Bear callin question

[coyotecrazy]

All right, this might be a stupid question but here it goes. For those of you that have called in bears with e callers, does the cub distress sound only call in sows or will boars come to that as well?

[CAMPMEAT]

I've only used mouth calls and I do believe boars eat cubs...........so, cub distress might work great. 

[400out]

I've only used mouth calls and I do believe boars eat cubs...........so, cub distress might work great. 

and have a cat tag

[billythekidrock]

Cub distress will call in both sows and boars. The problem is sows often leave cubs behind when they come in.

[RadSav]

Cub distress will call in both sows and boars. The problem is sows often leave cubs behind when they come in.

 

I might add that boars are less likely to respond in the fall as their food focus has changed and the cubs aren't as easy pickins as they were just coming out of the den.

In fall I prefer to use a double reed rabbit call tuned for more rasp.  I then shake it a lot trying to sound as though a fox or small coyote is having difficulty killing it.  My thought is a bear or cat might think it is an easy meal to steal away from the smaller predator.  Has worked well for me on the coast and west side of cascades.  Have not tried it in the NE.

[carpsniperg2]

We have only ever had sows come to the cub call. I know a few guys that like it a lot and called some nice bears in with it. Fawn is my killer for the bears that we have called in around here.

[billythekidrock]

I have called in more bears in August and September with cow/calf sounds, even in areas where there are no elk.

[coyotecrazy]

Thanks for the info. I have another question for ya. While callin for bears, do you think it hurts to change calls? Use a calf distress for 10 or 20 minutes and then switch to something else?

[RadSav]

Thanks for the info. I have another question for ya. While callin for bears, do you think it hurts to change calls? Use a calf distress for 10 or 20 minutes and then switch to something else?

Billy probably knows more than me on that, but I never change calls during a setup.  That is unless I start off with a soft chambered call and move to a hard chambered call with the same reed and tuning.  I do that quite a bit so I can start off soft and quiet and then get louder and more frantic as I progress, then back to soft as I start sounding spent, shaky and on my last few breaths of life.  A lot of times animals that have been hung up will start to progress when it sounds like the fight is just about over and my guts are getting ripped out.

[RadSav]

I have never used a calf in distress call.  But I could see how you might want to start off with lost calf, then change to a distressed lost calf and then into a full blown calf distress.

[billythekidrock]

I have never used a calf in distress call.  But I could see how you might want to start off with lost calf, then change to a distressed lost calf and then into a full blown calf distress.

Exactly.

[tlbradford]

Late to the party, but I don't worry about changing sounds with bears, like I do with coyotes.  It seems like they will just keep coming in, once they hear a noise, and have made their minds up to investigate.  When hand calling I only vary the cadence and emotion.  90% of the time it is a fawn distress since it is easy to blow for long periods, and is effective.  The other 10% is a raspy jackrabbit, elk calf calls or cub squalls.  With my foxpro, I really like the antelope fawn distress.  It works better than their deer sounds for calling in whitetail or muleys too.  I've played around with the calf sounds since their are free range cattle in some of the areas I hunt, and I have used the elk sounds as well, with very limited success, but to be fair I hardly ever vary from fawn distress.  I have only called on the east side.

[coyotecrazy]

Late to the party, but I don't worry about changing sounds with bears, like I do with coyotes.  It seems like they will just keep coming in, once they hear a noise, and have made their minds up to investigate.  When hand calling I only vary the cadence and emotion.  90% of the time it is a fawn distress since it is easy to blow for long periods, and is effective.  The other 10% is a raspy jackrabbit, elk calf calls or cub squalls.  With my foxpro, I really like the antelope fawn distress.  It works better than their deer sounds for calling in whitetail or muleys too.  I've played around with the calf sounds since their are free range cattle in some of the areas I hunt, and I have used the elk sounds as well, with very limited success, but to be fair I hardly ever vary from fawn distress.  I have only called on the east side.


Thanks for the info. I have only hunted on the east side also. I will have to try the antelope one you mentioned. I have a Foxpro as well and am anxious to give it a try on bears. Have you had much luck calling fall bears?

[tlbradford]

I have only called fall bears, mostly cold calling, and I have had good success.  By good success, I mean having a bear respond on about 5% of the stands.  That means around one bear for every 20 hours of calling.  The last berries that they really actively feed on in the areas I hunt are choke cherries.  They seem to hit the cascara too, but only if nothing else is available.  I will probably try calling some in the spring now that the photography bug has bit me, but work and kids will dictate that.