Vocal Black Bears??

[jrebel]

I have hunted my whole life, literally.  Started following my dad at 4-5 years of age and shot my first deer at 8.  I just starting hunting bear 6 years ago and have been learning more and more every year.  Last week I learned that bears are very vocal (or at least I believe this is what I was hearing).  As my son and I sat in our blind you could hear bear(s) moaning all around us.   All three nights we sat in our blind the moans would start about 90 minutes before dark.  One would sound off an then you would hear 4-5 more sound off all around.  We sit on a long ridge that the bear constantly cross, so we could here up and down the ridge as well as into both valleys on either side.  It was not uncommon to hear 4-6 moans coming from different location.  It was constant and almost like they were sounding off to let each other no their location. 

My son shot a small bear one of the nights and it let off a moan right behind out blind. 

To my question.....is this common or is it just because we are in an area that has a dense population of bear?  I assume they are vocalizing so they can avoid each other.....thoughts?? 

[KFhunter]

heck ya they're vocal!

had em roar at me,  both black and grizz roaring at me as I crept in tooo close to them

jaw popping

moaning and doing this chortling thing in proximity to other bears "I don't want no trouble, but I'll fight you if I hafta" moaning chortle but they'll do that to people too if you tree one

[jrebel]

heck ya they're vocal!

had em roar at me,  both black and grizz roaring at me as I crept in tooo close to them

jaw popping

moaning and doing this chortling thing in proximity to other bears "I don't want no trouble, but I'll fight you if I hafta" moaning chortle but they'll do that to people too if you tree one

Yeah, I have been close and had them snap their teeth or growl at me......this is different.  Clearly oblivious of my presence and often a very long way away.  They have to be vocalizing with other bears or just being noisy. 

It is very fascinating and probably one of the coolest things I have ever experienced in the woods.  I can't believe it took this long for me to hear it.....maybe because I wasn't listening for that specific sound. 

[7mmfan]

So without being there I can't say for sure but here is my experience with this. I had a friend saying the same thing as you, almost verbatim. I went out with him and heard it too. Sounded very guttural, just like a bear would make but something was off. I finally was able to ID the noise as a diving nighthawk. They dive and as they pull out of it their wings would make the sound. Next time you're out look up and see if that's where it's coming from.

[KFhunter]

So without being there I can't say for sure but here is my experience with this. I had a friend saying the same thing as you, almost verbatim. I went out with him and heard it too. Sounded very guttural, just like a bear would make but something was off. I finally was able to ID the noise as a diving nighthawk or some little bird. They dive and as they pull out their wings would make the sound. Next time you're out look up and see if that's where it's coming from.

Naw, I grew up under nighthawks and love listening to them in the evenings.  I know that sound by heart.   One of my favorite birds that aren't game.

[jrebel]

So without being there I can't say for sure but here is my experience with this. I had a friend saying the same thing as you, almost verbatim. I went out with him and heard it too. Sounded very guttural, just like a bear would make but something was off. I finally was able to ID the noise as a diving nighthawk or some little bird. They dive and as they pull out their wings would make the sound. Next time you're out look up and see if that's where it's coming from.

Funny you bring this up....I told my son, "I think it is a bird."  Twenty minutes later the bear he shot made the sound withing 25-50 yards from the blind.  I'm pretty positive they are bears.   The other thing that makes me think they are bears; one will make the sound, then you will hear 2-4 others make the sound in completely different areas and at different ranges (one faint, one loud, etc.).  The last night we waited to late, but decided to go stalk one of the sounds.  We only had about 10 minutes of light left so we moved quick in hopes of catching a bear on the ridge.  As we got closer the sound got louder and was clearly crossing the ridge we always see them on. 

When I say vocal.....these sounds / moans start about 90 minutes before dark and occur until we leave.  They will sound off ever 5-10 minutes and then go silent until they sound off again.  I will see if my phone can record the sounds next time I'm out.....likely not but I will try.  It sounds exactly like a bear moaning. 

like this if the link works. 

[KFhunter]

can't say I've heard that

[buckcanyonlodge]

Hope you can record the sound. Only in the evening?? Just might be nighthawks...I've heard them 'roar".."moan" like the sounds you describe. I know you are in a bear infested area but it seems they would make the sound all the time if they are communicating with other bears

[Elkrunner]

Are you sure it wasn't big foot?  all kidding aside.  I am curious as to the sounds.

[buckcanyonlodge]

Is this the sound...turn up volume


https://www.bing.com/videos/search?q=what+sounds+do+nighthawks+make&view=detail&mid=1C9CBBB554BAE20FD26A1C9CBBB554BAE20FD26A&FORM=VIRE

[jrebel]

Is this the sound...turn up volume


https://www.bing.com/videos/search?q=what+sounds+do+nighthawks+make&view=detail&mid=1C9CBBB554BAE20FD26A1C9CBBB554BAE20FD26A&FORM=VIRE

I have heard that sound and yes that may be some of it.  The other sounds are I am hearing are different.  Also thought maybe a cow moose with a short Bellow at times.  It is weird as this ridge produces a lot of sound as the evening gets closer.   I will listen closer now that I have different ideas and knowledge of these birds.  Maybe I also have an infestation of Nighthawks.   I'm back up there later this week and will report back my findings.  Im taking a video camera this time so maybe I can get good audio. 

[crowinghen]

The moaning after being shot is a death moan- what you want to hear!
other than that i  have heard a bear communicate with a kind of moan just a couple weeks ago, it was feeding in a thick patch of berries and it just sounded off.
 I have also heard the teeth popping, that'll make you change your course of direction real quick!

[bearpaw]

So without being there I can't say for sure but here is my experience with this. I had a friend saying the same thing as you, almost verbatim. I went out with him and heard it too. Sounded very guttural, just like a bear would make but something was off. I finally was able to ID the noise as a diving nighthawk. They dive and as they pull out of it their wings would make the sound. Next time you're out look up and see if that's where it's coming from.

   I've had quite a few hunters who thought the night hawks were bear making noise.

[7mmfan]

All of this said, I would love to be in the woods with bears talking around me. It would make stalking them so much easier! If you get back out there and they're talking, don't sit and wait, go get them and report back!

[L8NITE]

Hunted all my life as well and heard similar to what you are describing last year...as I got closer to the sounds it was a mother and two cubs! They were making all kinds of racket,  every once in awhile mom who was about 75 yards away would respond back to them. Very entertaining to say the least but 35 years in the woods I had never heard this on the ground. Cubs will make a racket when they are treed like in ur video