Talking Bears

For those of you who love bear hunting, listen to this general conversation with Mike Jenkins, owner of Up Front Outfitters in Washington State. In Washington state there is no spring bear and it is illegal to hunt with hounds or bait, as it has been for 20 years plus. Oregon is the same way so our predator population is out of control. I have 10 to 12 game cameras in the field and I have pairs weekly on every one of my cameras. So great bear populations but they are very elusive. Because we cannot bait and because we cannot use hounds, many people don't see them. If there are berries around, you can see tunnels and trails where the bears have just demolished berry patches. On one of my cameras I had seven bears on it in one day. So it is spot and stock. Yes. Calling in the right area, if you can set up and call, there are a lot of bears who are eager to come to a call. As a game caller, you are out trying to create the illusion that you are real. As a professional, we create the illusion that it is real. But more than just a calling in itself, comes the rest of the illusion, the noise that comes with it, the movement. Anybody who sets up to call, if they are not breaking sticks, if they are not moving, they don't sound real.