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Nervous grunt/ chuckles?

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Nervous grunt/ chuckles?

Postby JJ Overkill » 11 05, 2021 •  [Post 1]

Have you ever been working a bull and have him hit you with a nervous grunt followed immediately by chuckles? It happed to me on the bull I killed. I was cow calling to him while moving in. I’m assuming he heard something or saw movement and wanted a visual but wasn’t spooked enough to run off. It just caught me off guard and made me pause for a second. At the time, my thought was move in now, don’t hang up. 30 seconds later I had the shot off.

It’s definitely a call I may use myself in the future.
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Re: Nervous grunt/ chuckles?

Postby Swede » 11 05, 2021 •  [Post 2]

Probably someone else here has had that experience, but I have not. I have had many nervous grunt experiences, but find it to be a problem as they keep an eye on where you are.
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Re: Nervous grunt/ chuckles?

Postby Lefty » 11 05, 2021 •  [Post 3]

This year we heard so many funky noises come from bull elk. We had a running joke, if it doesnt sound like an elk,,, its a bull elk.

I question was it really a bark, nervous grunt or just an attention seeking sound that we haven't labeled or an individual elk sound

Anyone else get the newsbite from National Geographic. Stated that a bull elk makes deep guttural sounds that we humans cant hear. which include a lion type roar, Something I heard a few years back coming from a spike

I also messed around with what ended up being a cow elk that just screamed like a 8 year old girl,.. heard her from 3/4 mile away. Listened to her and sounded back at her for over an hour. The scream sometimes ended in a grunt. Even if you knew it was an elk,,, creepy creepy sound.
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Re: Nervous grunt/ chuckles?

Postby >>>---WW----> » 11 06, 2021 •  [Post 4]

Lefty wrote: Anyone else get the newsbite from National Geographic. Stated that a bull elk makes deep guttural sounds that we humans cant hear. which include a lion type roar, Something I heard a few years back coming from a spike

Just curious Lefty! If humans can't hear it, how did you hear it?????????? :? :? :?

I know what I heard nd the spike elk roared like a lion.
Just stating whet national Geographic said.


And well,,, What Swede says,, Swede says :D
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Re: Nervous grunt/ chuckles?

Postby Swede » 11 06, 2021 •  [Post 5]

You are getting rather technical here Bill. You are using too much logic.
You need to remember a lot of what Lefty writes does not make sense unless you look at it from a weird perspective. It is like Yogi Berra's saying: "No one comes to eat here anymore. It is too crowded."
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Re: Nervous grunt/ chuckles?

Postby WapitiTalk1 » 11 06, 2021 •  [Post 6]

Yes, I sure have; third week of SEP in the spud state this year. I’ve heard it a few times over the years.
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Re: Nervous grunt/ chuckles?

Postby Lefty » 11 06, 2021 •  [Post 7]

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Re: Nervous grunt/ chuckles?

Postby JJ Overkill » 11 09, 2021 •  [Post 8]

Lefty wrote:I question was it really a bark, nervous grunt or just an attention seeking sound that we haven't labeled or an individual elk sound


No offense, but I know it was a nervous grunt. Sharp, loud, single note. I’ve heard it many times before. And have used to my advantage as well. Just never heard it followed up by chuckles that fast.
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Re: Nervous grunt/ chuckles?

Postby Tigger » 11 09, 2021 •  [Post 9]

So nervous grunt means "Show yourself, I am nervous over here cuz I cannot see you and want visual confirmation you are an elk and not RJ".

Chuckles means "Hey sweet mama, come over here and get some lovin' from the master! I want you to come to me because I am the big man on campus"

I can see how they could be put together. "Lovely little lady, I cannot seeeeee you. Come over here and meet me, your future calf's father".

So a couple thoughts come to mind. One, if there is cover, break a couple branches on your way closer. Stop before he sees you as you do not look like an elk. Start cow calling.

Or, to be more aggressive, some intense, whiny cow calls with a few bull chuckles mixed in and a whole lotta stomping and branch breaking. You want to paint the picture that the cow wants to come to the real bull but another bull will not let her. This assumes ample cover to pull this off.

Third option, which isn't very effective, is to curl into the fetal position and suck your thumb. I have never done this, but Swede has experience.
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Re: Nervous grunt/ chuckles?

Postby Swede » 11 09, 2021 •  [Post 10]

I hear you JJ. I have heard nervous barks many times and I have heard chuckles, but not together. I think Tigger is overthinking the elk sounds. It is not like they are starting a conversation. When they bark, they do not know what you are, so if they are chuckling they believe you are an elk they want to come close. For an elk to call in what they can't identify does not seem logical in my thinking, but obviously you heard it taking place.
Maybe some of the senior gas bags on here (you know who you are) understand what you heard. :D
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Re: Nervous grunt/ chuckles?

Postby >>>---WW----> » 11 14, 2021 •  [Post 11]

Not to change the subject, but this somewhat similar to what JJ heard. Just a little trick that may work the next time you can't get anything to answer you calls. Try a bark and then instantly follow it with a bugle. Often this will get them cranked up. :D
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Re: Nervous grunt/ chuckles?

Postby Lefty » 11 15, 2021 •  [Post 12]

tigger has a good understanding of elk talk. Or maybe we agree on on this. Even the third Swede style method.
September I watched where a spike and a small cow bark back and forth with 40 more elk totally ignoring what seemed like 13 year old middle school flirting .
We also sat in on a single rag horn 6x 5 in a heard of 80 that broke all the rules of elk talk
Both instances were the last week.,

Saturday morning I watched as a spike bragging; more of a bugle with a bark on the end . After 30 annoucements, from the spike,, all ended with a bark of a muzzle loader. Too much smart talk ended the spikes life
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Re: Nervous grunt/ chuckles?

Postby Lefty » 11 15, 2021 •  [Post 13]

In real time right now.7:28 I've been watching a calve struggle to find a way over the fence.
Now 7:42 .
Just hear a shot. The heard headed for the thick timber.
The calve finally ran off to where the fence is dropped.
The little gutmy was whining and screaming, totally being ignored by the heard 400 yards away.
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Re: Nervous grunt/ chuckles?

Postby JJ Overkill » 11 15, 2021 •  [Post 14]

>>>---WW----> wrote: Try a bark and then instantly follow it with a bugle. Often this will get them cranked up. :D


I’ll do this if I’m in a screaming match with a bull and can’t move towards him anymore. Makes them respond right now! Great tip.
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Re: Nervous grunt/ chuckles?

Postby JJ Overkill » 11 15, 2021 •  [Post 15]

TRIGGER, I agree with you on the standard meanings we give to elk sounds and how to respond to them. This happened on the bull I killed. I was cow calling my way to him while my wife was 100yds away from me bugling periodically. When I got within 60-70 yards of the bull is when he grunted and chuckled at me. I saw the bull at this point and killed him 30 seconds later. It wasn’t at a distance that needed a calling sequence. If I was 100 yds out I’m not sure I would’ve known what sound to make. Im sure I would have tried something but I don’t know what off hand without hearing everything leading up to it.
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Re: Nervous grunt/ chuckles?

Postby Tigger » 11 15, 2021 •  [Post 16]

Sounds like you made it work perfectly! That is a tricky one for sure.
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