The black bear is an inherently fascinating big-game animal, given its curious proclivities and the mythology and mysticism with which we, as hunters, associate them. Those bears that exhibit a color-phase coat take our fascination to a whole other level.
Of all the North American big-game species, black bears are the undisputed champions of color phases. No other game animal comes in so many different hues—cinnamon, brown, blonde, chocolate, blue-gray, white and, of course, black. Some individual bears may even exhibit multiple colorations, such as a cinnamon body with dark brown or black legs. As such, color-phase black bears are among the most captivating and highly desired trophies pursued by hunters.
But there’s a problem if you want a color-phase bruin: You could hunt bears for the rest of your life and never see one. Although black bears inhabit all but a handful of states, color-phase bears are typically found in specific regions—some well-defined, some not. Hunters who really want to take a color-phase bear must therefore travel to regions where those bears make up a decent percentage of the harvest.
Some ardent hunters attempt to collect all four major color phases (brown, cinnamon, blonde and chocolate) for a “color-phase slam.” To do this requires a substantial investment of time and money. You must hunt the right areas and have a degree of luck on your side. Planning and research are key to achieving this lofty goal. While there’s no guarantee you’ll see a color-phase bear, even in areas where they are most common, the more time you spend in these regions, the better your chances of scoring will be. I’ve been hunting black bears for
