Calling bears in the woods - does it work? Tips?

TheCoachZed

TheCoachZed

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Southern NB, aka "Canada's Bible Belt"
I'm interested in trying my hand at calling some black bears next spring, in the NB hunt. I've baited them in the past, find it a bit hit-and-miss in the fun department - probably going to run at least one bait this year, but want to mix it up.

I am thinking of trying calling. I live close to CFB Gagetown and was thinking of trying it there, as I am good friends with the only outfitter left on the base and he can point me where to go. However, I am also thinking of trying it from some out-of-commission moose stands; I reckon they already are built in areas that hold bear feed, and have great sight lines.

Thoughts on these ideas? I know calling bears works well out west, but nobody really does it here.
 
Normal predator call should work. A friend of mine was out geo-caching in the back country on the island last spring and was talking to a logger when they see a black bear feeding on a far hill. The logger says "watch this", and picks up a blade of grass to use as an improvised call. The blackie comes a runnin' from over 400 yards out and at 100 yards my buddy, getting nervous, had to yell at the bear to turn him off. Yes it works.

270 totheend
 
At zero dark thirty near Petawawa, an army buddy once dared me to demonstrate the use of a Quaker dying rabbit call in a nearby wooded area.

Within minutes something big (probably a black bear) came literally crashing through the thickets to feed on something. We promptly left forthwith.
 
Never tried it myself. Always sit on a bait, but one of the guys I bear hunted with in the past swears by it. And he has taken some solid bears.
 
Not that this is a representative sample but I called one in once while calling coyotes.
surprised? Yes, we've lived there for 30 years and never seen a bear.
 
Brutus said:
At zero dark thirty near Petawawa, an army buddy once dared me to demonstrate the use of a Quaker dying rabbit call in a nearby wooded area.

Within minutes something big (probably a black bear) came literally crashing through the thickets to feed on something. We promptly left forthwith.
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Sure you didn't just open a can of beer? Haha. Bears in pet have zero fear of humans. The sound of a garbage truck likely calls them in.
 
I have taken two nice boars calling... I have to give you a realistic perspective... IMO it is the least reliable/effective method... and I have taken black bears by most methods... I have spent countless hours calling bears... of the two that I harvested, one I had spotted feeding in a cut... it was dry and brittle and there was no conceivable way of getting into bow shot range... so I "cub squalled" him in... very, very quickly... at ten yards the arrow took him at the base of the neck and exited out the hind quarter... he made a mad 80 yard dash past my left shoulder into a spruce swamp and piled up. The other one I shot was while on a moose hunt, I had taken a nice bull in the morning and the calf called in the boar that same evening... again, it came in very fast, but the end was less dramatic... I have called in half a dozen other bears that did not result in getting a shot.... and I have spent hours calling with nothing but red squirrels and chick-a-dees for company. Try combining baiting/calling (from the bait site with a cub squaller) and spotting/calling to up your odds... also call around the edges of food sources... the closer you are to the bear the more likely it will check you out.... berry patches, green-up meadows, sucker spawn runs, poplar (catkin) stands etc... good luck. At the very least you will spend some pleasurable time in the outdoors.
 
hoytcanon said:
I have taken two nice boars calling... I have to give you a realistic perspective... IMO it is the least reliable/effective method... and I have taken black bears by most methods... I have spent countless hours calling bears... of the two that I harvested, one I had spotted feeding in a cut... it was dry and brittle and there was no conceivable way of getting into bow shot range... so I "cub squalled" him in... very, very quickly... at ten yards the arrow took him at the base of the neck and exited out the hind quarter... he made a mad 80 yard dash past my left shoulder into a spruce swamp and piled up. The other one I shot was while on a moose hunt, I had taken a nice bull in the morning and the calf called in the boar that same evening... again, it came in very fast, but the end was less dramatic... I have called in half a dozen other bears that did not result in getting a shot.... and I have spent hours calling with nothing but red squirrels and chick-a-dees for company. Try combining baiting/calling (from the bait site with a cub squaller) and spotting/calling to up your odds... also call around the edges of food sources... the closer you are to the bear the more likely it will check you out.... berry patches, green-up meadows, sucker spawn runs, poplar (catkin) stands etc... good luck. At the very least you will spend some pleasurable time in the outdoors.
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yes it may works or not depending on the distance, wind and what the bear is doing. but when it is working the action is crazy.

you adding a challenge with the bow ...

enjoy your day.

Phil

ps cant wait the bear season to come.
 
medvedqc said:
predator call works very well but you have to be ready because the action can start very fast.

especially in grizzly country.
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Sometimes they (grizzlies) come running in full tilt at the sound of a .338 going off.
Nothing like ringing the dinner bell during Elk season in GB country ;)
Rabbit in distress may work very well for you back East.
Rob
 
FLHTCUI said:
Sometimes they (grizzlies) come running in full tilt at the sound of a .338 going off.
Nothing like ringing the dinner bell during Elk season in GB country ;)
Rabbit in distress may work very well for you back East.
Rob
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yes we have heard for BC that and here in yukon seems that they didnt learn already that trick that much ...
 
hoytcanon said:
I have taken two nice boars calling... I have to give you a realistic perspective... IMO it is the least reliable/effective method... and I have taken black bears by most methods... I have spent countless hours calling bears... of the two that I harvested, one I had spotted feeding in a cut... it was dry and brittle and there was no conceivable way of getting into bow shot range... so I "cub squalled" him in... very, very quickly... at ten yards the arrow took him at the base of the neck and exited out the hind quarter... he made a mad 80 yard dash past my left shoulder into a spruce swamp and piled up. The other one I shot was while on a moose hunt, I had taken a nice bull in the morning and the calf called in the boar that same evening... again, it came in very fast, but the end was less dramatic... I have called in half a dozen other bears that did not result in getting a shot.... and I have spent hours calling with nothing but red squirrels and chick-a-dees for company. Try combining baiting/calling (from the bait site with a cub squaller) and spotting/calling to up your odds... also call around the edges of food sources... the closer you are to the bear the more likely it will check you out.... berry patches, green-up meadows, sucker spawn runs, poplar (catkin) stands etc... good luck. At the very least you will spend some pleasurable time in the outdoors.
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Thanks HC, figured you'd know what's what.

I was thinking of combining it with spot-and-stalk - see bear, call bear, shoot bear, as a two-man team. One calling with rifle, other watching with slug gun for any surprises. Or, like I said, go occupy an unused moose stand and try from there.

I was thinking of trying an e-caller to make it easier. Maybe an Icotech or something.
 
Calling bears works very good if there is a bear within hearing distance....I use a rabbit in distress call. Sometimes it will take a few hours before they come in and other times it can happen pretty fast.
I've found when using mouth calls its best to make your calls and then back off 40 or 50 yards....they seem to have the ability to come to directly to the spot the call came from. Maybe that is a coincidence but its happened enough times that I'm sure they can fairly closely pin point locations from sound.
Have fun! :)
 
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