Bear Calling?

[richl025]

Just curious what people's experience is using electronic predator calls for bear?

Do you need a dedicated system or can you use your phone and a bluetooth speaker?

 

[Huckleberry Hound]

They come in so readily to hand calls, why lug around an ecaller?

 

[Muleyczy]

Are you calling specifically in the spring or fall, or does it not matter?

 

[justinspicher]

Hand calls? Are you using sign language for deaf bears?

Just kidding…….

I’ve considered using calls, but don’t dedicate any real effort to hunting bears. I’ve always had a tag “just in case”.

 

[richl025]

Are you calling specifically in the spring or fall, or does it not matter?

Planning this Spring...

 

[richl025]

They come in so readily to hand calls, why lug around an ecaller?

As a solo hunter, I rather like the idea of being able to place the source of the call 20-30 yards away from me...

 

[Ron.C]

Rich, definitely not a bad idea to have them focusing on something other than you. I hunt solo for bears here on Vancouver Island and have done a fair amount of calling (with hand calls) if I see a bear in a nasty spot and want to try and coax him out of. For the most part it's really hit/miss........ but fun.

That said, it's the ones you don't see you need to be concerned about. I was set up with a 100', very steep rock bluff behind me (thinking I was good) calling to a bear I could see several hundred yards in front. This guy snuck in on me from above and surprised me when I heard him snap a branch at less than 20 yards. Keep your head on a swivel.

Good luck, be safe!!!

 

[TuckTruck]

Calling works very well. Just make sure you’re not in griz country…

 

[Koda_]

Note: the same call for bears is the same call for cougars and those are notorious for approaching from behind.
Im just getting into cougar hunting and for the same reasons prefer an e call about 50-100yds out. I have a super cheap one but plan to buy a nicer one.
All the ones Ive looked at are a dedicated system with remote, not a phone app.

 

[Elkhntr08]

Tried a coon pup electric call up in Minnesota a couple years ago with no luck.
Maybe bears don’t like coon?

 

[Jsteel]

Going to give calling a try this spring

 

[Primal-Understanding]

I tried a Primos Bear/ Coyote Buster last September on a younger bear that was at about 350 yards. Didnt even glance my direction.


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[Ron.C]

I tried a Primos Bear/ Coyote Buster last September on a younger bear that was at about 350 yards. Didnt even glance my direction.


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I used the same call, a calf elk call, rabbit distress and even squealing with a blade of grass. Mixed success at best and no one call seemed to work better than another. Have had them ignore it, spook and run, stay where they are and look in my direction, and come in cautiously.

I really think it's situational and more about the attitude of the particular bear, location and availability of food then what call is being used.

 

[Huckleberry Hound]

I used the same call, a calf elk call, rabbit distress and even squealing with a blade of grass. Mixed success at best and no one call seemed to work better than another. Have had them ignore it, spook and run, stay where they are and look in my direction, and come in cautiously.

I really think it's situational and more about the attitude of the particular bear, location and availability of food then what call is being used.

I agree. I mostly cold call, and ive had a couple serious hard chargers, and some real sneaky bears, most often they come in kinda casual. But ive called to a couple i saw first. One was chowing down on huckleberries and came in running the second i made the first fawn bleat. The other was eating elderberries and completely ignored me, acted like he was deaf. Just no telling how theyll react. Thats what keeps it interesting. Never know what youre gonna get. But i think the specific noise isnt all that important. Bunny noises, fawn noises, whatever.

 

[MOwhitetail]

I’ve got a pretty nice e caller that I got for calling coyotes. Spent a decent amount of time doing it in some pretty high density places in Idaho without any luck. I’ve used a variety of calf, fawn, rabbit distress calls. If you’ve got the time it might not be a bad idea to get a couple hand calls and give it a try, but if you’re planning on buying a nice e caller just for bears I’d save your money.

 

[MoeFaux]

I'm trying a fawn distress call on an OR hunt this fall. The guys over at bear hunting magazine wrote about getting approximately 1 in 3 success rate for calling this way, so it sounds good enough to gamble on for me.

 

[JCS271]

Not sure where you live but in Montana you can NOT use an electronic caller for Bears or Mountain lions.

 

[mustelid_master]

Those having success w/ bear calling, what time of spring are you calling, early, mid, late?

 

[Elkhntr08]

Also, Doug Boze has a good book on bear hunting with a section on calling bears.

 

[Grape]

Reed calls work as good as e callers. Reed calls will reduce your ability to hear incoming bear so keep your head on a swivel. Bear will often times sneak in so if calling alone I like to keep a nice cliff or open area behind me. Predators like to come in down wind, so look that way. Seasonality is a major player in effectiveness. If they have plenty of mast or berries they will be less likely to respond. Having watched multiple bears at once and calling them, only a small minority of bear actually pay any mind to calling.