Its pretty easy to tell the difference. If you climb a tree and it climbs up after you, its a black bear. If it stays on the ground and shakes the tree until you fall out, it's a grizzly.

Fishhead5

LMAO, thats good
don't forget the grizzlies have whistles in their piles too

the griz also have bells in there piles, along with dog tags that read sheshe!

Griz piles also make your eyes sting because of the pepper spray

Look closely for shreds of Banana Republic, Landsend, Bauer, Orvis or REI and other such yuppie gear
near or in the dental work of the bear. Don't matter whether it's a black or griz .....RUN! If you see a bear of any kind and smell lOUISIANNA CAJUN HOTSAUCE RUN!

Or Pack Mr Smith & Wesson when in bear country.

Anyone ever wonder why hounds and bait are considered unsportin for hunting bear? My dad answered that question by a high level Cal F&G bigshot. The difference between bears and pheasants is one of them is not capable of flight!
Gooose

I was taught up north how to tell the difference: Black bears come out of the bushes when you get a salmon on and run into the water and take your would be catch. Grizzlies come out of the brush when you hook a fish, whack your arm off, and take your rod and reel the fish in.

hahaha! this is easy... the black bear will run from you while the griz runs at you, knocks you on your ass after sending you your rod and your fish for a brief flight, then starts kickin your ass while you are crying fo your mama... any other questions?

To tell the sex of a brown bear, just throw a rock at it. If he mauls you, it's a boy, if she mauls you, it's a girl.