Calling Bears in Montana

[BearGuy]

Just wondering if anyone has had any luck calling spring bears in Montana or a state with similar hunting conditions. Was thinking about throwing one in the pack. Curious who’s done it with what degree of success.

 

[MT_Wyatt]

I haven’t had a ton of success doing it honestly. But that’s blind calling in the evenings. I think with a target bear you’ve spotted that can actually hear a call, could be a play. But I’d still lean on glassing and moving in on one as a primary tactic.

 

[MTN BUM]

Sure you can call em. But if you are west of Billings you better have balls of steel. Or no sense. Or both.

 

[BearGuy]

Sure you can call em. But if you are west of Billings you better have balls of steel. Or no sense. Or both.

Haha I’m in the northwest portion so I have always been very wary of blind calling. Tried it once or twice but no luck.

 

[406RoadToad]

Done it a couple times while watching bears eating grass and they glanced my direction when I got REAL obnoxious but went right back to eating grass and never came in. I think if you’re predator calling you’re much more likely to call in a griz than a black bear.

 

[Dmoua]

From my limited experience calling black bears, if they have food as mentioned above they just don’t really care about the calling. If they don’t, some of them will come running. Keep an eye out for cats while you’re at it.

 

[BROWNTROUTDAN]

I have but it has taken me long calling sessions. On avg a good 20-30 min. But as others have said keep her head on a swivel for G-bears and cats once calving/fawning has begun.

 

[Turkeygetpwnd38]

I’ve tried a few times in the NW area. Usually when I find a lot of fresh sign but not an area I can glass into. Haven’t had any luck doing it yet. I do the 20-30min calls since that’s what I’ve heard from people works. I wouldn’t do it solo up there.

 

[Legend]

I’ve tried a few times in the NW area. Usually when I find a lot of fresh sign but not an area I can glass into. Haven’t had any luck doing it yet. I do the 20-30min calls since that’s what I’ve heard from people works. I wouldn’t do it solo up there.

I think solo calling may be the only way to do this in gbear country. Otherwise there is too much of a chance to leave a witness to tell the story of how you died.

 

[wolf_MT]

The guys at Stone Glacier do it all the time in Montana. Have you seen their latest video Ursidae?

 

[BearGuy]

The guys at Stone Glacier do it all the time in Montana. Have you seen their latest video Ursidae?

Yeah I have its super cool. That’s what made me post this. I feel like it’s different in coastal Alaska though. Not sure.

 

[Northwet]

I've had a little luck calling in bears while elk hunting in fall, but not yet in spring.

I did some blind calling without success in Idaho during spring a few years ago.

Come bear season here in Wyoming, I'm planning to do some calling in densely forested areas that I've seen sign or that seem beary. Of course this will be in some of the units without grizzlies.

I'd be too chicken to try it in grizzly country unless I had just the right setup (e.g. e caller a distance away on the other side of a physical barrier).

 

[Dust Rider]

I have had no success calling in black bears.

 

[Smenning]

Yeah I have its super cool. That’s what made me post this. I feel like it’s different in coastal Alaska though. Not sure.

MT per the title.

 

[TreeDog]

I called this one in NW Montana. The caveat being I was within a hundred yards of it when I started blowing on the call. I thought I bumped it and figured I had nothing to lose. It came running out of the timber within a minute. Never had any luck cold calling.

 

[WCB]

Tried it a couple days in the little belts....fresh sign and actually saw one of the bears but no luck. But when in reality cold calling coyotes or fox even can take 5-6 stands on average...the average on bears has to be WAY low.

 

[Spl772]

Sure you can call em. But if you are west of Billings you better have balls of steel. Or no sense. Or both.

Im looking at making my first trip to Montana this fall for a bear hunt. Are the grizzlies becoming a concern? I had read something where the population had increased.

 

[MTN BUM]

Yes, they are certainly expanding. The ecological maps of distribution are years behind. There have been confirmed sightings in the Pryors (not far from Billings), the Crazies, the Snowies, and the dang praries out towards the breaks. Literally anywhere in the Western half of the state you better screw your head on straight and behave as if they might be around, because they really might be there.

 

[NorthernHunter]

I have run into too many griz in eastern idaho to be comfortable calling. I've never been scared of black bear but the first time you have a 1,000lb griz warn you is the last time you want that to happen. I'm also not too keen on bringing in cats.

 

[Montana Matt]

I'm no expert, but I think calling bears in the fall is a higher percentage simply because they are in that hyperphasia stage before hibernation.
Spring bears in our area are usually concentrating on green grass to get their digestive system going. I've called to spring bears I could see and they ignored the calling.