Calling all bears........

[Hale87]

Going to Newfoundland the first of October to hunt moose and black bear.
Should tell you up front that I have very limited experience with e-callers. Bought a Foxpro a couple of years ago. We've killed a COUPLE of fox with it, but I'm at the bottom of the curve with calling.
Guide says if I kill a moose, we'll spend time at my discretion hunting over the gut pile for a bear. A lot of things to do up there, so not to sure how much time I'll spend sitting there looking for a bear. I've already killed two PA bears......

What sounds would you suggest?
Two that come to mind that I already have are, cub in distress, and fawn in distress.

What sounds would you more experinced callers think of?

Thanks for any help you can give me........

[SteveCraig]

You got the best two calling sounds there is for bear.
Next on the list would be a moose calf distress.
Bear cub distress is the best.
FWIW

[Hale87]

Steve thanks for taking the time to reply.

From what I've read on the net, play loud and continuous.

Would you agree with that statement?

Seems like a cub in distress would call any sow in the area.

Do you think boars will also respond to that sound?

Thanks again...........

[SteveCraig]

Yes the boars will come in big time! They are coming to EAT that cub!
Mama comes because she HAS too.

Younger bears will rarely show as they are scared!

Yes , there is only one volume level when calling bears and that is FULL volume on the caller, and also it MUST be Continuious.

[FWS]

Yes the boars will come in big time! They are coming to EAT that cub

Or at least kill it. We find evidence of that all the time on the private timberlands where the densities are high. Really high, like a bear per square mile as the surveys have revealed.

[SteveCraig]

FWS,
At one time in the White mtns of AZ we had an estimate of a bear per sq. mile.
Not now though. But still very good bear populations.
Bear crap had LOTS of bear hair in it then.

[Hale87]

Thanks

I don't think Newfoundland's population is real high.
I hunted moose in BC a number of years back.
From what I understand they are highly populated in that area.

Don't really care about the odds. It would be fun to see one respond to a call..........

[musher]

Newfie bears are among the biggest blacks in the world. if you want to kill a monster it is THE place.

I'm not a caller. However, I've had bear come to the moose call when hunting. Last year one came to a "double-boiler" of mare-in-heat urine that was cooking for moose. It actually was running through the water on the edge of a lake.

[steeliekingfisher]

Most of the bears I have shot, have come to a call.

I have had my best luck with calling a visual bear( one you can see) ;D

I use a fawn in distress call. Blow hard and long, make it sound like its in pain and agony. When the bear is coming closer I like to keep the same level of sound until it stops. If it does crank it up a bit and get em coming, once its on the move toward you, bring it up another notch. I try to imitate an injured fawn that has seen the bear and is crying it head off to get some help. Make some groggy sounds with it too, don't be monotone, they will turn and walk away most of the time.

I have used the electronics before, but have better success with the mouth calls. You can really put some personality to it.

I call blind also, but when I do, I like to hunt the worst terrain and roughest country. Calling from a good vantage point is key in calling bears. A backup watcher, shooter is a great idea also. I call in cougar country and they can be pretty sneaky. Plus a pissed off mama or hunger boar is nothing to be alerted by. My best blind calling seems to come from areas of steep grades with washes or stream beds in the bottom.

I usually call it quits at around 10 AM and start back up around 5 this time of year.

I have not shot one of the two I can get this season yet, but thus far we have seen 13 different bears and called in 9 of them. I plan on going for a morning hunt over the huckleberries this week some time, perhaps the large cinnamon I am looking for will show up.

[Freak( Jim V.)]

Dean , if you want you can use my WTC for your hunt. Beings as how we are kin now and all. LOL Seriously thoough , if you want it. BUT , you will have to buy the bear sounds from Bill. ;D

[James]

I've always wanted to try this. One issue here in AK is that you'd never know if a blackie or grizzly responds to the call.

For this reason, I'd like to place the call fifty yards or so from my shooting position. Can anyone recommend a good electronic call with sounds for bears?

Since it's fall, it doesn't seem likely a cub or calf call would be effective. Seems like they'd work better in spring. What other calls might work?

Jim

[SteveCraig]

James,
The bear never had an original thought in his life. He doesnt know what spring is or what fall is. He doesnt know that there are cubs in spring or cubs in fall or any other time.
He is controlled by his own instincts only.
When a sow hears a cub in distress, she cant help herself, she must come to save the cub. When the boar hears the cub in distress, he thinks it is something to kill or eat. When he hears ANY type distress, he does one of two things. He comes, or he leaves. Thats bear calling. 50% run the other way when they hear the call. Who knows why?
It just happens.
Wildlife Technologies makes a great caller and has the largest and best sound library in the world.
FWIW
Steve

[James]

Thanks, Steve. In my non-calling experience bears are pretty unpredictable.

Does anyone make a moose calf in distress call? I think that would be killer up here.

Jim

[SteveCraig]

James,
Yes they do make a moose calf distress.

www.wildlifetech.com

I use it all the time here in AZ to call lions and bears, and yes even coyotes. Even though there are no moose in AZ. I also call most of my bobcats and fox and coyotes with a Snowshoe Hare distress. There are no snowshoe hares here either. Or in Kansas, Texas,Indiana, yet they still come.
A distress is a distress, is a distress, be it a bear cub or a rabbit. All the predators know about it is that it is a distress noise.
One of the best mule deer calls is a Jackrabbit distress. They can seem to stay away from it.
Just yesterday, I called in a bobcat 3 minutes after blowing down a coyote, with a coyote pup distress.
I call alot of coyotes with a mink distress as well as bobcats.
Thats why hand calls work so well. They are simply a distress call is all.
Predators do not come to a call because they are hungry. They come because of a Territorial Response. Hunger is only a part of that Territoial reponse. They respond because they have to, want to,need to, or they dont respond. If we could figure out the why they come and more importantly why they dont, we would be rich. ;D
Steve

[James]

Thanks for that info. . . but that $849 price tag still has me gasping for air!

Don't think I care to shell out that much, particularly when I don't even know how well calling would work up here, with our low animal population densities.

Jim

[SteveCraig]

;D ;D ;D ;D ;D ;D ;D ;D ;D ;D

It dont work "up there"!!!!

Get on the Alaska Trapping forum and one of the Moderaters is a guy by the name of Ace Callaway. He calls more wolves and Lynx than anyone I know. He will be more than willing to help you see the light!
Another guy from Fairbanks by the name of Bob Dunn. One of my students and he also calls bear, lynx and wolves as well.

Nope......that caller just doesnt work "up there" at all! ;D

[James]

Thanks again, but I didn't say it "don't work." I just wondered how well it would work, considering there might not be any bears within miles. One might have to try a lot of different sites before success.

Jim