Blind Calling

[Dadnstuff]

Anyone ever have any luck blind calling for bears? Say, you know you're in a trafficked area with scat around but too thick to glass?

 

[ChasingSqwach]

I'm interested to hear responses to this specifically during the fall. I've heard of a lot of spring success calling but havent heard much regarding fall

 

[Grocerystorehater]

I am also here to find out. I found a spot with a lot of bear traffic and berries but it is too thick for glassing or shooting more than 40 yards

 

[Muddygut]

Following. I’m debating trying this in eastern Kentucky next month.

 

[semasko]

From what I read and hear you need to call essentially non-stop for at least 45 minutes for bear to be interested. I am interested to hear of any success particularly in the east with this method. I tried a few times last year in PA and WV on a Circe medium range call, which can get a bit tiring and only had a coyote come in.

 

[Stubborn_bowhunter]

Never have had one come in to blind calls personally.

I've had one come in after I saw it and called it with a mouth call.

Have spent a pretty large amount of time blind calling too.

 

[SaltySailor]

So I was doing a distressed cow call this season for moose, trying to get a bull to keep coming for my 2 hunting buddies. They had circled down hill and were trying to close distance when they heard a large critter moving through the brush towards me. The critter turned out to be a bear that winded them and exploded across the creek towards them in a bluff charge, it saw both of them standing there and turned and bolted off. I never saw or heard any of this as I was focused on the bull coming in. Made me rethink my call locations though, and to start checking my six more often when doing that call.

 

[GAoutdoor]

I'm also interested in this, and what call you use. I've been thinking about a fawn in distress (GA)

 

[BackcountryBloodline]

It works, I've called in a few without knowing they were there. In fact the bear in my display pic was a blind call in, hit the hand call a couple times and he popped out of a depression in the ground under 50 yards away. Probably never would have known he was there if I didn't try it. Found a steaming pile of scat at dusk this spring and within 5 seconds of calling one appeared about 100 yards away, he wouldn't commit to coming in the rest of the way so he didn't eat an arrow but would have been a done deal with a rifle. They won't come very far in my experience and if they're seriously interested they come in hot, if I don't hear a stick snap within a minute or so I'm moving on. All my luck with calling has been in the spring, they seem fairly uninterested in the fall aside from maybe stopping to look.

 

[Otzi08]

It works, I've called in a few without knowing they were there. In fact the bear in my display pic was a blind call in, hit the hand call a couple times and he popped out of a depression in the ground under 50 yards away. Probably never would have known he was there if I didn't try it. Found a steaming pile of scat at dusk this spring and within 5 seconds of calling one appeared about 100 yards away, he wouldn't commit to coming in the rest of the way so he didn't eat an arrow but would have been a done deal with a rifle. They won't come very far in my experience and if they're seriously interested they come in hot, if I don't hear a stick snap within a minute or so I'm moving on. All my luck with calling has been in the spring, they seem fairly uninterested in the fall aside from maybe stopping to look.

What specific sound did you have luck with?

 

[kk alaska]

Called in bear with Calf Moose call in May here in SC Alaska

 

[Saylean]

Ive had plenty of luck cold calling. The boar I killed this year was from cold calling, got him to under 20 yards before I shot. It works. Ive done several podcasts regarding calling (look up douglas boze) as well as written a few books/articles on it.

Its totally doable and effective.

 

[Cameron.25]

I havent tried it too much but i killed a bear in a clear cut i called in with the elk calf in distress call sound on my foxpro(legal here in oregon) on august 1st last year. Took 45 mins and it actually didn't even pop out till i gave up on the set and turned the volume down slowly over several mins and then off. Even still, when i turned the caller back on it was much more interested in eating berries for the next 15 mins till i shot. Ive tried blind mouth calling and the foxpro several other times, at different times in the year, after finding scat or tracks with no luck. It did take a long time and i bet it depends on the particular bear and their distance if one does hear it. I recently tried a mouth call to get a bear to just stop moving that i had my rifle set up on and it truly didn't give a shit lol, didn't even look my way

 

[Ron.C]

YES, blind calling can work. But in my experience, calling bear can be really hit or miss. From the calling I've done at bears I am watching, some are very interested but most either disregard it entirely of bugger off. Still, its fun to try.

Just be very carefuly. I tell this to everyone that calls for bears to keep your head on a swivel.

Bears can sneak in very quietly when in predator mode. This guy repsonded when I was calling to another bear in a cutblock infront of me. I was set up at the base of a steep bluff and he came in from above without making a sound until he was right on top of me.

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[BackcountryBloodline]

What specific sound did you have luck with?

Not sure what sound this call is supposed to mimic, says rodents and birds but sounds more like a fawn in distress to me so that's what I always go for with it.

https://www.amazon.com/Johnny-Stewa...007RAWMW0/ref=cm_cr_arp_d_product_top?ie=UTF8

 

[FLATHEAD]

We have bear down here on the Gulf Coast (not legal to shoot), and for the past few years I've been doing my darndest to call up a Bobcat. I've surely made over 2 dozen sets with no luck on cats or BEAR.
This is with a FoxPro and decoy, 45 minutes to an hour each set.
Surely, it might happen but as far as going out and doing it with any regularity would be very unlikely.

 

[Ron.C]

I think bear density plays a big part in calling success. Here on Vancouver Island where we hunt, its crawling with black bears in the spring. I think it would be hard to call and not have at least a couple bears hear the call at any given time.

I've probably called in (accidentally blind called) 10-12 black bears, and cougar while elk hunting out in the East Kootenays (very high Griz and Black bear density as well). All but a couple of these bears were very hard to spook off.

Not that same as black bear but a few weeks back the last couple days of Oct. I was whitetail hunting (ratting and calling with a doe call) and had a sow griz 2 cubs come in ( saw them at about 90 yards). A few minutes later they winded me and buggered off. Now I don't know if I called them in but it's very possible.

We've only called one other Griz (that we know) and we could see him about 800m up a slide. He'd stand up and look every time we called. When we stopped, he would drop and run down toward us. He closed about 300m fast and we packed up and bailed.

 

[Otzi08]

Not sure what sound this call is supposed to mimic, says rodents and birds but sounds more like a fawn in distress to me so that's what I always go for with it.

https://www.amazon.com/Johnny-Stewa...007RAWMW0/ref=cm_cr_arp_d_product_top?ie=UTF8

The articles I’ve read point to this technique. Fawns or elk calves depending on current prey populations.

 

[TheGDog]

We have bear down here on the Gulf Coast (not legal to shoot), and for the past few years I've been doing my darndest to call up a Bobcat. I've surely made over 2 dozen sets with no luck on cats or BEAR.
This is with a FoxPro and decoy, 45 minutes to an hour each set.
Surely, it might happen but as far as going out and doing it with any regularity would be very unlikely.

Be DAMN careful to set yourself up so you have thee greatest FOV possible! I had this one setup that was tricky because the area is kind of open where two trails criss-crossed... and I wanted the decoy and caller to kinda be at that most visible spot. But... I wanted to be closer to the decoy to enhance my likelihood of making the hit if his stalk-in thru in the last bit of distance might have him pop out close to it, with not a lot of time for me to react cause that place is thicker. Wanted it in such a way so that with the current wind direction... I'd likely be behind him, or sideways to him on his last bit of approach on the stalk.

The only problem was... that spot picked, though it hid me perfect, and worked in that regard... after about 45 min of holding the rifle on the Kwik Stix the whole time, ready to be extremely ready... given that the FOV was super small so I'd have very little time to react/execute... my arms were killing me by the end of that set from holding at the ready!

So as I rise to call-it at the end of the set... oh shoot! About midway to standing I had to freeze.. cause 8yds to my right behind a piece of low rabbit-brush... I saw the ear tips and nose tip peaking out!

Upon rising I'd transferred my grip on the rifle to being in front of the magazine well. So uber ninja slow while watching him... tried to move in little increments with my leafy suit on to be able to maybe have a shot... freezing whenever I'd see him move... eventually I think my scent managed to then get over to him. Saw him then raise up his head/nose... he then saw me.. more freeze game, with bits of attempting to turn more towards him, but ultimately he knew something wasn't right and bailed very cleverly in the path that he chose to retreat so I didn't have a shot. He knew to keep this taller bush between us!

So yeah... clear broad FOV I'd say is paramount. He was just laying there in that pre-pounce stance... trying to decide how he felt about the decoy. Really taking his time I guess. And from reviewing popular videos, that's definitely how they roll.

 

[FLATHEAD]

The vegetation is so thick down here I just about have to set up in a fire break trail and even then,
he would have to attack the decoy for me to have a shot.
THICK,THICK,THICK. - If I can find a spot I can see 20 yards I'm feelin lucky.