Have you ever called in a bear?

[bulldown]

I watched 3 guys on an elk video squak on a cow call making it sound as if the elk was hurt. A big bear came crashing in to within 3 yards of the hunters. Wow!

I was thinking of using this technique this spring when the bears are looking for some fresh meat. Has anyone else called in a bear? Any tips or ideas?

bulldown

 

[willyqbc]

Yes bears will come to a call, I use a rabbit distress call. I've found instead of cold calling, I try to locate one in a logging block and then set up and try to call him in. Some will come, some will run like hell at the first sqwuak... no idea why!
Either way, its usually fun!
Chris

 

[BuckSnort]

I have called in a few bears.It can get pretty exciting fast.

Here is a photo sequince of a smaller bear my brother and I called in. http://www.monstermuleys.info/dcforum/DCForumID5/2475.html

 

[bulldown]

Bucksnort that is totally cool! A definite opportunity to take him with a bow if he was a little bigger. But, with a bow, maybe he is a shooter. Regardless, great story and photo's. A rabbit call sounds like a geat idea. Don't they make a fawn cry call also?

bulldown

Bucksnort, what do you use to call these bears in?

 

[BuckSnort]

bulldown,

Yeah it was pretty cool,I just wish he was bigger.After it was all over we were mad we didn't let him get even closer.Also my bro left his video camera at camp that day.

When we called this bear we didn't even have any calls! My brother was just making a sound that kinda resembles a fox (the sound they make when they screech at night).I have called the rest of the bears with a cottontail rabbit distress call,I think it is made by Lohman.

The fawn in distress call sound like a good idea,but most of the predator calls will make the same noise when you don't blow as hard through them.

 

[bullwidgeon]

Yes,
A few times but never enough or far enough in to kill them or they were really small. I had a weener bear hang up in a creek bottom this year. I got a brief look at him and he was really small but not dumb. He wouldn't come out of the thick willows in the bottom of the creek bed for anything and eventually he ran away down the same creek bed. I have also called a bear in in thick manzanitas that I could see parts of and hear crushing bushes but he would never offer a shot either. For some reasons the ones I get to come to a call are SMART with a capital S.
2 years ago we had several different bears respond to a call including 2 that came to within 10 yards, neither bear was over 100 pounds. 1 big bear came out across the canyon and sat down on a boulder pile and stared at the call for 10 minutes before disapearing into the creek bottom below. On that same stand 2 medium sized bears ran up the far side of the canyon away from the call. The canyon was thick with oaks and it was like a bear convention was going on down in the bottom, with bears feeding on acorns and watering in that one canyon. I thought it was funny that some would come to the call, some would run from it and others would just sit and stare at it. A pretty exciting afternoon to say the least. I should have killed the big sitting bear but I thought the distance was too long(no range finder). I went back the next day and ranged the rock pile and it was only 310 yards.

I use an electronic call and fawn in distress seems to be the ticket. It is pretty exciting to have bears at close range even when you can not see all of them or if they are ultra small. I have had better success at glassing food sources for seeing bears but stalking and killing them is another story. Most of the places where I endup glassing them in food sources are deep in wilderness areas and very vertical and many times unless they are in the pears (cactus fruit) the cover is too thick. One day I hope a toad responds and gives me a good shot. If not I will try to get pictures of the weeners this year and let them grow.

Bret Mattausch

 

[RLH]

i have called in 4 bears over the years. only 1 while i was actually trying to call in a bear. one came to a cow elk call, while archery elk hunting. stuck an xx75 through him. 2 came while just regular vermin callin'. on the one i actually was trying to call, i found some fresh sign, sat on the edge of a really big canyon and called until my lips went numb. was about to give up, when all the sudden there was a bear. shot him with my .270. they were all good sized adult bears. the 3 that i called in accidently were all very big. over 300 lbs each.

 

[Breeze]

I called in a bear elk hunting once and my buddy missed him (what a bummer he was a toad) last year I got seious and called in 4 bears in 7 days with a fawn bleet made by modern gane calls and a javelina call made by sceery. I shot a big blond boar at 17 yards on a dead run with my bow. his head went @ 19&3/4 green I can send someone a pic if they want to post it
Tom

 

[BuckSnort]

Breeze,

That must have been pretty exciting huh? sounds like a good bear.E-mail me the pic and I will post it for ya.

 

[BCBOY]

Varmit calling in bears works great in areas of high bear densities. I've fooled around with it with bears off of logging roads and have had lots that were high tailing it out of there, stop, turn around and come towards me. I've never tried it on a bear that I would clasify as a shooter. I've been told that if you sit and call that you should do it with a partner. Because you can get several bears coming in and if you're alone, you'll be focusing on the bear in front of you and one may be coming in behind you. If you want to mess your shorts you could try it alone.

 

[bulldown]

All the answers I wanted to hear. Thanks guys! I can't wait to try it out myself (with a partner) this spring. Now, if I can only draw that prestigious tag!

bulldown