Bear calling

[mhanaford]

Long time lurker, but I think this is my first post.

Long story short, I am what some would call an “adult-onset hunter.” I starting hunting 3 years ago and I’ve had some success with deer and turkey, but never bear, which is something I’ve put a lot of effort into every year.

I’m hunting westside, and when hunting bear, I typically try calling. I have a foxpro inferno, and a couple mouth calls. So far I’ve been able to call 2 bears in, both time they spooked before I even saw them (first time, I heard a big crash about 15 yards behind me as he ran away. I found prints afterwards, so I am 100% sure it was a bear. Second time, I’m not so sure, but I definitely heard something creeping towards me in the woods, until I could no longer hear it and assumed something spooked)

Anyways, out of probably around 40 times out calling, only having one confirmed bear come in, I think it’s time to ask for help.

Anyone have any tips? Or anyone out there willing to to take me out and show me a few things? Any advice is very much appreciated!

[Machias]

What sounds are you using?  What's your typical set up like?  Thick?  Open?  Lots of fresh bear sign or cold calling?

[Russ McDonald]

Well welcome aboard.  @bearmanric would also be a great resource.  Forgot about Machias to great to see you not lurking no more.

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[mhanaford]

What sounds are you using?  What's your typical set up like?  Thick?  Open?  Lots of fresh bear sign or cold calling?

I have a closed reed rabbit distress call, and with the fox pro I normally use rabbit or fawn distress. I’ve tried fox distress as well.

I try to stay away from cold calling because I don’t feel like I’ve got a good enough feel for where bears would tend to be. Most of the time, I’m calling in relatively “open” old growth forest, that borders some younger, thicker stuff. There is a creek nearby, maybe a 1/4 mile away, and plenty of blackberry bushes.

I don’t think you would call it “lots” of bear sign, but last time I was out, there were four piles of scat. 2 were probably weeks old, the other two were probably only a day or two old. I also found a tree that had been stripped of bark with hair on it, and a rotten log that had been ripped open, but I couldn’t tell how old it was.

[mhanaford]

Well welcome aboard.  @bearmanric would also be a great resource.  Forgot about Machias to great to see you not lurking no more.

Sent from my SM-N950U using Tapatalk

Thanks Russ! I’ve been searching through his content on here. He’s got quite a bit!

[Machias]

That's pretty good amount of sign.  Keep at it, you'll call one in.  Are you calling non-stop or intermittent?  I like to call non-stop, but a couple of guys have been having good luck calling off and on.  I'd try both ways and see what you like and what the bears like.  Good luck!

[mhanaford]

That's pretty good amount of sign.  Keep at it, you'll call one in.  Are you calling non-stop or intermittent?  I like to call non-stop, but a couple of guys have been having good luck calling off and on.  I'd try both ways and see what you like and what the bears like.  Good luck!

I’ve been calling nonstop most of the time. I sit for about an hour before I move on.

As far as set up goes, if I’m using the foxpro, I sit up-wind of it, hoping a bear will circle downwind and I’ll get a shot before he sees me. I got a new fawn distress call this weekend, and I’m gonna go out and try intermittent calling.

So quick question, I glassed up a spot where there were around 10 dead trees in an area next to a drainage. I’m hoping to find that the cambian layer has been stripped off and I’ll call around that area. If I do find a fair amount of sign, what would be the best approach to calling in area that is really thick? Should I call off trail a few hundred yards away?  How far away from bear sign is too far away?

[Machias]

Check out the thread Bango skank did, here:  https://hunting-washington.com/smf/index.php/topic,240754.0.html

Some great information and advice.  I would give his calling technique a try.  You can always switch it up later in the calling sequence if you wanted to.  If you are able to slip into that area undetected and there is good sign I would call right from there, if not, I'd try and at least get within a hundred yards.  Really depends on how far your call sound is carrying in the conditions, weather and terrain, allow.

[Bango skank]

On page 2 of this thread i posted a couple videos of fawns making the kind of noise i like to make.  Called in 3 bears in something like 12 attempts in august, seems like a good response rate to me. 

https://hunting-washington.com/smf/index.php/topic,241902.0.html