Bear Calling???

[Colorado Luckydog]

I have my first archery bear tag. I was wondering how many of you use a foxpro or some other predator call for bears? I will be hunting deer and elk also and will not be using the call until I fill those tags. I will be hunting close to Blackhawk Colorado in the mountains. We have a lot of dark timber, close to open meadows.

What kind of sounds?
How Long?
How often.

Thanks Bryan

[millagerobert]

It may work if a bear is close by and hears you. I have yet to call in a bear, but always figured calling would work better in the spring time when elk are calving and deer are having fawns, since I know bears seek these newborn out as a food source. In the fall I have been told bears are opportunistic but are more into berries and such for a food source. If you don't try you will never know though, so as long as you are within the game laws, I say try it.

[forddeerslayer]

thats interesting. the shows ive seen with bear hunts i dont think i have ever seen anyone call in a bear. id be interesting to know how you make out with it.

[talone]

I watched a show a long time ago and guy was hunting brown bear and was calling like a hurt animal,he was behind some treestumps out in a cutoverthe griz came out of the timber the guy jumps up and drills it with a arrow at about 20 yards and then ducks back down. The bear never saw him but went apesh!t looking for what stung him and crashed back into the woods, the camera man was about 100 yards behind him, pretty exciting to watch and NOway I'd done it like that. It sure looked like if that bear would have seen him it would have been over for both of them. So the calling does work.

[MinnFinn]

If you're hunting black bear and there happen to be grizzly bear in the same area... (don't know where you're hunting) you'd better be careful! You might end up call in the wrong species of bear (grizzly).
I think they are more likely to respond to sounds that indicate a recently killed animal like Elk or deer than black bears, which are typically averse to anything that indicate people are somehow involved.
I've never seen or heard of black bears responding to sounds of injured game. Smells of food (i.e. natural, discarded or bait) are their #1 attractants. If they've been around humans long enough without negative results and food is available (e.g. bird feed, garbage) it's very tough to keep them away, though you'd like to. NOt recommending either bird feed or garbage, I'm just saying.
We had a big black bear take our entry way outside door right off the hinges once when there was some smoked sausage in a cooler inside. We didn't do that again. I'll bet foodwith the potentent smells that they crave (e.g. high fat content, natural oils and sweet) will have a greater affect on Black Bears than calls.

[Colorado Luckydog]

We can't bait them in Colorado. I'm guessing I'll have to try spot and stalk method, but first I'm going to try and fill my archery deer and elk first. I have the whole month of september for all three. I also have 3 game wardens in the units I hunt, looking for problem bears. If any come up in the month of september, they will give my contact info to the land owner. Thanks for all the replies.

Later Bryan