angeluscorpion
01-28-2009, 08:40 PM
First off I want everyone to know that you CAN NOT BAIT FOR BEAR, NOR CAN YOU HARVEST A BEAR THAT HAS COME WITHIN 15 FEET OF ANY BAIT.
This was taken from: http://www.biggamehunt.net/sections/Bla ... 10212.html (http://www.biggamehunt.net/sections/Black_Bear/Fall_Black_Bear_Basics_08010212.html)
This info talks about a hunt in Canada and Arizona but the result is the same everywhere.
Calling bear during the fall season with a predator call can be the most exciting and most frustrating of methods for fall bear hunting. When it works it will get your adrenaline level redlining in short order and when it doesn't you are going to swear that this is probably the most boring method you've ever tried. BE PATIENT! Give it time to work. Most callers spend a couple outings trying to call up a fall bear and then give up for some other method. The key to calling in a fall bear is to do some serious scouting and locate feeding and bedding areas where you feel a bear might be within a half mile or so. Calling will work equally well in the dense bush of northern Saskatchewan or the arid canyons of Arizona and all places in between. Imitating a free lunch to a hungry fall black bear is probably not one of the smartest things to do but it sure beats watching hockey on TV. Because you're dealing with an animal that can be potentially dangerous it's a good idea to hunt with a partner so you can watch in both directions when calling. Having a hungry bear come storming in to your calling from your blind side may not provide exactly the kind of hunting opportunity you were expecting and could prove downright dangerous to your health and well-being.
A couple years ago, I was bowhunting moose in northern Alberta and on the first day of the hunt I called in a medium sized black bear and shot it with an arrow at the distance of 12 FEET! The bear had come loping in responding to my calling and lip squeaking and didn't stop coming until it saw me draw at point blank range. When the arrow slammed into the bear's chest, fortunately the bear whirled and got the hell out of there. After the action of the moment was over I realized shooting a bear facing you at that distance with a bow and arrow was probably one of the stupider things I have done in my hunting experiences. But it was exciting!!!
Using a predator call during the fall season will usually bring in the larger bears in the area as they are the most dominant and aggressive. The reaction of bears coming to the sound of a deer fawn or rabbit distress call can vary from almost nonchalance and pure curiosity to that of a slobbering, raging, teeth popping bruin intent on killing whatever it finds making those intriguing sounds. Namely YOU!! When I set up for calling bears I try to choose a location where I have a good field of view in front and on both sides of me. The last thing you want is a huffy, hungry bear popping out of the brush right in your face thinking you are a injured fawn or rabbit. If I'm calling alone I try to pick a spot where the least likely avenue of approach is to my rear. Even then you can bet I check that direction from time to time.
Several years ago a good friend was calling bear near a manzanita and oakbrush covered hillside in Arizona during the fall season in hopes of getting some close-up photos when he had a serious "up-close-and-personal" encounter with a bad bear. A few minutes into the calling sequence he spotted this monster black bear headed his way on a far ridge. He was hyped and ready for the action and some good bear photos. When the bear cleared the brush at 60 yards he quit calling figuring the bear would stop coming for a few seconds, which is usually the case, and give him a chance for some photos. Instead, this slobbering, bruin only increased the speed of his advance. The big boar, evidently figured he was going to lose his free meal to some low life coyote or hawk if he didn't hurry. He was still coming all out when my buddy figured he'd better let the bear know that he wasn't in an edible mood. He waved his arms and yelled and all the bear did was slow and start circling the camouflaged caller at FIVE YARDS with his hackles up, ears laid back, popping his teeth and moaning his displeasure at the situation in general and my buddy in particular. A mad bear this close is nothing to be trifled with and my friend was no longer interested in good photos, only survival, as the bear showed no inclination of backing off and actually appeared to be getting madder and more determined by the second. Fortunately the caller was bear-wise and had brought a shotgun loaded with No. 4 buckshot as a backup. At five yards the muzzle blast and a charge of buckshot kicking up a cloud of dust in front of the mad bruin cooled his ardor a bit but even at that the big bruin just stalked off occasionally looking back over his shoulder and popping his teeth at the thoroughly relieved caller.
Bear calling tactics are a bit different than calling predators such as fox or coyotes aside from the danger factor. A bear's attention span seems to be very short and if they're responding to a call and the sound stops generally the bear will also stop. This can be used to your advantage to get a bear stopped in perfect shooting position or hopefully stop him BEFORE he runs plumb over you! When you start a calling series, call as continuously as you can. When you spot a bear headed your way, you can vary your calling according to his reactions and get a better feel for how to handle him when he approaches shooting distance. Two callers are often better than one when calling bear, aside from the safety factor, as you can keep up continuous calling for longer periods of time. Bear can hear a call for distances up to a mile and often will take their time in responding so plan on spending at least an hour at each calling stand to give them plenty of time to come in. In choosing a stand site, remember to keep the wind in your favor as much as possible and take the time to get as comfortable as possible so you don't have to move around and can stay put for an hour or more.
This was taken from: http://www.biggamehunt.net/sections/Bla ... 10212.html (http://www.biggamehunt.net/sections/Black_Bear/Fall_Black_Bear_Basics_08010212.html)
This info talks about a hunt in Canada and Arizona but the result is the same everywhere.
Calling bear during the fall season with a predator call can be the most exciting and most frustrating of methods for fall bear hunting. When it works it will get your adrenaline level redlining in short order and when it doesn't you are going to swear that this is probably the most boring method you've ever tried. BE PATIENT! Give it time to work. Most callers spend a couple outings trying to call up a fall bear and then give up for some other method. The key to calling in a fall bear is to do some serious scouting and locate feeding and bedding areas where you feel a bear might be within a half mile or so. Calling will work equally well in the dense bush of northern Saskatchewan or the arid canyons of Arizona and all places in between. Imitating a free lunch to a hungry fall black bear is probably not one of the smartest things to do but it sure beats watching hockey on TV. Because you're dealing with an animal that can be potentially dangerous it's a good idea to hunt with a partner so you can watch in both directions when calling. Having a hungry bear come storming in to your calling from your blind side may not provide exactly the kind of hunting opportunity you were expecting and could prove downright dangerous to your health and well-being.
A couple years ago, I was bowhunting moose in northern Alberta and on the first day of the hunt I called in a medium sized black bear and shot it with an arrow at the distance of 12 FEET! The bear had come loping in responding to my calling and lip squeaking and didn't stop coming until it saw me draw at point blank range. When the arrow slammed into the bear's chest, fortunately the bear whirled and got the hell out of there. After the action of the moment was over I realized shooting a bear facing you at that distance with a bow and arrow was probably one of the stupider things I have done in my hunting experiences. But it was exciting!!!
Using a predator call during the fall season will usually bring in the larger bears in the area as they are the most dominant and aggressive. The reaction of bears coming to the sound of a deer fawn or rabbit distress call can vary from almost nonchalance and pure curiosity to that of a slobbering, raging, teeth popping bruin intent on killing whatever it finds making those intriguing sounds. Namely YOU!! When I set up for calling bears I try to choose a location where I have a good field of view in front and on both sides of me. The last thing you want is a huffy, hungry bear popping out of the brush right in your face thinking you are a injured fawn or rabbit. If I'm calling alone I try to pick a spot where the least likely avenue of approach is to my rear. Even then you can bet I check that direction from time to time.
Several years ago a good friend was calling bear near a manzanita and oakbrush covered hillside in Arizona during the fall season in hopes of getting some close-up photos when he had a serious "up-close-and-personal" encounter with a bad bear. A few minutes into the calling sequence he spotted this monster black bear headed his way on a far ridge. He was hyped and ready for the action and some good bear photos. When the bear cleared the brush at 60 yards he quit calling figuring the bear would stop coming for a few seconds, which is usually the case, and give him a chance for some photos. Instead, this slobbering, bruin only increased the speed of his advance. The big boar, evidently figured he was going to lose his free meal to some low life coyote or hawk if he didn't hurry. He was still coming all out when my buddy figured he'd better let the bear know that he wasn't in an edible mood. He waved his arms and yelled and all the bear did was slow and start circling the camouflaged caller at FIVE YARDS with his hackles up, ears laid back, popping his teeth and moaning his displeasure at the situation in general and my buddy in particular. A mad bear this close is nothing to be trifled with and my friend was no longer interested in good photos, only survival, as the bear showed no inclination of backing off and actually appeared to be getting madder and more determined by the second. Fortunately the caller was bear-wise and had brought a shotgun loaded with No. 4 buckshot as a backup. At five yards the muzzle blast and a charge of buckshot kicking up a cloud of dust in front of the mad bruin cooled his ardor a bit but even at that the big bruin just stalked off occasionally looking back over his shoulder and popping his teeth at the thoroughly relieved caller.
Bear calling tactics are a bit different than calling predators such as fox or coyotes aside from the danger factor. A bear's attention span seems to be very short and if they're responding to a call and the sound stops generally the bear will also stop. This can be used to your advantage to get a bear stopped in perfect shooting position or hopefully stop him BEFORE he runs plumb over you! When you start a calling series, call as continuously as you can. When you spot a bear headed your way, you can vary your calling according to his reactions and get a better feel for how to handle him when he approaches shooting distance. Two callers are often better than one when calling bear, aside from the safety factor, as you can keep up continuous calling for longer periods of time. Bear can hear a call for distances up to a mile and often will take their time in responding so plan on spending at least an hour at each calling stand to give them plenty of time to come in. In choosing a stand site, remember to keep the wind in your favor as much as possible and take the time to get as comfortable as possible so you don't have to move around and can stay put for an hour or more.