Bear or pig

[John Krause]

I got this pic last weekend on a game cam. This is S Central MO about two counties N of the Arkansas border. A few scattered bear and wild hog pics in the area the last couple of years. I was in the hog camp for a few days until neighbor said small bear. Now I see bear. What say you?


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[STICKBENDER98]

Looks like a pig to me.


Jason

[dnovo]

I think pig

[Trenton G.]

I'd say pig

[vaguely]

Pig

[BearBandit]

I don't know anything about pigs but I do know that's not a bear.

[Pine]

Legs look too short for a bear

[John Krause]

A Missouri Department of Conservation guy who is a private land manager and has done bear studies says it's a small black bear.  FWIW

[Wudstix]

Hips are too narrow, body short I'd go with a pig.

[Chevyman]

Looks like a Hog to me sir.

[4dogs]

Head shape  and muzzle says bear to me.....

[stevem]

Looks like a bear to me.

[Silent footed]

Hips are too narrow, body short I'd go with a pig.

This was my first thought exactly. I also took notice of the fact that the hips are lower than the shoulders, which says hog, and NOT bear since bears are the opposite: hips are higher than shoulders.

Some will say that the hips aren't wide because it's a young bear, but when I am hunting them, I ONLY see small bears.  Lol! so I am familiar with them. I must say that the first thing that always strikes me about a small bear is how bow-legged they walk. You think they are huge because they're as wide as an adult bear but then you see nothing but light and air shining through where belly and rump should be and realize they are just bow-legged: small bears attempt to look large because it keeps them safe.

So, even small bears have wide hips. This is part of the reason for the concept of ground shrinkage after harvesting one (when you realize your bear isn't nearly as large as you thought it was).

Also, the ears on a younger bear, while on top as in this picture, are always nearly as large as the entire head (because the ears don't grow much throughout bear's life). Thus, the ears  in relation to the head on this picture are entirely too small for a bear of that age. (And if it were a larger bear, the ears would be on the sides of the head to the extent of not even being visible in this picture).


The only thing this picture has going for it that might make it a bear is that the front legs are bow legged and I do think I can see a brown muzzle. That is really putting me on the fence actually.  There is just something very beary here despite the other features.

[Broken Arrows]

The snout is to long for a bear..... Pig all the way.

[Paul Collins]

Manbearpig.  Otherwise, pig.

[BearBandit]

Manbearpig.  Otherwise, pig.

I'm changing my answer to this 

[Friend]

Piggy

[JAH518]

Haven't seen lots of bears but pigs To many and to me that is a young bear. The neck looks to long and snout to short to be a pig.

[Wudstix]

Looked at the pic enlarged a bit and my decision is still pig, the front shoulder is just too large in relation to the hips.

   

[shankspony]

Going to throw my two cents in... realising I know nothing about bears, but quite alot about pigs.
Too much contour between shoulder and head for a pig, also head shape and muzzle wrong. Final factor for me is the eye reflection is too bright, Was out last night controlling crop raiding pigs and you just do not notice much eye reflection under light from them. have seen thousands under night time conditions and this just doesn't look like one too me.