How to Call Black Bears and Not Educate Them

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For nearly 30 minutes the electronic call blared. A bear came in but winded me and slipped into thick timber. I tried coaxing it within bow range using a variety of open-reed calls, changing sounds trying to find something the bear liked. When I bit down on the call and fluttered my tongue, that did it. The bear couldn’t resist the bird distress sounds. It parted the tall grass and quickened its pace, heading right at me. I reached full-draw just as the bear stood on its hind legs, its wet, black nose pumping the air. The moment it dropped to all fours, the arrow hit the spot. The bear didn’t go far, as is the case when punching an arrow through both lungs.

Bears are curious animals, but that doesn’t mean calling them in is easy. They have short attention spans and often react sporadically to distress sounds. I’ve watched bears start coming to a call on a dead run, only to stop and begin feeding, totally ignoring the sounds. I’ve seen them not even lift their head, knowing they could hear the sounds. I’ve had them start to approach, lose interest, then continue coming again the instant a new sound was offered. Others immediately turned away and hit high gear the moment a sound was made. For these reasons it’s a good idea to first spot a bear prior to calling so you can observe how it reacts, then adjust your calling.

Overcoming a bear’s unpredictable, inconsistent behavior is the most challenging part of calling them. If they’re not in the right mood, they won’t respond. But as with calling all predators, sometimes the sounds we make can convince them to attack.

When calling bears, keep the sounds rolling. If a bear loses interest, increase the volume or change sounds. Electronic calls are ideal as they’re loud, hold numerous sound options and can play non-stop, something that’s impossible to do with a mouth call for an extended time. I like having multiple open-reed calls around my neck to finish bears that hang up. These calls have brought in many bears over the years, especially those reluctant to leave thick cover.

Look For Sign

If calling in brush or timber where visibility is limited, look for fresh scat and tracks. Set up and call for at least an hour, keeping the call running the whole time. Switching from varmint to fawn distress and bird sounds, even bawling cub sounds, can be good in the spring. Livestock distress sounds work, too. Bears can be finicky.

Bears top the food chain, and while they often run when smelling humans, sometimes they could care less. I once called in a bear while hunting from a treestand. A little cinnamon sow came in. The enraged bear climbed the tree three times before a thermos of hot coffee poured between the rungs of the stand convinced it to leave.

Calling coyotes is fun. Calling in a bear that has the ability to kill you takes predator hunting to another level.

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