side, yet with a black stripe down the center of his back.  In the photo it looks like dust in the fur but it is true color, sort of a light silver back.

[FOsteology]

Interesting markings. On the second bear, do you think perhaps the bear has some of the Glacier Bear genes? Those are a bluish-gray.

[Hawks Feather]

Those are interesting markings.  When I looked at the first image, my first thought was that it was a skunk.  Then I noticed the claws and read where it was on its chest.

Jerry

[Okanagan]

Interesting markings. On the second bear, do you think perhaps the bear has some of the Glacier Bear genes? Those are a bluish-gray.

Yes, it has to be some glacier bear genetics, even though it is a long ways from where those bears normally show up.  25 years ago I saw a partly blue one in the Monashee Mountains of BC, also a long ways from their normal coastal range.  He doesn't look real black black to me, more of a taupe/blue/grey all over with lighter hues on the patches.   

[FinsnFur]

Are they planning to do anything with the hides? I'd be kinda interested in seeing either one or both polished up.

[Okanagan]

They are having all of the hides tanned, but none rugged out I don't think.

I helped box three of the hides to send to a tannery that has done good work for me (Advance Fur Dressing in Vernon, BC).  One of the heads was not skinned out nor any of the paws.  The tannery will finish the detail skinning and split lips, turn ears etc. for additional fee, flesh them and tan them.  We freeze hides solid, box them up and ship via Greyhound.  They arrive within 6 hours, same day.  With fur and insulating cardboard, they don't thaw a bit.  No salt, just freeze them.  During the hunt all five of them were "camping" in the apartment where one of them lives.  He invited the others to come up and hunt.  So they had a freezer and could freeze each hide the same day they shot it and skinned it. 

I'd like to have either one of those hides pictures.  They also got a really pretty cinnamon bear.