Bear calling question

[kselkhunter]

What works best for you all for bear calling?  Which type of call?

Today I stuck with just a distressed fawn call.   Called at first light, and a few times throughout the day.  Couldn't stay out until dark today unfortunately.  Found what looked like a fresh rub with hair in it.  I went in an area where I know a bear is (saw him from behind running from me two weeks ago).  I'm new at bear hunting, so any suggestions on calls that work for you.

Thanks.

[carpsniperg2]

I have only killed a couple by calling so I am no expert. I have killed one with fawn and one with rabbit. Bears are funny. Just because they are in the area doesn't mean they will come check things out all the time. I think they have to be in the mood. If they are very hungry then I think they are likely to come in. I have called and not had any bear come in only to walk 1/4  mile to find a bear feeding on grass. I know it had to of heard me but decided it wasn't interested.

cub distress/fawn and raspy rabbit have all work for the guys I know that have killed them with calls.

Don't get discouraged I have made probably 100 stands in my life for bears and only had 4 come in to the call. Partner killed one and I killed 2. That's in about 9 years of hunting them The 4th was way to small to shoot.

[boneaddict]

Bearmanrics elk distress work the best for me.   He makes great calls and they are very inexpensive for the quality they are.   I've gotten several just because they are works of art

[Machias]

I've been lucky enough to call in 16 bears so far and killed two of those.  I like a loud raspy type call.  One of my best bears was called in with a Javelina call.    Now we don't have Javelinas in WA, but it was a loud very raspy call.  I like to call NON-STOP for up to an hour.  I put a watch out in front of me, because calling for that long can be hard work.  It works out to about a bear called in every 25 or so stands.

[carpsniperg2]

  That's what I have had about 1:25 and great point on the amount of time.

When I call for cats or bears I always stay at least 45- 1 hr. The 4 we have called have showed between 20-40 minutes.

[Jpmiller]

Bearmanrics elk distress work the best for me.   He makes great calls and they are very inexpensive for the quality they are.   I've gotten several just because they are works of art

I was going to try my calf elk diaphragm this weekend. Glad to hear it's something people do lol my first attempt at calling bears.

[kselkhunter]

Thanks folks.  Sounds like I maybe wasn't calling frequently enough.   Will be out again this weekend, just different area. 

[Gringo31]

I'll second what has been said about calling non stop.  Several guys I talk to say you struggle to keep enough air.  Keep a blowing....

[tlbradford]

I second the loud and raspy sounds.  I usually do a fawn distress since you are using less air which means you can call longer.  If you see stars you are blowing too hard or too long.  You can also take breaks of a minute or two.  The theory is bears stop and listen when they don't hear sound.  You can call continuously because their eyesight isn't the greatest compared with other predators, so you can get away with a small amount of movement.  With coyotes and hand calls, you want them looking for you.  If you move while calling you are busted.  Thats why you will see guys using lip squeeks to coax them in.  With ecallers do whatever you like.  I love foxpros antelope fawn for bears.

[Okanagan]

Well, I debated whether to comment but here goes.  I called a good number of bears with intermittent calling before I found out we are supposed to call non-stop.     I will defer to the experience of many other bear callers and say it is probably better to call non-stop.  When calling anything, however, I like to pause for some silence and listen for 30 seconds to a minute once in awhile.  Sometimes you hear an animal moving, other times the birds and squirrels tell you that something is out there and maybe where it is and which way it is moving. 

IMO the undisputed fact that bears are not consistent in how they come to a call makes me think that it is us callers who haven't figured them out more than it is inconsistencies in bears.  Some come running, some sneak in, some pretend to ignore the call yet gradually feed and edge closer and closer, and some will look at the sound longingly, sigh and stay where they are!     One that was walking away from me took off running when I blew a predator call!  Usually they at least stop and look back.  I've called more with a medium raspy jack rabbit distress, which sounds a lot like fawn distress and a lot like bear cub distress.  My closest one came to lip squeeks alone, no other call sound.

All this to say the main thing is to get out there and call, don't oversweat the details and learn on the job.  Good luck!

The bear below paused to hide behind a bush as it came to a Rainshadow call moaned and whimpered softly.








 

[Machias]

So my theory, generally when I hear a bear coming in it is a bigger bear.  I believe bigger bears don't fear what is eating whatever is screaming so they barge right in.  Most of the mid-size or smaller bears I have called in slip in super quiet.  I think they are sneaking in to see what is eating whatever is screaming.

[bearmanric]

Thank Bone means a lot. Raspy and watch the wind. Okanagan good write up. Rick

[JakeLand]

Called my first bear in on Saturday!! I only heard a couple twigs break and some bush moving and then he stood up about 15 yards in front of me and got me totally by surprise. I was knelt down and squealing and bam he was right there, it was a small bear to say the least but then he started kinda popping his jaws and making a sloppy chomping sound and within a second he was gone like a bull in a China shop

[Jpmiller]

Called my first bear in on Saturday!! I only heard a couple twigs break and some bush s moving and then he stood up about 15 yards in front of me and got. E totally by surprise. I was knelt down and squealing and bam he was right there, it was a small bear to say the least but then he started knitting da popping his jaws and making a sloppy chomping sound and within a second he was gone like a bull in a China shop

Lol a story like that might be the last bear I ever called in. Congrats on the response!

[JakeLand]

I'm thinking of Getting a call from Rick
I'll tell you what I haven't felt a rush like that in a long time!! I'm addicted to trying to call bears in

[Machias]

I'm thinking of Gettysburg call from Rick
I'll tell you what I haven't felt a rush like that in a long time!! I'm addicted to trying to call bears in

It is NOT boring!!!!! 

[JakeLand]

No it's not ! I even got that nervous shakes 

[O. hemionus]

Good info guys, thanks. I just started trying my hand at calling in an area where I know there are bears, but the density is pretty low. Using a cottontail in distress. So far, I am 0 for 2 sets, but apparently I haven't been calling long enough or waiting long enough. I have been employing my coyote rule (2 calls 15 minutes apart, sitting for a total of 30 minutes). I have yet to shoot a bear, so hopefully I will have something to post up this year! Thanks again for the tips and to the OP for posting the original question!

[Okanagan]

Called my first bear in on Saturday!! I only heard a couple twigs break and some bush moving and then he stood up about 15 yards in front of me and got me totally by surprise. I was knelt down and squealing and bam he was right there, it was a small bear to say the least but then he started kinda popping his jaws and making a sloppy chomping sound and within a second he was gone like a bull in a China shop

WTG!     It is incredible to me how loud the teeth popping can be.  Hard to imagine how the teeth keep from breaking!

Machias, good theory, something to consider and likely correct. 

Rick, thanks for the good words.  You are the man when it comes to calling WA bears.

[carpsniperg2]

I love the eyes and the look on that bears face like he is in hunt mode.

[tlbradford]

Good info guys, thanks. I just started trying my hand at calling in an area where I know there are bears, but the density is pretty low. Using a cottontail in distress. So far, I am 0 for 2 sets, but apparently I haven't been calling long enough or waiting long enough. I have been employing my coyote rule (2 calls 15 minutes apart, sitting for a total of 30 minutes). I have yet to shoot a bear, so hopefully I will have something to post up this year! Thanks again for the tips and to the OP for posting the original question!

0/2 isn't too bad.  I'm probably 18/300