Black Bear, Wolf, Mt Lion calling - in Idaho grizzly country

[Gun&BowSD]

I think this is the best place for this. Due to a malfunction of the Idaho queue system I was unable to get an elk tag, but my buddy got his. Still wanting to go I will have a pocket full of predator tags. I have hunted Idaho for a number of years now and I am well aware where we are going is Griz country. I am a life long predator hunter. But have never called in Grizzly territory. Am I crazy for doing this? In my mind it seems like a bad idea, but I would love to call in a bear wolf or mtn lion. Last I was in this area I cut a ton of fresh wolf tracks, and a bear.
Talk me into, or out of it!

 

[Legend]

Called in grizz when using a cow call. It takes a lot to convince them you are a human when they heard an elk. Eventually they backed down.

If using a predator call I would think it would be even harder to change there mind.

I still do some predator calling in big gbear country but I am pretty selective on the location. Must have defensible space for a good distance.

Good luck

 

[Team4LongGun]

Go for it. Be smart about your set up, and have some hard scape as a backdrop so you don’t have to do 360’s constantly. I would keep my calling to more open terrain that is on the edge of thicker, with you being on the more open, downwind side.
Avoid creek bottoms due to noise wash out.

 

[duckhunter175]

Not sure I'd be thrilled with having an elk tag and my partner blowing his predator call...

This may not need said but- If you are hunting together then be a good wing man-- main focus is filling that elk tag for your buddy and then shooting your quarry if they come out when that tag is filled.

As far as grizz (only been around them in AK), my calling (non-grizz areas) has been limited to yotes, foxes and lions... all of whom respond to calls from their own species... not sure if the same is true for bb and wolf but if so maybe that would help alleviate the unwanted Grizz interaction.

If you are going with prey sounds then seems like the guys above agree on staying in a defensible position where you can use all your senses to your advantage.

 

[Gun&BowSD]

Ive hunted mountain lions for ten years so I am very comfortable with not being the top predator in the area and calling using a hard back drop. Grizz is just next level.
And I agree with you. My tags are not the priority. We are there for his elk tag. Long story short there may come a period of time where we are not hunting together so I was going to bring my foxpro.

 

[tuffcrk14]

I’ve learned blind calling in griz country is not for the faint of heart. The risk/reward I’ve always felt wasn’t worth it. They have the advantage and have the ability to get close to you without you knowing they are there. However, there are situations that certain sounds may be fruitful if the opportunity presents itself. If I heard a wolf howl, I’d probably let out a lone howl back at and see how if they get territorial and want to investigate. Usually a pack will sound off mid-late morning right before they bed down for a bit. If I saw a black bear, I’d try to spot and stock it and then maybe try to coax it with a predator call the rest of the way. A lion is the least likely of those to call in from what I’ve seen/read. The best bet with them is to find a fresh kill that they buried and setup close to it waiting until they come back to it.


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[N.ID7803]

Get yourself a membership to The Foundation for Wildlife Management (F4WM.ORG) and go for it!

 

[Gun&BowSD]

Went to the site. Pretty cool group, trying to keep wolves in check.
As far as blind calling in griz country I also considered taking my saddle. Would allow me some more security. Or find myself trapped in a tree…. Hahah

 

[Knuckles_Malone]

Went to the site. Pretty cool group, trying to keep wolves in check.
As far as blind calling in griz country I also considered taking my saddle. Would allow me some more security. Or find myself trapped in a tree…. Hahah

I'm looking to do the black bear, wolf, and mt. lion this spring. I considered getting elevated in a tree too for predator calling, but then again I don't want to carry that much more stuff in with me though. As the time nears, I'll see what my pack in weight is looking like.

 

[Jesse Jaymes]

+1 on the saddle. I've called in and killed a handful of bears. Two came in HARD! And I've lived in legit Big Bear country...but never called it.

After my hard running black bear exp....it's for sure a RUSH. Dicking around in G Bear country, I've considered exactly your scenarios.

Split up. Take a solo stroll. "Damn...this would be a "killer" spot for a stand." Im gonna blow the whistle for an hour.

Think you either want...COMPLETE 360 view, or up high. Think a saddle would be perfect.

One of the first posters saying "be hard to convice a bear you're NOT a kid goat in distress" may be challenging.

 

[Jesse Jaymes]

I hate the dickweeds that always play "Devil's Advocate"...but legally....if you had to dump a bear in self defense....saying you were looping Kid Goat in Distress may not give you an automatic exemption.

And in Idaho...we have multiple zones for No Electronic Calls. Be sure to check out which Unit you're hunting.

 

[Gun&BowSD]

+1 on the saddle. I've called in and killed a handful of bears. Two came in HARD! And I've lived in legit Big Bear country...but never called it.

After my hard running black bear exp....it's for sure a RUSH. Dicking around in G Bear country, I've considered exactly your scenarios.

Split up. Take a solo stroll. "Damn...this would be a "killer" spot for a stand." Im gonna blow the whistle for an hour.

Think you either want...COMPLETE 360 view, or up high. Think a saddle would be perfect.

One of the first posters saying "be hard to convice a bear you're NOT a kid goat in distress" may be challenging.

I’ll more than likely be solo calling. I think the saddle would make me feel better. The only bear I could see in a “self defense” situation would be a grizz (ok, sow and cubs black too) and if I even saw a hint of one coming in I would go silent and hope it stops. Cross that bridge when I hopefully never get to it.

Also thanks for the heads up on the e-callers. Guess I am just used to it. Unit I’m going is pretty wild west as far as predators but I will certainly double check. Good call.

 

[Huckleberry Hound]

I did a couple seasons cold calling for bears in idaho unit 1. Second season i found a can of bear spray with tooth holes in it while looking for a spot to call. Looked up a grizz attack that happened in the area a couple years prior and it was on that same ridge, and the guys deployed bear spray. After that i thought it would be best to avoid cold calling. Glass / stalk / call instead. But the last two seasons doing that, ive decided i just dont enjoy it enough. So this year ill just go back to hiking and cold calling, and hope like hell i dont call a grizz in. One change i will make though is calling in more open areas where ive got a bit more visibility. Normally call in pretty heavy cover.

 

[mtnrunner260]

Maybe download a deterrent sound that you could switch too if the grizzly won't let you climb down?
Get the concern but be smart and have fun is my thought.

 

[Idaboy]

Skittish predators that are hunted (cats, wolves, coyotes) are way different than a grizz....likes others said you will need to convince them you are human, and just cause a grizz knows your human doesn't mean it's deterred. If the intended hunt is elk, I would stick to that.....otherwise the elk sure as hell aren't going to run in....if you are simply there to go predator hunt and heading put the opposite way out of camp of your buddy, then have at it, sounds like you have weighed the risk/benefit, and so the decision is yours.

 

[mike.adams.467]

I hate the dickweeds that always play "Devil's Advocate"...but legally....if you had to dump a bear in self defense....saying you were looping Kid Goat in Distress may not give you an automatic exemption.

And in Idaho...we have multiple zones for No Electronic Calls. Be sure to check out which Unit you're hunting.

You might want to check on that. The rule is pretty clear that electronic calls can be used to hunt wolves.