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Step 1
Look for shallow impressions in the ground. Bear tracks are challenging to identify because bears walk flat-footed, leaving smaller than expected tracks.
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Step 2
Keep an eye out for bear paths. These trails are used by bears year after year and can even be passed from one generation to the next. They are similar to paths cut by humans, except bears do not need to clear the brush as high. A bear trail may appear tunnel-like to a human crouching down to examine it.
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Step 3
Find sets of four prints that fall at approximately a 45 degree angle from the direction the animal was moving. These are your bear tracks.
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Step 4
Estimate the length of the claws based upon the tracks. Black bear claws are short, while grizzly claws can grow up to four inches.
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Step 5
Check to see if the toes are separated. Gaps between toes mean the tracks belong to a black bear. If the toes line up with little space between them, you have found a grizzly's trail.
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Step 6
Use an improvised ruler to confirm your identification of the tracks. Line up the ruler so that it crosses the base of the big toe and the end of the footpad. See where it crosses the smallest toe. If ruler crosses lower half of the toe, you have a grizzly track. If it crosses above the midpoint of the toe or even past the toe, you are tracking a black bear.
