Bugle sounds

[bwlacy]

Reading the bugle report and watching you tube videos. From a long distance how can you tell if a bugle is a hunter or an elk. I'm a newb to elk hunting really. Been out to Colorado before but still don't know much. Maybe some hunters it's really obvious. But what if the caller is really good? What if it was Corey, or Elk nut, can you tell?

 

[weekender7]

No you can't if they are a good caller. I went to a bugle one morning certain it was a man, I even thought I knew what brand caller he was using. It turned out to be a really good 6 pt. bull. I watched a video of the Born and Raised crew, some of the best in the bizz, they were very indecisive about one of the bugles they were moving in on not sure whether it was man or elk. There are some of the callers now that are simply amazing at the realism they can project through a tube. You just have to go see.

 

[Laelkhunter]

Good point weekender. Last year we were on the ranch, sitting by a small park when we heard a bugle-sounded like me when I try (that's why I don't try). Guide chuckled and said "That's Brad trying to bugle". The call got closer and closer. I said "Brad is gonna ruin our spot here". Just then a small raghorn walked out into the clearing we were watching, and started to bugle. He might have had something wrong with his vocal cords, but he sounded horrible. I never would have thought an Elk sounded like that.

 

[ElkElkGoose]

I'm newish but getting into the elk and just last weekend I was sitting halfway up a ridge and heard a midday bugle down in the creek along a trail. I was 100% certain it was a hunter because it sounded like it was out of a toilet paper tube. The next day, I glassed up a bull and he blasted off a bugle at last light. I immediately realized I may have missed my best opportunity previously because it was the exact same sound!

 

[KHNC]

i chase all the bugles i hear no matter what. I mean, isnt that why i trained all damn year with a 45lb ruck and all those hills? Cant have all that going to waste!!

 

[flippertn]

No way to ever be sure so I always treat them all like it’s an elk. Hard to explain until you’ve been in it but I tend to be able to discern elk or human based more on the tendencies of the bugling than the actual sound if that makes sense. It seems like most people I’ve called in kinda went bugle for bugle as I closed and they closed. If I have a bull bugling a few times and he suddenly shuts up and won’t answer for a bit I tend to more think it’s an elk. Hunters tend to bugle every time you bugle. Or at least that’s been my limited experience

 

[Billy Goat]

If it sounds really good it's another Hunter. Lots of real elk sound terrible.

In all seriousness it can be really hard to tell. Lots of times it comes down to the area and try to guess if someone else is in there. Had two buddies swear they were listening to another Hunter. Then it got down wind and stopped. Basically you need to persue the bugle generally. If it's an identical buggle over and over you can tell. Or if it's not covering a bunch of ground. I'm sure others will have different opinions or ideas on it. But that's my experience. Once you get into it you will get an idea, but still won't always be able to tell.

 

[Ucsdryder]

I know when I hear a promos special. It’s harder with a diaphragm and tube to tell if it’s a hunter. The blue reeds give it away every time.

 

[sneaky]

When I know it's an elk, I'll move in close before I bugle, then move. I've worked a couple of bulls so far. Coyote screwed one up, wind was wrong and ran out of light on the other one. The second one was so worked up he followed me almost back to the truck lol.

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[sneaky]

The one the coyote (I think) started howling close, the bull never bugled again. He did a moan, almost like a dog with a bark collar on that knows he'll get zapped if he barks.

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[mproberts]

Jason Phelps from Phelps game calls went into this on a recent meateater podcast (Ep. 131). I think his takeaway was that there are certain guttural highs that big bulls can hit that just aren't possible for a caller to hit, but he also said for the most part it is hard to tell and he also chases bugles. Saying that he would rather sacrifice his pride chasing a caller than wrong about not chasing a bull.

The last elk hunt I was on we heard multiple late morning bugles from this ridge right where the main trail went between two impassable peaks. We thought for sure it had to be a caller because of the location. We hiked that trail out of our bowl an hour later and sure enough there were fresh bull tracks right on the only trail leading into our bowl and it still even smelt like him. Lesson learned.

 

[5MilesBack]

I've had some fun with hunters over the years, and had them chasing me even after I slammed the truck door.

Last year my daughter tried to convince me to go and apologize to a couple hunters after leading them all over the place. But then I told her......"Do you want me to disappoint them, or let them sit by their fire talking about the bull they chased all over that day"?

 

[FlyGuy]

If you think its a hunter, but you go and look anyway, will be another hunter. But, every bugle that you don't go investigate will turn out to be an actual Bull. 100% of the time. Especially if it's across the canyon.

Agree with others, I can't tell anything by the bugles themselves, but can usually tell by the pattern of the bugling. And, if it's dead-down wind of me bugling his head off and still coming in, then probably not an elk.

This is another reason why I wear an orange hat during archery. I think it leads to fewer of these situations, or at least they are brought to a conclusion much sooner.

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[jaredgreen]

Comes with experience. After you hear enough real bulls in the woods, it’s usually not that hard to tell the difference. I get hooked on occasion, but the vast majority of the time, it’s pretty obvious, especially the end of the bugle.


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[Backclintry]

Sometimes it's obvious, but either way if they're relatively close to me, I will call then in or move on them during archery to let them know there is another hunter around (if ML better wear some orange). If they'll let me, I'll talk to them to see what they're plans are, where they're camped, etc. so we can try to stay out of eachother's way. Sometimes they're A*holes about it, but whatever. But back to telling the difference - one DEAD giveaway is if they are 200+ yards out, and circle around you dead downwind, then start moving in on you.

 

[CJF]

I'll share a story....
Last year was was my first year living in Colorado and first time I've ever hunted elk. The last Friday of archery season I went over a ridge looking into a basin I had not been in. Had a bull bugle back at me way down towards the bottom.....I could just hear it echoing. I hunted the ridgeline for almost 3 hours with him answering almost every bugle...I was so convinced that it was a person that I just ignored it. By noon I had hunted out the ridgeline and decided to chase the "person" just to make sure. He answered every bugle until I was all the way at the bottom (1500' below where I had came from). When I made it to the bottom I came out in this small meadow with an outfitter's camp. At that time I was so certain it was a person, and was so wore out from dropping the elevation through thick blowdowns I dropped my pack and bow, took my shirt and boots off and was soooo discouraged for chasing this "person" all the way down the hill. As I laid there he came to about 100 yards from the meadow grunting, chuckling, and killing a tree; then I knew it was an elk. I scrambled to get my stuff back together got in the timber and called him to 50 yards where I could see the top of the tree he was raking (it was thick). He hung up for several minutes there...the next time he bugled he was moving away from me...I chased him bugling the rest of the day. I listened to him bugle at me for 6 hours probably 20-30 times before I decided, reluctantly, to go after him.

I decided that day to go after any bugle I heard, no matter whether I though it was a person or not.

 

[BAKPAKR]

I played around once with what I was sure was another hunter (and a poor caller at that). It turned out to be a 6x7.

 

[dtrkyman]

Bugle back, if the sound gets further away its a bull! If it gets closer probably another hunter

 

[mfllood3800]

I hiked in over 2 miles to a basin to glass at evening. There was a truck parked right in the basin. Never mind that he also had an empty trailer which hauled in a quad, and was buzzing around on it blowing everything out. I turned and retreated and heard him bugle. I thought it was the most hideous bugle I ever heard.
Then I thought, "im gonna draw him 2 miles back to my truck, to pay him back"
I bugled as I walked away, he responded every time.
I laid off for a couple if his, and then ripped one off followed by a chuckle or 2 or 4 to interrupt his.
A mile later he is closing quickly, and I thought dang, this guy can hike.
He popped up over a ridge and let out his low toned bugle and I cut him off with a rasping scream and a bunch of chuckles. He is desperately nocking an arrow. I can hardly contain myself. But to avoid getting shot I step out from behind the tree and wave.
He walks to me and said you sure were slow closing the distance. I told him, I wasn't closing it, I was creating it trying to pull you to my truck for ruining that basin.
he said that aint my truck, I hiked in here too.
I felt like doo doo.

He was also a guide. We talked about the bull he shot that I also shot at all on same day. He hit it high front shoulder and I hit the branch in front of him as he stood in the middle of a cedar tree, and stuck his head thru to look me in the eye? Who does that? Crazy elk. (separate encounters). I soon hiked up the mountain and he the other, I heard him calling, so I jokingly ripped off another, yet different type (more a locater). 3 minutes he was on me. We laughed, and finished the evening hunt together.
We became friends this week, exchanged numbers and will likely hunt together - kid can hike.

Some callers are terrible, some are realistic. You will chase some, but definitely not all. Well I wont. Some are just too obvious. His cow and calf calls were the real deal though.

 

[5MilesBack]

As I laid there he came to about 100 yards from the meadow grunting, chuckling, and killing a tree; then I knew it was an elk. I scrambled to get my stuff back together got in the timber and called him to 50 yards where I could see the top of the tree he was raking (it was thick). He hung up for several minutes there...the next time he bugled he was moving away from me...I chased him bugling the rest of the day. I listened to him bugle at me for 6 hours probably 20-30 times before I decided, reluctantly, to go after him.

Better late than never I guess.........I apologize.