What was he saying.....if anything

by **8upbowhunter** » 02 19, 2014 • [Post 1]

I am new to elk hunting along with the meaning (if any) of the sounds elk make. On my first hunt last year my hunting partner and I were on top of a ridge just after daybreak when we heard a bull bugle a couple hundred yards away below us on private land. We bugled back and got a reply from him and a few minutes later another but closer this time. The wind wasn't perfect but since we were above him we decided to play him and see if we could get him to come closer. We couldn't move for a better wind because of the property line so we just called to him a couple more times to see his reaction. He came closer but eventually turned and worked his way farther into the private land. Shortly after we started through a saddle towards where we wanted to hunt. Half way through the saddle (in the wide open) we had a different bull chuckle some 30 - 40 yards up wind of us just over the edge of the ridge that had slipped in silent. We dropped down to the ground and crawled to cover but I think he possibly saw us when we were crawling to cover and eventually heard him run off. The wind was perfectly in our face so I know he didn't wind us. My question in the title of this thread is what was he saying (if anything) when he chuckled?

by **>>>---WW---->** » 02 19, 2014 • [Post 2]

Almost every time a bull chuckles, he is trying to get you to come to him. From what you have written, It kinda sounds like he may have heard you coming and thought you were a cow.

I always looked at it this way. When they chuckle, they are usually talking to cows. When they grunt, they are talking to other bulls, and usually not in so kind of a way.

by **JohnFitzgerald** » 02 19, 2014 • [Post 3]

>>>---WW----> wrote:Almost every time a bull chuckles, he is trying to get you to come to him. From what you have written, It kinda sounds like he may have heard you coming and thought you were a cow.

I always looked at it this way. When they chuckle, they are usually talking to cows. When they grunt, they are talking to other bulls, and usually not in so kind of a way.

+1

by **mandrroofing** » 02 19, 2014 • [Post 4]

I by no means know what I'm talking about but I'll give it a try. The question I had for you was was It very low and soft chuckles. If so maybe this bull that chuckled had cows with him and herd this other bull.chuckle which he did not know he was there before.at this time it's possible that the bull that chuckled was trying to quietly gather his cows to move off and out of there so that this other bull and you that was bugling would not try to steal his Cow?lol mabey...

by **Swede** » 02 19, 2014 • [Post 5]

Chuckles are a fairly common reaction to a cow call. Having a partner there may have given you an opportunity, if one of you sounded like a bull while the other sounded like a cow that was being detained. Elknut's DVDs explain all of that, so you can take advantage of this situation when it happens next time.

by **Toby** » 02 19, 2014 • [Post 6]

It's possible his cows heard you and the other bull bugle and wandered off to far and he was calling them back.

by **8upbowhunter** » 02 19, 2014 • [Post 7]

To clarify a few things, the chuckle was loud and it surprised the crap out of us. We never did cow call to the other bull only bugled 2 - 3 times. We only heard 1 elk run off so it didn't appear he had any cows with him at least close anyway, and I ordered the DVD this morning and plan to know what they are saying this year.

by **Wyo67** » 02 19, 2014 • [Post 8]

It's hard to say for sure. How far did you travel to get to that saddle? It's possible he did have cows moving out ahead of him and he stayed behind when he heard the commotion between you guys and the other bull. When he spotted you, he could have bugled/chuckled to his cows and took off after them and that's the one elk you heard run off.

On another note, if I've been calling and had elk respond, I would absolutely avoid wide open areas. Do what you can to skirt them and stay on the fringes of cover. My first year I walked out into a small 20x50 yard opening after calling and had that silent bull step out to the edge as soon as I made a couple steps out there and he's got you pegged because you've been calling. Burned me once, never again...

by **8upbowhunter** » 02 20, 2014 • [Post 9]

We only traveled about 100 yards or less from our set where we were calling the other bull and could see the saddle from there. We tried to stay in cover and shadows during most of our hunt but just never expected that one to show up. It's a learning experience for sure that I will try not to let happen again.

Thanks for all of the replies and help. It really helped me understand what we did wrong. I know so much more now then when I went on that hunt thank to all of you and the Elknut community.

by **Drawnandpinned** » 05 15, 2014 • [Post 10]

I would agree with ww this is a good time to throw out a cow call might bring him in for a shot I had a similar experience last year on a monster bull that call stopped him for a minute or two and he just stood there bugling wish I would a done more to bring him in close but it was pretty thin and I didn't want to over call and send him packing