Hunting Washington Forum

Big Game Hunting => Bear Hunting => Topic started by: TechJeff on November 01, 2015, 10:54:30 AM

Title: For west side bears should I get a cottontail or a jackrabbit call?
Post by: TechJeff on November 01, 2015, 10:54:30 AM: Does it matter?
Title: Re: For west side bears should I get a cottontail or a jackrabbit call?
Post by: saylean on November 01, 2015, 03:12:22 PM: Electronic or mouth?

My advise...get both. :tup:
Best of luck.
Title: Re: For west side bears should I get a cottontail or a jackrabbit call?
Post by: TechJeff on November 01, 2015, 05:06:13 PM: Mouth.

I picked up a Dan Thompson PC2 to get me started.

I love the book btw. Thanks for writing it. I found a lot of bear sign while deer hunting that I wouldn't have seen before I read it.

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Title: Re: For west side bears should I get a cottontail or a jackrabbit call?
Post by: RadSav on November 01, 2015, 05:27:49 PM: You might also think about carrying a mouth reed. Of the bear we have killed calling I think ten were called in using a Larry D. Jones Green reed elk diaphragm. Not sure but I think that is now what Point Blank calls their Knock Down Double. In each case I started off with a soft lost calf call and began increasing desperation. After about ten minutes I started thrashing the brush and began bawling using the same reed. Starting off bawling loud and frantic, moving to winded and weak, and then finishing the setup with gurgled bawls with some spacing between. Besides the bear we've killed doing this we probably spooked twice as many when we gave up too early and stood up to move to a new location...Doh!!

My other bear call is a super raspy double reed jackrabbit call. I open up the reeds to give rasp without a lot of back pressure. But not so much it breaks out when I want desperate volume. I use long breath calls more like a fawn in distress than the short bursts of a rabbit. This is my call of choice in the High Cascades.

We have killed only a dozen or so bear calling. Maybe screwed up on another 20 or 25 over the past 30 years. So take my experience for what it's worth. I think we have a few on this site that have called a lot more bear than I have.
Title: Re: For west side bears should I get a cottontail or a jackrabbit call?
Post by: saylean on November 01, 2015, 06:28:46 PM: Quote from: TechJeff on November 01, 2015, 05:06:13 PM
Mouth.

I picked up a Dan Thompson PC2 to get me started.

I love the book btw. Thanks for writing it. I found a lot of bear sign while deer hunting that I wouldn't have seen before I read it.

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

Thanks for the support Tech Jeff. Best of luck calling!
Title: Re: For west side bears should I get a cottontail or a jackrabbit call?
Post by: RadSav on November 01, 2015, 06:37:32 PM: Quote from: saylean on November 01, 2015, 06:28:46 PM
Thanks for the support Tech Jeff. Best of luck calling!

I haven't read the book. Guess I need to do that! Do you have a go to call that you use Saylean?
Title: Re: For west side bears should I get a cottontail or a jackrabbit call?
Post by: bearmanric on November 01, 2015, 08:07:39 PM: I use a Raspy close call that I make. I'm a custom callmaker. Also elk calls. Rick
Title: Re: For west side bears should I get a cottontail or a jackrabbit call?
Post by: Boss .300 winmag on November 01, 2015, 08:23:57 PM: I only use jackolpe calls. :tup:
Title: Re: For west side bears should I get a cottontail or a jackrabbit call?
Post by: billythekidrock on November 01, 2015, 08:32:38 PM: Both
Title: Re: For west side bears should I get a cottontail or a jackrabbit call?
Post by: saylean on November 02, 2015, 07:26:00 AM: Quote from: RadSav on November 01, 2015, 06:37:32 PM
Quote from: saylean on November 01, 2015, 06:28:46 PM
Thanks for the support Tech Jeff. Best of luck calling!

I haven't read the book. Guess I need to do that! Do you have a go to call that you use Saylean?

Bearmanric calls have worked very well for me. When I don't use them, I have had great success with Sceery brand model AP6.
Title: Re: For west side bears should I get a cottontail or a jackrabbit call?
Post by: bearmanric on November 02, 2015, 08:05:38 AM: Here are the sounds I do. Dan Thompson would make a killer cal. Rick

http://vidmg.photobucket.com/albums/v68/bearmanric/Mobile%20Uploads/2015-07/20150601_103703_zpssmdtv27e.mp4
Title: Re: For west side bears should I get a cottontail or a jackrabbit call?
Post by: splitshot on November 02, 2015, 08:05:53 AM: there are not many jackrabbits left. the only place I have seen them is Yakima firing range. mike w
Title: For west side bears should I get a cottontail or a jackrabbit call?
Post by: TechJeff on November 02, 2015, 09:55:30 AM: Quote from: splitshot on November 02, 2015, 08:05:53 AM
there are not many jackrabbits left. the only place I have seen them is Yakima firing range. mike w

Well there's the problem right there! They need to stop hanging out in impact areas!

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Title: Re: For west side bears should I get a cottontail or a jackrabbit call?
Post by: splitshot on November 02, 2015, 02:12:12 PM: I think they are fairly well protected along with the sage grouse we have seen there. mike w
Title: Re: For west side bears should I get a cottontail or a jackrabbit call?
Post by: bearmanric on November 03, 2015, 09:14:34 AM: I'm just saying I like Raspy. Wood pecker sounds have called in cougars. I myself had one right behind me talking every time I called.. Javalina in distress has called in many bear. Put emotion into to your calling.Rick.
Title: Re: For west side bears should I get a cottontail or a jackrabbit call?
Post by: Machias on November 03, 2015, 12:55:57 PM: I called in my first 2 bears with a Javelina call. Not too many Javelinas in WA State! Then I went to raspy calls made by Bearmanric and Rainshadow. IMHO it makes no difference on what type of call you use as long as you put emotion and pain into your calling.
Title: Re: For west side bears should I get a cottontail or a jackrabbit call?
Post by: predatorG on November 05, 2015, 07:34:19 PM: Quote from: Boss .300 winmag on November 01, 2015, 08:23:57 PM
I only use jackolpe calls. :tup:

Jackalope with maybe some snipe in distress or lost baby sasquatch. That seems to be the magic for me :chuckle: :chuckle:
Title: Re: For west side bears should I get a cottontail or a jackrabbit call?
Post by: Jonathan_S on January 13, 2016, 10:49:48 AM: Bear calling wears me out! For that much mouth calling, I prefer a diaphragm as it is much easier on my face than blowing into a closed reed call constantly for an hour :tup:
Title: Re: For west side bears should I get a cottontail or a jackrabbit call?
Post by: wadu1 on January 13, 2016, 11:03:17 AM: A liberal in destress works well :chuckle: sorry had to do it.
Title: Re: For west side bears should I get a cottontail or a jackrabbit call?
Post by: skeeter 20i on January 13, 2016, 11:10:45 AM: Quote from: wadu1 on January 13, 2016, 11:03:17 AM
A liberal in destress works well :chuckle: sorry had to do it.

Not enough of them in this state. :tup: