Calling Black Bears

[Screaming Bulls]

Wanna learn some strategies and what sounds work the best from guys that are sucessfull calling in black bears spring and fall throw up a pic if you got them.

 

[Bonedalien]

wayne carlton has a great dvd about this. ive never done it ,but looks like a heck of a rush

 

[JJHACK]

I have done extensive research on this. Having been one of the editors of Bear hunting Magazine I was in contact with some very experienced guys around the country. There are no hard and fast facts here, but some very telling statistics when all the data collected and experienced measured were compiled.

There seems to be a geographic element in the success of calling. As an example, Some areas have Black Bears that tend to be strongly vegan, while some smaller more limited areas have a more carnivore, predatory population of black bears. In the early 80's Arkansas made some agreement with Nova Scotia to get some black bears for re-introduction to help populations recover in in some of their game units. The Bears of Nova Scotia have a notorious reputation for predatory behaviour. When these bears were released it was only a short time after that livestock and predatory actions alarmed the Arkansas F&G. They had never had a single predatory bear attack prior to this release.

Calling bears is in almost every case an unsuccessful event when done cold. Seeing the bear and calling to it, changes the dynamic of the event. It will also educate you by seeing the reaction to the call.

Some other interesting data points. Over the years in spring hunting we never called a single female. Here are some compiled numbers from many experienced Bear guys that call bears. About 50% of the bears called to will ignore the call completely and carry on with travel or feeding. Absolutely no reaction at all, not even a look your direction. The next 25% will run away as fast as they can out of sight. The remaining 25% is split between those that look your way, seem curious but never actually come to you. The final group will usually wander slowly closer to you, or deliberately come to you on a mission.

The best sounds are by a margin those that sound like a deer fawn rather then a rabbit. Obviously some overlap in this. One thing that is not an overlap is that it's better to sound sorrowful, pathetic and sick, Rather then screaming which would be more typical for coyotes. The loud rabbit screams will spook more then attract. I'm not sure a bear wants to go looking for a 300lb bunny when the volume is the equivalent of a giant! By the same measure, The deer fawn seems to make it big enough to be worth the effort, where a 2 lb rabbit may not when the bear must travel hundreds of yards across country.

Another common observation, Spring calling is by a very wide margin better then fall. Maybe it's just that the bears are too fat to travel and have a full belly? where in Spring they are skinny and much more hungry. Could also be they are exposed much more to new babies in spring so the sounds are more familiar this time of year.

Finally, the wind is a critical issue. You do not have to be turkey camo'd and hidden away, they will come by sound and smell far more then by sight. Using a remote call set 50-75 yards away will pull them to the call and not to you. The Whitetail distress of the foxpro is perfect too. I have had two bears come at the same time more then once, but both times they spooked each other and both ran off.

Of the areas I have direct experience with The coast of Wa, and Alaska have not provided any reasonable level of success. Those bears are vegan and beach combers with a side dish of salmon. The cascades has been mostly a waste of time on the west side, but the east side has had a higher percentage of at least the bears recognizing and showing some interest, although limited. The rockies of eastern Wa. Id. and Montana has been by a very big margin a more successful habitat. I can only assume that bears are able to catch babies more frequently in these area and learn the crys and distress sounds. Maybe it's the harsh winters and deeper snow in spring? The coast has no snow to speak of and lower deer populations. The education continues for this! Still can't get my head around the reasons for this more predatory tendency compared to the coastal populations.

For me this has become a "last resort" when light is fading and the bears are tucked away difficult to see in the bush, or too far. I also use it in a location where recovery would be complicated. It has not been used very successfully as a primary means of hunting.

 

[BackCountryMulies]

Great bit of info JJHACK, If you are hunting towards the end of may and into june and are in an area where elk are a lost calf/ distress calf sound works great. I have called in several bears using just a distressed calf. I am also using these calls in SouthWest MT and Wy so you really need to spot the bear or be in an area you know holds bears and not the ones with a hump on there back. I have had a few uncomfortable moments doing this.

 

[Jesse Jaymes]

I've done it quite a bit. My success rate is quite high.

This is last spring's bear 2013

Fall 2010 bear

I've called in bears and missed too. Called in others and not seen them. I've had two encounters where the bears came in HAULING ASS. I could hear their feet hitting the ground. 6 minute response time. This one ended up standing up eye to eye with me at 6 yards. I missed. Too close as he dropped back down and booted away. I saw the spring bear a day prior on a small meadow. I snuck in on foot and started the call. Was a 7 minute response. He just slipped out of the dark timber quietly before I dropped him.

The fall bear came in popping teeth behind me. Had I not been tipped off by a Stellar's Jay he would have been in my hip pocket. About 8 minute response time. I'm 99% confidant I've called in 2 others, but never saw them. They came in LOUD, but down wind and huffed and bugged out.

I've turned on a few co-workers and they've had success. Bears are pretty much the only thing I am good at. I have an eye for locations and better idea of the set up. I have a good bit of experience calling coyotes and the set ups make or break you.

This is in NE WA. Our bear densities are pretty good up here.

 

[Jesse Jaymes]

FWIW I am too chicken to try it in N. Idaho where I hunt non res. It's very un-nerving. And I hunt solo. Your mind tends to wonder. Doesn't help that my success rate is so high. Rather than sitting there thinking "This is stupid...nothing is going to come in", my mind is racing thinking "Am I prepared and ready, and where is he going to appear". I was quite confidant in calling the 2013 bear and was fully squared away with my rifle pre set on a Bog Pod, correctly positioned to make a shot and was comfortable. Panned out perfect. Only a 37 yard shot. But then is not the time to find out you can't make the shot weak shoulder, or unsupported. Or you need to dig out a LRF, etc. Prepare for success.

Both above bears were Boars.

 

[Nick Muche]

What are you using for a call Jesse?

 

[Bar]

I'm going to try calling in a bear this fall. My unit in Colorado is not loaded with bears, but the tag is good for the whole month of Sept. That will give me lots of time to find whatever bears are there. I know where a bunch of berry bushes are in different spots. I was going to try still hunting those areas. It's the only way I hunt for elk and deer. So, i'd like to see if I can get it to work on bears. Probably a long shot.

As a backup I thought i'd try calling. I'm 71, hunt alone, and use a sidelock muzzleloader. My friends tell me i'm nuts to bear hunt. Let alone call them in. I suppose I could be worse things than nuts, so i'm ok with it.

I bought Wayne Carlton's bear call, and it came with a CD describing how to use it. His method is pretty aggressive. I'm not sure I have the lung power to keep it up for too long. Especially, at 11,000ft. Hopefully, I won't be too light headed from calling when a bear comes in.

 

[MattB]

I have only shot 3 bears that we called to, 2 females and 1 male. One female was blind called in the afternoon in an area where we glassed multiple bears in the morning. I shot her frontal at about 8-10 yards on the run - almost needed a panty change after that. It appears she basically ran ~100 yards to the call from her bed, as she ran back the direction she came from and died very near a well used bear bed. The second one got by me at 40 yards on a stalk and my buddy that was ~150 yards downhill turned her with a mouth call - she came in on a string right in front of me and I shot her at 15-20 yards broadside. The 3rd was an old male that we glassed, stalked, and could not find when we got there. The call brought him out of a swale at about 25 yards (never thought it could hide a bear) and I shot him at 16 yards frontal. The key seems to be to get right in on them and start calling - each came in directly and with purpose.

 

[cleatus]

I'm going to try calling in a bear this fall. My unit in Colorado is not loaded with bears, but the tag is good for the whole month of Sept. That will give me lots of time to find whatever bears are there. I know where a bunch of berry bushes are in different spots. I was going to try still hunting those areas. It's the only way I hunt for elk and deer. So, i'd like to see if I can get it to work on bears. Probably a long shot.

As a backup I thought i'd try calling. I'm 71, hunt alone, and use a sidelock muzzleloader. My friends tell me i'm nuts to bear hunt. Let alone call them in. I suppose I could be worse things than nuts, so i'm ok with it.

I bought Wayne Carlton's bear call, and it came with a CD describing how to use it. His method is pretty aggressive. I'm not sure I have the lung power to keep it up for too long. Especially, at 11,000ft. Hopefully, I won't be too light headed from calling when a bear comes in.

You sir are what I hope to be some day.

 

[gonhunting247]

I have used calls successfully on 4 bears in OR(2eastern and 2western)all boars! One bear(2012) was fall bear, the other three were Spring Bears. I have never called one totally blind/cold, but I have used it all four(successful) times exclusively when I spotted a bear in small openings at considerable distances. By the time I reached the spots, the bears had wondered off. (This is the perfect time to use your call IMO). Each time the bears came back within 5-10 minutes. Two came back twice before I was able to thread the shot through OR brush. Two came hard and fast, ready to tear something up and were shot at less than 30 yards! The other two came back more curious like and were distracted easily. These were the ones I had to call back again.
I have tried just setting up in Bear country and calling in likely spots many times with no success. I have also had a couple Bears just look and go back to foraging, these were not in season( I was just playing while horn hunting.) Out of all the messing around with calling, I have had one bear, that I know of, turn and run!( I think I may have been to close and called too aggressive.(This bear was in early April before season.) All successful bears were called in with mouth calls ( two on the Carlton call, two on a cotton tail squealer) I've had no success with my foxpro, but don't feel I've given it a fair shot yet. Just most the good sets were while I didn't have the bulky electronics with me!
In 2010 I shot a bear(spot and stalk) early fall and had the opportunity to test call on two different bears later. One I could see the whole time. I was on a old road and I spotted him wandering along the side at 150 yds. I sat down in the middle of the road and called. he slowly came to within about 50 yds then just turned and disappeared into the brush. After I gave it some time, I continued down the road. When I went by the spot that he went in, he huffed and took off. He had held up just out of sight and waited there or just had been foraging there the whole time.(not sure which). The other bear was a long ways off. He would just look up for a bit, then go back about his business of rolling logs,rocks and eating elder berries. He eventually just wandered off.
I guess in conclusion I think a lot of variables play into their reaction to a call. Some being, what food sources are in season and how abundant, time of year, how dominant the bear is, how close you are, and I think bears just have different personality traits( Some are just naturally ornery and will engage better!)

 

[cleatus]

I am going to give calling a shot this spring in Montana. I have some carver custom mouth calls I'm going to use. I have been very successful calling coyotes here in the east. To all that have responded above thanks for the tips and I will be employing your strategies. Will report back with results late may.

 

[gonhunting247]

I'm going to try calling in a bear this fall. My unit in Colorado is not loaded with bears, but the tag is good for the whole month of Sept. That will give me lots of time to find whatever bears are there. I know where a bunch of berry bushes are in different spots. I was going to try still hunting those areas. It's the only way I hunt for elk and deer. So, i'd like to see if I can get it to work on bears. Probably a long shot.

As a backup I thought i'd try calling. I'm 71, hunt alone, and use a sidelock muzzleloader. My friends tell me i'm nuts to bear hunt. Let alone call them in. I suppose I could be worse things than nuts, so i'm ok with it.



I bought Wayne Carlton's bear call, and it came with a CD describing how to use it. His method is pretty aggressive. I'm not sure I have the lung power to keep it up for too long. Especially, at 11,000ft. Hopefully, I won't be too light headed from calling when a bear comes in.

I definitely think your skills at still hunting will work great around the berry patches. I've found bears to be much easier to ease up on than deer and elk when they're busy in the berries. If you keep the wind in your favor, when you get in a spot where you know one's close but your kind of stuck terrain wise. That's when I'd drop back a little, set up and call.
Good luck, I only hope to be still out hunting by myself at your age. That's cool I can't wait to see the pictures!

 

[Jesse Jaymes]

I guess in conclusion I think a lot of variables play into their reaction to a call. Some being, what food sources are in season and how abundant, time of year, how dominant the bear is, how close you are, and I think bears just have different personality traits( Some are just naturally ornery and will engage better!)

This is my opinion as well.

 

[charvey9]

Good stuff guys. I have very little experience with calls, but tried a little last fall bear season with a fawn in distress mouth call. Each time, i could hear a bear in the area but was in some really thick reprod in the Oregon Cascades and never actually saw the bear. Attempts to spot and stalk into bow range in that jungle were futile, so I tried the call. It didn't seem to have any effect, and they likely just ignored it. This was mostly August and early September last year.

I'm going to give a shot again this spring, since I drew a tag for the North Cascades in OR and will be up hunting the same spot. Given the several feet of snow that is still up there, I will likely be dealing with it all season. The snow is good for tracking, but tough to quietly stalk into bow range. I'm hoping a call will have some effect in pulling them in when they are hungry in the spring. Deer/elk populations are not that great up there, so I'm not sure how often they get a meaty treats up there. From what I could tell in my time up there last summer and fall, there major food source is the skunk cabbage and digging under rocks/logs until the berries come up. My options will be somewhat limited in staking out the food sources if calling does not work.

 

[Bar]

According to Wayne Carlton you can't call like you're calling in any other predator. You have to make it sound like a leg is being ripped out of the animal you're imitating. So, it loud, fast, and long. The minute you back off the bear stops coming. So, you might have had a bear coming, but it stopped when you either stopped calling, or eased off the intensity. This is from Wayne. I'm still new to calling.

He said you really can't over do it with bears. Scream at them, and they come charging at you. Hopefully, that won't be at our backs.

 

[Nick Muche]

I've seen threads similar to this on several websites and usually very few people have any experience with calling in bears and the information provided is very general. This thread tops all those 10 fold! Thanks for the information, good to know and keep in mind. I plan to try it some this year.

MattB, I remember seeing a photo of the boar you are talking about at one point.. If I remember correctly, it's a biggin!

 

[MattB]

My biggest boar (chocolate with brown saddle) was spot and stalk, he was youngish but really big (300# easy and probably closer to 400# - 2 of us could barely move him). I killed an old black a couple of years ago that was probably still over 200# despite his declining condition. DF&G aged it at 20+ y/o - his faced was scarred as heck and his bottom canines were broken and worn and looked like elk ivories.

 

[Screaming Bulls]

Some really good tips and pointers so far what calls have worked the best for the guys that have been succesfull ?

 

[gonhunting247]

Good stuff guys. I have very little experience with calls, but tried a little last fall bear season with a fawn in distress mouth call. Each time, i could hear a bear in the area but was in some really thick reprod in the Oregon Cascades and never actually saw the bear. Attempts to spot and stalk into bow range in that jungle were futile, so I tried the call. It didn't seem to have any effect, and they likely just ignored it. This was mostly August and early September last year.

I'm going to give a shot again this spring, since I drew a tag for the North Cascades in OR and will be up hunting the same spot. Given the several feet of snow that is still up there, I will likely be dealing with it all season. The snow is good for tracking, but tough to quietly stalk into bow range. I'm hoping a call will have some effect in pulling them in when they are hungry in the spring. Deer/elk populations are not that great up there, so I'm not sure how often they get a meaty treats up there. From what I could tell in my time up there last summer and fall, there major food source is the skunk cabbage and digging under rocks/logs until the berries come up. My options will be somewhat limited in staking out the food sources if calling does not work.

I think you'll probably have a little more success with your calls in the Spring. There's just not as much food available, so if you get in with them in the skunk cabbage, get the wind in your favor and call they usually seem to be interested if your close enough when you start your sequence.
I called this one in out of a swampy skunk cabbage filled seep. He's one of the bears I shot at 30 yards.View attachment 15200

Are the pics showing up in this post?