Tone,Intensityand Pitch

[Glacier Country]

Tone, Intensity, and Pitch.

I have been describing how I call in elk and teach elk calling to other elk hunters for a long time. So long ago I just started describing what I do, and how I go from one tone or pitch to another up the scale from low to high for bull sounds and high to low for cow sounds. I needed a way to convey what I was trying to relate to others.
When I started describing things in terms of Tone Intensity and Pitch, people seemed to pick up what I was relating a lot better.
So first I should mention that I think that all three are interrelated when it comes to speaking a language - whether it is English or one elk talking to another.
We have all heard the saying “ Don’t use that Tone with me!”
How much Emotion is used?
So lets use the word Hey for example… So you might say…
Hey. as in how are you? - a non threatening verbalization to get attention. Then there is an escalation of emotion with Hey Where are you guys. Or Hey dad check this out! More emotion more intensity and usually a higher pitch. Then there is an even higher escalation with more emotion, more intensity and an even higher pitch to anger, yelling ,screaming … with this version of Hey the intensity is threatening. You are demanding they back down or fight. These are only three versions of the scale and only one word “hey “ used to show the range of emotion the same word can convey. Of course there are many more than just three from a social Hey to Yelling and screaming , fists flying etc.

Pitch refers to the high or low frequency of the sound, Tone in musical terms refers more to the Emotion,
This is why Tone Intensity and Pitch are all relative to a conversation, or elk calling .
So without getting too technical...

So what you want to understand is that pitch is low notes to high notes and tone deals with how much Inflection and Emotion, is applied to the pitch. The intensity refers more to the loudness of the tones and pitches, in relation to the sounds as a whole.

Now lets put this into elk terms…
What bugle or cow call should I do in which situation to get the response I want from a bull? Or from a cow for that matter.
Well that depends upon what YOU want that elk to believe is happening in each situation.
So many of you are trying and hoping a bull will respond to your calls ….. But what you really want is for the ELK to REACT to your calls and give you an opportunity to harvest them.
Once you really understand that it changes how you approach calling … You don’t just bugle… you do a bugle with a certain MEASURE of Emotion. What Measure of Emotion are you trying to convey to convince a bull to React and come to you.

[Trophyhill]

This is great stuff! Thank you!

[elk-n-walleye]

Glacier
Lets say I was using cow calls. Would what you describe correlate to using cow mews to keep a bull talking while you make your approach vs. using an excited cow call or lost cow call to get a bull to move to you vs. using something more emotional like whining cow call with a young bull bugle to convey a cow being hooked/harassed by a satellite in order to enrage a herd bull and pull him to you.

Can you or anyone break that down a little and provide better or other sounds to make in those situations or other similar situations? I definitely learn from repetition so reading, seeing, hearing other hunters is always a big help.

[flystrait]

I am not Troy! But I will give you my input anyway. I use higher pitch for distance, it will carry further for let's say a location bugle. As I work in close inside a comfort zone of a bull "100-150 yards and less" I will use more of a mid tone on all my bugles. In my experience with going after mature bulls the majority of them have more of a mid-tone to their voice. Hence I want to challenge them in similar tone. The higher the pitch "tone" the more smaller (younger bulls) will come in by percentages in my experience. There is always the anomaly but is not the norm.

To quantify what I am trying to say, the last several years we have only called in few younger "smaller" bulls using more mid-tones. The majority have been mature large bulls for the area. Yes a couple have been very large 5 points but the again the majority have been 6 point and larger but are all mature (older) bulls for the area. So I would say lower pitches (tones) do symbolize dominance. I hope this helps.

CK

[flystrait]

To give an example of what I was stating, here is a link to our 2013 hunt. At 30 secs to 1:30 min I was calling to the heard bull he has defiantly a mid-tone. Its not the young bull we had footage of from the heard. We actually had the heard bull to 40 yards without a shot due to the brush, but still saw him. He had a large 6x6 frame with a large body. This is typical of the tones by mature bulls we hunt. I posted this earlier this year.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ygievGrJGP0

Craig

[ElkNut1]

Troy, very nice description, I couldn't agree more with your analogy! This helps put things in perspective very well.

ElkNut1

[foxvalley]

Thanks Troy, good stuff!

[Glacier Country]

I try to mimic each individual bull. Nothing works 100 %. I try to make the bull believe in a scenario, a picture I paint in his head as to what I want him to believe is happening. I also try to mimic each individual bull. if he uses more mid-tones, say a larger bull So do I, What if he is a 3 1/2 or 4 1/2 year old... the Pitch of his Voice might be higher So I might select An Orange Enrager call to more easily replicate that sound. An older Bull I might choose a Watermelon or Blue Blaster for a deeper sound. If I want to do a location bugle I will use a call like Troy's Secret Weapon that has a higher pitch to reach out there.I would also use TSW to try to incite the bull to attack me with a Bull Scream which is a bull YELLING (which is a higher pitch with more intensity ).Here is an example of a bull that is flat out mad! He fights with one smaller 6 point then runs off another smaller 6 point . This is what I call the Bull Scream This is the sound that I developed Troys Secret Weapon for, this is past a challenge bugle... it is flat out telling all other bulls that he will kill them.Listen to the Tone, the intensity and Pitch. High pitch Scream with an aggressive Growl Which is a low to mid tone (older dominant Aggressive Tone) he is MAD! Very loud intensity.
There should be no Question what this bull is saying to the other bulls. If you don't get this one right here ...get a treestand!!! LOL
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GUQcMZLZpx8

[Elkonthebrain]

That video makes me grin every time I watch it. That guy is pist off.

[Glacier Country]

Glacier
Lets say I was using cow calls. Would what you describe correlate to using cow mews to keep a bull talking while you make your approach vs. using an excited cow call or lost cow call to get a bull to move to you vs. using something more emotional like whining cow call with a young bull bugle to convey a cow being hooked/harassed by a satellite in order to enrage a herd bull and pull him to you.

Can you or anyone break that down a little and provide better or other sounds to make in those situations or other similar situations? I definitely learn from repetition so reading, seeing, hearing other hunters is always a big help.

If you are using cow calls and the bull is answering you . He really Expects you to go to him! So go to him. Keep using the cow sounds if he is answering that, At some point though he really expects to see a cow ,So a number of factors will measure in here so YOU have to decide what is the best call to make or Not to make. If you want him to come to you give him a REASON to come to you. What sounds would you use to bring that bull or entire herd to you. Well that depends upon the day. What part of the Rut, are the elk vocal??? Etc. Also realize that some sounds might be a better choice than others in a certain situation but there is more than one way to get it done. From your Post it seems like you have a few Ideas of Scenarios to choose from. The worst case scenario is you blow it and have to find another elk.

Be realistic ...what sounds can you do well? Here in MT if a guy tells me that he mostly just uses cow calls, Most Of The Time... what that Really means IS that he is not very good at bugling. He is not confident with that call. Ok so no big deal...
Ok so realize that some scenarios that I might be able to make a bull believe he might not. That"s OK but at least acknowledge that for yourself. Most guys don't. Too much pride. All I am saying is what calls or experience or shooting ability , woods smarts do you bring to the table that will give you an advantage over that elk. then figure out what to apply where and when.
There is a reason there is a 90% failure rate at harvesting an elk with a bow.

[Glacier Country]

Here is a condensed version Audio of a bull I called in over about 20 minutes.He did n't answer the cow calls so I bugled. I could here him Raking a tree so I would bugle and Rake every so often. This Bull uses a lot of mid tone.

[Glacier Country]

Here is an audio of a Herd bull that I flat out Scream at he comes in to 11 steps.

[elk-n-walleye]

Glacier thanks for the reply. I didn't use much for bugles except for location bugles and one cold call set up. the videos and sound clips were helpful hearing specifically what you did in those situations. I'll try to employ more bugling as a tactic this year.

[Gselkhunter]

Nice post Troy. When I teach to use an elk call one of the main components is to be able to go up and down the scale of notes[I teach 5 notes, most can only get 3] and be able to hold every note. Also to learn to do it slowly to have control of the reed then from quiet to loud. For bugles a dual tone of voice plus reed at low pitch to get the growl at the beginning of the bugle, then pitches[however many you intend to use], then the air blow out in AAAAHHHHHH to start the grunts. Then for the grunts tone, AAAAHHHH, then suck air back in. Doing all of this slowly so they get a feel for how the parts go together.
For the cow calls I give them a word association, NEEEAHHH or EEEEOOWWW, it helps give a rhythm from high to low pitch.
Then adding in your info should make a good elk caller. I am a big believer in cadence and structure of a call to get what I want to happen in the field.
Mimicking a bull in the field is one way to get a bull to react and can be very effective also a good way to learn from the elk.
I cut them off, I want to show them the least amount of respect I can. The madder they are the better I like it. I like to push it so hard that the cows want to see this intruder since they decide which bull will breed them.
Makes for a great day in the woods.

[BrentLaBere]

flystrait, GC
Thanks for posting this up! Very helpful, especially with the season coming up.

[twinkieman]

Great stuff Troy!

[BRazz]

Nice post Troy. When I teach to use an elk call one of the main components is to be able to go up and down the scale of notes[I teach 5 notes, most can only get 3] and be able to hold every note. Also to learn to do it slowly to have control of the reed then from quiet to loud. For bugles a dual tone of voice plus reed at low pitch to get the growl at the beginning of the bugle, then pitches[however many you intend to use], then the air blow out in AAAAHHHHHH to start the grunts. Then for the grunts tone, AAAAHHHH, then suck air back in. Doing all of this slowly so they get a feel for how the parts go together...

I hope I don't derail the thread... but GS got me thining. Part of the reason most hunter bugles don't sound exactly like a bull elk is that the notes "slide" up the scale, while real elk tend to "jump" up and down their notes. You know what I mean? I'm wondering if you guys have any tips for how to improve that. Maybe it's the reed I'm using?

[Glacier Country]

Nice post Troy. When I teach to use an elk call one of the main components is to be able to go up and down the scale of notes[I teach 5 notes, most can only get 3] and be able to hold every note. Also to learn to do it slowly to have control of the reed then from quiet to loud. For bugles a dual tone of voice plus reed at low pitch to get the growl at the beginning of the bugle, then pitches[however many you intend to use], then the air blow out in AAAAHHHHHH to start the grunts. Then for the grunts tone, AAAAHHHH, then suck air back in. Doing all of this slowly so they get a feel for how the parts go together.
For the cow calls I give them a word association, NEEEAHHH or EEEEOOWWW, it helps give a rhythm from high to low pitch.
Then adding in your info should make a good elk caller. I am a big believer in cadence and structure of a call to get what I want to happen in the field.
Mimicking a bull in the field is one way to get a bull to react and can be very effective also a good way to learn from the elk.
I cut them off, I want to show them the least amount of respect I can. The madder they are the better I like it. I like to push it so hard that the cows want to see this intruder since they decide which bull will breed them.
Makes for a great day in the woods.

Gselkhunter it sounds like we teach calling in a very similar fashion. I like to do word association as well I like to use the word Knee for the high E of the Calf and YAW for the low sound of the cow. So very similar!
Really good stuff right here. Right on with cadence and structure, as well!.
Brazz, I will post up an audio ... I think this is what you mean?? I just mimic each Bull like this.

[BRazz]

Brazz, I will post up an audio ... I think this is what you mean?? I just mimic each Bull like this.

That sounds really good! And yes - that is what I mean. I'm referring to how your bugles "jump" between notes quickly and smoothly, versus mine (and most guys I know) whose bugles "slide" between notes. Does that description make sense? So... how do you do that???

[Gselkhunter]

I was going to add one of my sound clips but it isn't in the right format. I will try to transfer it to sound cloud then add it.
I like to break things down so people can get a feel for how to put the call together. I think it gives them a better feel for learning cadence.
Guys the clip above that Troy did is a very good way to learn. Hear the bull then match it. This is great stuff.