Bear Hunting Calls

[VirginiaxBoi]

What are everyones' favorite distress calls for Bear? What would you recommend other than elk? Rabbit?

[Ray]

I know some people use cow elk calls and fawn distress.

[tlbradford]

Elk, rabbit, fawn, and cub distress sounds.

[VirginiaxBoi]

I am new to bear hunting, as I am sure you are all aware. What brand etc should I look for?

[jackelope]

check out bearmanric's calls for sale on here in the classifieds section. they are very good quality calls, krusty sells custom handmade calls also.

[VirginiaxBoi]

Are they user friendly? I have only used two calls before, turkey diaphram and turkey slate... This is all new to me.

[Machias]

I have called in bear with Circe's three in one call, I like the long range call on that one and I have called in bear with a Jones javelina call, I like it because it is coarse loud call.  I haven't had the pleasure of trying out Krusty or Bear's calls yet, but I will.

[Ray]

I get more action with a fawn in distress call so far. But I have had no animals harvested while predator calling yet.

The open reed and closed reed calls are different. The open reed calls required a little bit of practice for me (about 2-3 minutes) to use the first time. With the open reed calls you can manipulate them slightly to get different pitched sounds for example. Both kinds work...

The circe 3 in one seems like a good call. No action on it yet and have only used it 3 times.

One more thing. The open reed call (makes cow elk talk) I got from bearmanric is really loud when compared to any other call I have. I don't think that's a bad thing.

[VirginiaxBoi]

Bearmanric should auction another home made distress call off.... (hint hint)

[jackelope]

One more thing. The open reed call (makes cow elk talk) I got from bearmanric is really loud when compared to any other call I have. I don't think that's a bad thing.

i would agree...the cow elk call i got from him is very loud, but i did figure out good elk call sounds pretty quick.
user friendly?? to each his own on that one. i've bought turkey diaphragm calls before because people told me how easy they were to operate and i couldn't make a turkey sound with them, then ones that are supposed to be difficult to operate i have no issues with.

[jackelope]

Bearmanric should auction another home made distress call off.... (hint hint)

krusty was the one that donated the auction call.

[Ray]

That was Krusty who auctioned off the hand made call. I wish he would sell some here because they were nice and I might buy one.

[Otto1]

I have both of their calls and enjoy each very much! I have killed with one and have activity with both of them.

[billythekidrock]

What are everyones' favorite distress calls for Bear? What would you recommend other than elk? Rabbit?

Rabbit distress, fawn distress, cub, cow/calf elk.

I am new to bear hunting, as I am sure you are all aware. What brand etc should I look for?

Bearnanric - message him on this site.
Arky Yoter http://www.arkyyoter.net/index.html tell him billy sent ya.
Burnham Brothers - get the c3 long range and black magic

Are they user friendly? I have only used two calls before, turkey diaphram and turkey slate... This is all new to me.

Bearmanric's calls are very easy to use. I would suggest getting a closed reed and an open reed. The closed reed will be easier to learn and the open reed will give you versatility.

Bearmanric should auction another home made distress call off.... (hint hint)

It would be cheaper to buy one. Auction calls can get pretty pricey.

[Krusty]

VirginiaxBoi,

If you can use a turkey diaphragm call, you already have a great call.

You can make many distress sounds with one, my brother says you go "HHHHuuweeeee, hhuuwweeee" to make the standard distress cry, and all you have to do is raise and lower the pitch and cadence to mimic who IS in distress.
Fawn is real high, woods rabbits lower, desert rabbit lower yet.

Turkey sounds, elk chirps and calls, cat mews, chicken clucks, and coyote howls are just a few of the sounds you can make and use for bears.

I donate a call, and Bearman Rick gets the credit, how frickin' IRONIC.

Jackelope, 

I don't sell calls, in the sense that you can just get one, out of the blue.

In the light of recent discussions and developments, I don't think that will change anytime soon.

You nailed it, nobody can tell what call is going to be "user friendly" for you, unless they have a list of your favorites to compare to.

That's the first questions I ask when designing a call for someone... what's your favorite calls, and what are your least favorite?
Every caller is different, and likes different calls.

Fred,

Oh gawd dude, you guys make me want to cry when you say you LIKE a 3n1.
If it's more than 20 years old, I can live with hearing it, but if it's a Korean one...

Ray,

I'd rather keep my objectivity, and my credibility, and not sell calls here.

That way when you get an answer from me about calls, you'll know it's an honest one, and not a sales pitch.

Selling calls, is NEVER the motivation behind one of my posts, and it never will be.

Otto,

I wish you continued success, with whatever calls you use.

Willie,

Websites like this don't run themselves, donation auctions help with this.

In my donation auction, Otto got his call for less than I could have retailed it for.
It was a win win for the site, and for one of it's members.

In the case of going over retail, I thought a bidder from another site put it very well, he said he figured he'd pay retail price PLUS whatever he was willing to donate to said site.

He understood the true value that a donation auction holds, and the gesture that it is.
Apparently you don't.

I think somebody, Bearman Rick, or anybody else, SHOULD donate something to be auctioned off.
And bidders should bid generously, recognizing the value....

It's NOT going to be me, again, anytime soon.

Krusty

[Ray]

Ray,

I'd rather keep my objectivity, and my credibility, and not sell calls here.

That way when you get an answer from me about calls, you'll know it's an honest one, and not a sales pitch.

Selling calls, is NEVER the motivation behind one of my posts, and it never will be.

I've never said or implied that you had motivation from competition about critiqueing calls. However if you had bad experience with someone's calls before you came to this board then that is up to you do deal with. I'd prefer to keep old dirty laundry from another board where it belongs. I think that if someone was utilizing our boards to sell bogus gear then we would certainly have had a consensus about that a long time ago. I have no reason to believe at this time anyone is trying to sell off bad gear here. I am sure you have opinions of your own which are valid concerns but I don't like airing them out here if they didn't happen here. It pretty much breeds a feeling of contempt among the community when that sort of thing occurs.

I kindly accepted to your kind gestures but I will not accept someone trying to point their finger at me to back off because they donated some cash. I can certainly give $ back and settle the score instead of listening to long diatribes trying to bring my credibility and intentions into question. You spend long hours making very nice calls. I spend long hours to keep the board alive.

Now back to bear hunting calls.

[Machias]

 Sorry Krusty, I was not up on who made the call, I probably have had it for 20+ years.  For bear I probably distort the call anyway since I like a loud gravely coarse call for bear, so I have called the guts out of my 3n1, it doesn't sound anything like when I first got it.  Krusty do you make higher pitch calls or do you make any coarser calls?  Or are the user adjustible?

[VirginiaxBoi]

Sorry about the identity crisis Krusty. Appreciate all the good info. I might just try my turkey diaphram out, see how well I do. Was not aware I could use it for that at all. My norm with it, is just clucking and a "KeeeYOOO"  or "KeeeYOI" sound. Just not sure If I can get it as loud as I need it for a bear.

[Krusty]

Ray,

Three sentences, does not make up a long diatribe.
And they were a direct answer to your wish, that I sell calls here.

Money back? Where the heck did that come from?

I dunno, maybe Otto would want HIS money back... that's not my business.
That's between you and Otto, but I'd like to see him keep his call.

...Back to calls it is. 

Fred,

The Circé calls made in the distant past, like yours, were a cut above those re-produced today.
Like my dad likes to say "They don't make stuff like this anymore".

I make a call that sounds like a jackrabbit being dragged down a dirt road. 
That coarse enough?
That same call can make extremely high pitch whines and chirps.
They are open reed calls, with a unique double-stacked lexan reed, and are "user adjustable" on the fly.

VxBoi,

Crisis what crisis.  

I'm sure you didn't mean anything by it. I apologize for letting it knock me off center.

You should be able to get some serious volume from a diaphragm call, many predator callers use them for extreme range and windy conditions.

Something about "not holding your mouth so closed, and letting the sound out"?

I dunno, all I can sound like is Snoopy, on his leash, gagging and choking... until I spit the thing out.
___________________________________________________

On the topic of bear calls, this is something that has been discussed among call makers several times, call body shape;

Bears have incredible ability to process sound, and a big brain to do it with.
Fred's javelina call, and Rick's honey pots, play into this.

By having a large, highly resonant, and hollow sounding bell chamber a call can make a more realistic sound.
This can be created or exagerated  by using your hands to form a large, well sealed "cup" around the call, increasing that internal volume.
This is especially true for cub bawls, and hog squaller, sounds, and makes these excellent choices for the hand caller.

Spotting and calling is the best way to learn, and to harvest called bears.
Call gently at first, and don't be forceful, but escalate the urgency if needed.
Be prepared to change sounds, and to wait for a bears easily diverted attention to return.
You calling sound might carry as far as a mile, that's a big circle, it can take a while for a bear in a fat berry patch to make it to the middle of it.

Krusty

[tlbradford]

The only word of advice I would offer on using a diaphragm for distress is that you can get winded pretty quick.  Continuous calling for bears is the standard operating procedure to most everyone who has done it.  You will want a call that is easy to blow for long periods of time. 

[boneaddict]

The only word of advice I would offer on using a diaphragm for distress is that you can get winded pretty quick.  Continuous calling for bears is the standard operating procedure to most everyone who has done it.  You will want a call that is easy to blow for long periods of time.   

I agree!

[Krusty]

I totally agree guys, that you can get winded pretty quick using a diaphragm call.

You also can get winded pretty quick with a hard driving open reed call too... especially if you make a "breathy" sound, with every breath.
Calling from your diaphragm, for a long time, makes you winded, not (necessarily) the call you do it with.

Elk chirps, turkey clucks, woodpecker distress, super chicken, puppies, and kittens, and more... these sounds are done with very little to no lung pressure, and can be done for hours on end.
Trust me, I ride in the truck with my brother and his diaphragm calls.

I can make a few sounds come OUT of a call, while I am breathing in through my nose. A puff of your cheeks is often enough to drive a call.

An open reed call with a soft reed, a 'closed reed call, and even a diaphragm call, can be used for long periods of time, if used right.

Yeah, wailing jackrabbit distress, a wild bear cub bawl, or skanky bobcat in heat, that will make your gut burn and your head swim, after a while. (*And for "beginners" like the person I am offering my advice to, this happens really fast, until they build up the "lungs" for it... calling for hours, is the only thing that can make it so you can call for hours without being winded)

Spotting and calling is the best way to learn, and to harvest called bears.
Call gently at first, and don't be forceful, but escalate the urgency if needed.

If you want to non-stop "broadcast call" your bear stands... they make a really really neat call for that.

They're called e-callers.

Krusty

P.S. Only one of the dozen or so bears I have called was done so by non-stop bear cub bawls... the rest have come to typical stop and go predator stands, except one that came charging out of the trees onto the powerline right of way, when I was locating turkeys.

[tlbradford]

Yeah when I say continuous I typically mean a series of sound with a short, maybe 30 second pause, to catch your breath. 

E-callers are great tools, if you have the money to shell out for one.  I wouldn't use one without a remote that allows you to shut it on and off and control the volume.  Plus they take up more space if you are backpacking in somewhere.  Always have one or two back-up hand calls in case something goes wrong with your ecaller.