<strong>Kamchatka Brown Bear</strong> This coastal Russian brown bear grows gigantic because of abundant food like salmon. It can stand over eight feet and weigh 700 pounds. Jay E. Link took this one, ranking number six in SCI, with a skull score of 28 10/16 inches. Outdoor Life Online Editor
Alaska Brown Bear It was 11 years ago when Will Gay made a self-guided hunt to Kodiak Island, Alaska to take this number three SCI record giant brown bear. The massive bruin's skull was a foot wide, and over a foot-and-a-half long. Outdoor Life Online EditorPolar Bear James Unrein toughed out a February hunt in Alaska from a dog sled to collect this number four SCI bear. With a head larger than a hunter's torso, polar bears are arguably the most dangerous bruins, since they consider every living creature potential food – including people. Outdoor Life Online EditorCommon Grizzly Bear This common grizzly bear is uncommonly huge, with its distinctive shoulder hump, finger-length claws, bushel-basket-size head and powerful teeth. This 750-pounder ranks number two in SCI for this bear sub-species. It was taken by Kevin Rayner along Alaska's Holitna River. Outdoor Life Online EditorCoastal Black Bear Bowhunter Dyrk Eddie took this number two SCI overall black bear on Prince of Wales Island during a self-guided hunt. This incredible black bear scored 22 2/16 inches, with a skull width of 8 10/16 inches. Outdoor Life Online EditorAlaska Brown Bear Cindy Rhodes is the only woman in the SCI top ten record book for Alaska brown bears with this monster to capture the number eight SCI spot. Weighing 1,000-pounds and standing nine-feet, this brownie had a skull width of 11 13/16 inches. She hunted with guide Andy Runyan out of Kiavak Bay. Outdoor Life Online EditorAmur Brown Bear Found in Russia, China and Japan, the Amur brown bear is huge, and noted for its massive teeth, long and narrow skull, and almost black color. This is the best one in the SCI record book, taken by Vasily Shadrin from Russia's Sakhalin Island. Outdoor Life Online EditorInland Black Bear This numero uno SCI continental or inland black bear was taken by bowhunter Robert J. Shuttleworth Jr. It was arrowed during a self-guided hunt in California's Mendocino County. The oversize blackie had a skull length of 14 inches, width of 9 4/16. Outdoor Life Online EditorAsian Black Bear With a distinctive white crescent chest mark, this bear is found throughout much of Asia. Commonly weighing over 300 pounds and standing six feet, Vladimir Gubarev took this number two SCI animal near Khabarovsk, Russia during a snowy February day. It scored 20 11/16 inches. Nice modern America camo, Vlad. Outdoor Life Online EditorEurasian Brown Bear This is the number one Eurasian brown bear according to SCI. Andrei Muzykov used a handgun to roll this 600-pounder, while hunting Russia's, Pskov Region. It was taken during a mid-September hunt, and had a skull score of 27 6/16 inches. According to SCI, the Eurasian brown bear is found mainly in Russia, Romania and the former Yugoslavia. But Eurasian brown bears also occur in Norway, Sweden, Finland, the Czech Republic, Slovakia, Poland, Hungary, Albania, Bulgaria and Greece, and remnant populations are still found in Spain, France and Italy. In 1970, there were an estimated 18,000 brown bears in Europe. Outside Europe, the Eurasian brown bear is also found in northwestern Asia. **Visit scirecordbook.org Outdoor Life Online Editor
A potential bone-crushing collision following a lightning charge from a towering, snarling and salivating bruin, with teeth and claws in chainsaw mode, is something every outdoorsman can shiver about. Here then, are some of the most notable big bear trophies recorded by hunters and statistically compiled by Safari Club International on their extensive and remarkable website.
