calling bears

[Vermont Hunter 34]

Illegal to use electronic calls for game animals in most eastern states. Including the states I hunt in most (NH and SC). Best to check.

However, I've called bears in a few times while coyote hunting in New Hampshire with electronic calls. The ones that I recall working best- Snowshoe in distress and prairie dog (go figure). I would imagine VT is like NH with mostly snowshoes and very little cottontails, so my suggestion would be to find a snowshoe tube. I wouldn't mess with fawn distress in the fall although its killer on summer coyotes..

Best of luck I'll be trying the same in South Carolina this year and would be interested in hearing from anyone who's been succesful. I would also recommend Remi Warren's podcast on the subject.

Okay, I live in southern VT, in Windsor.
Where in NH do you hunt?

 

[BuckRut]

Remi Warren has one of his "Cutting the Distance" podcasts on calling bears

 

[Vermont Hunter 34]

Remi Warren has one of his "Cutting the Distance" podcasts on calling bears

will look into that

 

[stumpknocker]

Okay, I live in southern VT, in Windsor.
Where in NH do you hunt?

All over, but mostly southern NH. Grew up hunting around Manchester.
Recently moved to SC.

 

[redbarn]

Have some experience successfully hunting black bears in NH and VT, but not by calling. This summer has been dry. Bears will be moving more, so should be a successful season. Best luck I have had is to scout what and where they are feeding. Berries and beech nuts. Not many oaks in VT. Open areas that support berries - power line cuts, recent logging operations, railroad tracks. Also apple trees in the woods by old cellar hole farms are very reliable if you find bear crap and even throwup around them.

They will also work streams, looking for anything green and tasty. Especially after a dry summer like this one.

 

[Vermont Hunter 34]

All over, but mostly southern NH. Grew up hunting around Manchester.
Recently moved to SC.

Nice. I hunt in Plainfield, NH. That is where I shot my first deer.

Have some experience successfully hunting black bears in NH and VT, but not by calling. This summer has been dry. Bears will be moving more, so should be a successful season. Best luck I have had is to scout what and where they are feeding. Berries and beech nuts. Not many oaks in VT. Open areas that support berries - power line cuts, recent logging operations, railroad tracks. Also apple trees in the woods by old cellar hole farms are very reliable if you find bear crap and even throwup around them.

They will also work streams, looking for anything green and tasty. Especially after a dry summer like this one.

Okay. I agree. I had a spot all lined up for this year, went up there last night. The ground was bare. In Windsor, there aren't many beechnuts. We recently bought a pretty big swamp, maybe I should be hunting around there, we infact had a bear with pretty sizable tracks digging around our garden and the bees. The 20 volts of electricity took care of him pretty fast, though. There is another pond surrounded by apple trees and plenty of blackberries. My dad just cut paths through the brambles as well with a brushhog. Maybe this will boost some bear activity through the area.

Last year I found a spot and sat there. I did not even know there was a big cut with blackberries at the top of the hill. Soon, a 150 lb black bear came up the hill. He stopped broadside 40 yards away, I did not know that you are supposed to aim back a bit. I shot like I was shooting a deer, and pretty sure I took out his shoulder. He rolled down the hill at me, and he at one point was 3 ft from my spot, which kinda freaked me out! We tracked him 1000 yards until we started finding pinpricks of blood. At that point, it was 11:30 to midnight, and we gave up for the night. The next morning, we did a big grid search of about 2000 yards until about noon. At that point we gave up. Come to think of it, maybe I should have been looking in trees. I don't know if wounded bears would climb trees. We also had hounds come in, they could not find anything, though. It kinda sucks, and I want redemption. I have put a lot of thought and research into it this year, and I want to put a clean shot into one. In essence, I want a textbook hunt!

 

[Where's Bruce?]

 

[Vermont Hunter 34]

nice!

 

[manchild125]

I've never had good success blind calling them but it does work ok for me if I'm calling down hill. Most of the time I spot the bear then start calling. Ive found bears that are 400yrds and under come in most of the time. That being said its nice to be able to see them because they let you know in a few minutes of calling if they are interested or not. I use a cotton tail call and blow it as loud and obnoxious as I can.
1.spot bear
2.lay on the call as loud as you can for as long as you can or about a minute
3. Take a break but try not to break for longer than a minute. And listen when you break and watch your down wind side. They do try to sneak up and get your wind.
4.repeat

Some times they come fast. Sometimes they take an hour to cover a few hundred yards. Sometimes they aren't interested. But we have found they become uninterested if you stop blowing before they are in range or if you break for too long. We do the same sequence for blind calling

 

[TBurroughs]

Find a cornfield that borders a swamp area, and you’ll find where the bear are mauling the corn this time of year. Set up where you can see down the edge of the field, or back into the woods if it’s not too thick. Most farmers are more than willing to have you kill bears in the corn, and will likely even tell you where you should be looking.
I know Windsor has plenty of corn around, and if none borders on a swamp or steep ridge, don’t let it bother you, I’m sure there’s bear in it. You can always head toward Chelsea or Bethel if you’re in search of more/new corn fields with better bear sign

 

[Vermont Hunter 34]

Find a cornfield that borders a swamp area, and you’ll find where the bear are mauling the corn this time of year. Set up where you can see down the edge of the field, or back into the woods if it’s not too thick. Most farmers are more than willing to have you kill bears in the corn, and will likely even tell you where you should be looking.
I know Windsor has plenty of corn around, and if none borders on a swamp or steep ridge, don’t let it bother you, I’m sure there’s bear in it. You can always head toward Chelsea or Bethel if you’re in search of more/new corn fields with better bear sign

That makes sense

 

[Elkster12]

I call bears all the time. Its my passion and I've been at it for 30 years! I use both open and closed reed hand held predator calls. The brand is of little value. It is more about the passion you put into your vocalizations. I have used cottontail, jackrabbit, and all kinds of low and high pitched squeals I made on open reed calls. I call with nothing more than a 30 second pauses on an hour long stand. I squeal for 3 to 4 minutes, then pause to listen for 20-30 seconds, then hit it again. It is addictive! I've not yet been skunked over a season, but I have gone 12 stands in a row without even calling in a fox!! Keep at it!

 

[Elkhntr08]

Fawn in distress will work, so will a coon pup call.

 

[Zane503]

Ive tried calling bears several times in spring but the my only succes is calling in elk. I’ve called in cows and bulls with elk calf distress. Makes me wonder if this same call would work in fall during archery season.

 

[stumpknocker]

Bear season opens soon here in SC and the plan is to do a lot of calling.

For anyone whose done so succesfully- will bears consistently approach from downwind? I have some experience predator hunting and coyotes, foxes, etc. are fairly predictable. I've watched them come in from upwind direction only to circle around downwind before closing the distance.

I'd prefer to be mobile and call from the ground but don't want to be surprised from behind. I have a partner for some days but am going solo as well. thoughts? thanks.

 

[Close Range]

I’ve called in a bunch of bears over the years using mule deer fawn or rabbit distress sounds. I really like the Circe three position call. Funny thing is this year I’ve not called in anything but it’s been a long hot dry summer and fall here in AZ.

 

[BackcountryBloodline]

Bear season opens soon here in SC and the plan is to do a lot of calling.

For anyone whose done so succesfully- will bears consistently approach from downwind? I have some experience predator hunting and coyotes, foxes, etc. are fairly predictable. I've watched them come in from upwind direction only to circle around downwind before closing the distance.

I'd prefer to be mobile and call from the ground but don't want to be surprised from behind. I have a partner for some days but am going solo as well. thoughts? thanks.

Entirely depends on their temperament. Nothing is very consistent with calling bears, they all have different attitudes, moods etc just like people...if they're hungry enough wind doesn't really matter at all, if they aren't in the mood they won't even turn their head.

 

[manchild125]

Bear season opens soon here in SC and the plan is to do a lot of calling.

For anyone whose done so succesfully- will bears consistently approach from downwind? I have some experience predator hunting and coyotes, foxes, etc. are fairly predictable. I've watched them come in from upwind direction only to circle around downwind before closing the distance.

I'd prefer to be mobile and call from the ground but don't want to be surprised from behind. I have a partner for some days but am going solo as well. thoughts? thanks.

I always keep my back to a tree but thats mostly due to we have a lot of cats here. Bears in my experience come from wherever they are straight to you but I pretty much only call from up above them. I have had a few circle to get down wind but those bears usually come within 100yrds before trying to get your wind. Now blind sets are a different story and you best watch your back because some bears do not give a dang what you are once they hear that dinner bell

 

[TheGDog]

Dan Thompson Game Calls: The Weems Replica + one of their LongRange CottonTail or Jack calls + their Coaxer call

Primos : Third Degree (careful with this one, if you try to blow it too hard the reed will lock up and go silent)

Big thing is where you elect to post up at to call from. Keep in consideration he's gonna want to circle and get down wind of you to sniff what you are. And don't be someplace where they can easily see your movement while blowing on the call.

Let the design of the call create the volume, don't blow yourself dizzy trying to make it loud by ampin' up the pressure of your air. Totally not necessary. Exert the blowing pressure more from just your cheeks rather than from down in your chest.

And make damn well sure your rifle is across your lap, loaded and ready to shoulder in a split seconds notice!

 

[stumpknocker]

I’ve been at it most every day this week. So far called in several coyotes and a bobcat but not seen any bear. I did shoot one yote with a pretty pelt and of course as I’m walking up to it I hear another animal go crashing down the hill.. maybe another dog but it sounded bigger.

Hunting Blue Ridge escarpment. About 1400 ft elevation gain hike up from where I park. Trying to keep cliffs/deadfall to my back and calling down into historically burned areas. It feels good but no luck yet!

Partner got a crack at one yesterday that followed his trail right up to where he was having lunch. Said he shook so badly he couldn’t keep steady. clean miss. Makes me think of trying a scent drag..

Thanks y’all. I figured it might not be all that consistent, I appreciate the input. A fun way to hunt for sure!