Lots of bears have been taken with reg 2 3/4" 12ga slugs. Your gun should be more than enough. Sounds like you will be trying some bait hunting and that will bring ol Blackie in close.
I cant give you any help on the calling end of the hunt, I have never used any calls for bear hunting. I have been giving it some thought though? So I would like to hear how you do with the calling.
The only time I have ever used bait is on hunts in Canada (Here in New York baiting is aginst the law. I have killed 4 bears in NY, no bait, by hunting natural food areas.) Up in Canada they used donuts,moose meat and old cooking oil. We bring honey and /or molasis(spelling?) for a little added drawing power.
Love to hunt those Bears!

I haven't hunted bears before, but have been told (and read) repeatedly that a high end deer load is sufficient for black bear, in which case your 12 gauge 3" slugs should be more than enough.

good luck!

That will do the damage you need. Don't you worry about it. Good luck.

I wouldn't think twice about useing a 12 guage with slugs as long as I was within 25-30 yards.

25-30!?! I used a Rem 870 with a rifled choke tube to hunt deer in Iowa (where only slug guns and muzzleloaders are legal) and could keep the slugs inside a 3 inch circle out to 75 yards.

Shooting bear I like 30 yards max with a slug because of them dropping so much.
And plus you are all set up for bow hunting that way.

I would try to stay w/in 30 yards of the bear as well with a shotgun ... even w/ slugs. I shoot them that close w/ a rifle as well.

30 yards sounds a little over kill as far as maximun range. i would say keep it within 75 yards and make a well placed shot. I have seen plenty of bear shot at a hundred yards with a slug and almost all dropped in there tracks.

Some of you guys enderestimate the sheer power of a 12 ga. slug. Living in a state where only shotguns and muzzleloaders are legal for deer, you learn quick just how powerful they are.

As far as the lethality of the 12 ga., it will kill a bear at the distance that your gun is accurate. If people can kill an elk with a slug, it will most certainly work on bear.

If you want to try a hot load try the Remington Core-Lokt. They weren't real accurate in my gun but they blew the back out of my target which was a square plastic bucket filled with tightly packed newspaper.

FWIW
CJW

With a 12 gauge shotgun packed with 3" slugs I wouldn't be concerned with any animal on this Earth stepping in front of me. That carries one powerful punch.