NightStalkerVa
New member
Hey guys,
As you can tell by my number of posts, I am new to the site. I have a few questions about calling bears.
In Virginia, some hunters can actually hunt all their lives and never see a black bear. It really depends on the part of the state you live in as to the bear population. I live in southwest Virginia where black bears are more common. I have been very fortunate to see several black bears on the private property I hunt. I think bowhunting is by-far my favorite time of season so my questions will be pertaining more to that time of year. (October - early November)
What would be the best call to use during that time?
How often should I call?
What is a good call sequence?
When is the best time of day to call?
How should the black bear respond to the call?
When do I stop calling if a bear has been spotted?
Does hunting from a treestand have any special tricks needed?
We can't use baits in Virginia so keep that in mind if you hunt areas that permit baited sites. These will be true free-roaming bears that I am hunting.
OH! I failed to mention one important tidbit. We lease 1700 acres that adjoins the local metro landfill. They do a very good job of covering the refuge but it still seems to be a black bear magnet. We can't hunt the landfill property but our property is legal turf. We don't hunt near the landfill property because of the loud noise that is produced by the heavy equipment used. You can't hear yourself think much less hear a deer or other animal approaching. I usually hunt near the top of the mountian above the landfill. I have seen as many as 4 different large bears in a single morning traveling up the ridges that lead away from the landfill. They appear to be traveling away from a night of free food. Things seem to slow down to a sudden halt in bear sightings around the third week in October. This could be because of human pressures in the woods. I would love to take a large black bear that has responded to a call. Please make suggestions about how to hunt an area like I have described. Many on this thread seem to be very schooled in the ways of the black bear. Your insight is very valuable to me.
As you can tell by my number of posts, I am new to the site. I have a few questions about calling bears.
In Virginia, some hunters can actually hunt all their lives and never see a black bear. It really depends on the part of the state you live in as to the bear population. I live in southwest Virginia where black bears are more common. I have been very fortunate to see several black bears on the private property I hunt. I think bowhunting is by-far my favorite time of season so my questions will be pertaining more to that time of year. (October - early November)
What would be the best call to use during that time?
How often should I call?
What is a good call sequence?
When is the best time of day to call?
How should the black bear respond to the call?
When do I stop calling if a bear has been spotted?
Does hunting from a treestand have any special tricks needed?
We can't use baits in Virginia so keep that in mind if you hunt areas that permit baited sites. These will be true free-roaming bears that I am hunting.
OH! I failed to mention one important tidbit. We lease 1700 acres that adjoins the local metro landfill. They do a very good job of covering the refuge but it still seems to be a black bear magnet. We can't hunt the landfill property but our property is legal turf. We don't hunt near the landfill property because of the loud noise that is produced by the heavy equipment used. You can't hear yourself think much less hear a deer or other animal approaching. I usually hunt near the top of the mountian above the landfill. I have seen as many as 4 different large bears in a single morning traveling up the ridges that lead away from the landfill. They appear to be traveling away from a night of free food. Things seem to slow down to a sudden halt in bear sightings around the third week in October. This could be because of human pressures in the woods. I would love to take a large black bear that has responded to a call. Please make suggestions about how to hunt an area like I have described. Many on this thread seem to be very schooled in the ways of the black bear. Your insight is very valuable to me.