Calling Bears

T

TrevorMack

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Location
Nova Scotia
Has anyone had any success calling in bears, what works best, how to do it, NS only has fall black bear ( hopefully it changes next year or the year after) not sure if this is more of a spring or fall tactic. Looking to try something new.
 
I have taken two bears by calling over the years. I called in a half dozen more that came in to feet, that I either passed up or screwed up... a few exciting stories... most were boars in the spring called in with a cub squaller or fawn in distress. The others were with a dying rabbit or fawn in distress in the fall season. Get into high bear density areas, try to get physical obstruction of some kind at your back, large boulder, tree or creek etc... so that you can concentrate ahead and on the periphery. Camo up good, and watch your movement, it is probably the least successful method, but when it works, it REALLY works... both bears that I arrowed were under 10 feet away when I released... a couple others came close to knocking me over.

I often use calling in conjunction with other methods such as at bait sites and while stalking... I have watched the reaction of dozens of bears to calls and used calling to bring in or position bears for clients to shoot. About half of the bears show interest in the sounds, most won't leave a good berry patch to investigate but will often move to a higher spot and look in your direction, some will get a good fix on your position and come at a trot.

This is one of the called-in bears, and old, scarred up boar with an attitude problem;

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the spank said:
You called that one in more than a few years ago Hoyt!! :p
Click to expand...

Just had to point that out, eh... you old codger...

But, yeah... not much has changed in the bush over the past three decades...

What tipped you off... the digital photo of the old film print? That must have been it...

Here is the other called in boar... younger and more tasty (the bear or???);

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rabbit in distress seems to work pretty consistent on black bears, also calling moose in the fall seems to bring in bears.

have fun.
 
In the Kootanay's when hunters bugle for elk in the fall, they are just about as likely to bring in a grizzly as they are a bull elk. Even shooting in the fall, especially about sundown, will sometimes bring in a grizzly. Grizzly bears know that elk calling and shooting often means a nice pile of fresh meat in the bush.
 
The OP is in Nova Scotia.

No Grizz anywhere in the woods and the only cougars you see are in the bar after hunting for the day :)
 
I've used plain old rabbit distress to turn around bears of both species (that are in this province anyway, missing Polars) when they were taking off, and started wearing the call around my neck in spring season for that reason. It's not that they came right in to it but it recaptured their attention and brought them back, or at least slowed them down long enough for a shot. It works on both black bears and grizzlies.
 
"does it mean Galamb that only NS hunters can report their experiences or can we the outsiders also?"

Not at all, but there was comment to the effect that calling a black bear could bring in Grizz or a cougar etc - not applicable to him, so not something he has to "worry about". That was the only point I was trying to make.
 
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