Bugle vs. chuckle

[timberland]

How often do you chuckle, with a bugle or alone? Any rules with chuckles, like always chuckle back at a chuckle? Never chuckle too close or when he has cows? Looking for Elknut to chime in
And chuckle is fun to say and do.
Does a chuckle get a response that a bugle won't?

 

[5MilesBack]

It all depends on what you're trying to say to the bull.........or the cows.

 

[trophyhill]

I haven't called a bull in yet with chuckles, but I've called them in with a nervous grunt. I have gotten them to respond to chuckles though and kept them vocal as I move in with chuckles. I've also had them chuckling as they are coming in. I've had them chuckle while running away.

I love what Paul said a long time ago. And this pertains to what ever sounds you use or hear. "Not all encounters are created equal"

It's up to us to read the situation correctly. That's when we tip the odds in our favor

 

[Beendare]

Some guys claim that there is the perfect response to a bull- I say thats bull.

Now there are some responses better than others for sure. If you can get a read on the bulls emotions, it's easier.

One Key is to understand when bulls are bugling just to maintain spacing. Those are the bulls you run off by being too aggressive.

Re; Chuckles; I do agree that somewhat mimicking a bull is usually the best strategy....so if he chuckles, I chuckle.

I think the most important thing a guy can do is Learn those close in sounds. Blowing a loud cow call in close is a bad idea. Low grunts...low guttural semi bugles, etc are VERY effective. Many herd bulls use these herd sounds as they don't want every satellite in the county storming in....and the other bulls know it so they are more at ease coming in.

Yes, a guy needs to adapt- Elknut is right on the money on that as is Cory Jacobsen and Chris Roe.

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[Wrench]

I had two sub 20 yard encounters with a bull that will do nothing BUT chuckle. He's a stud and I intend to kill him next year.....but me being a hardheaded stickbow shooter has let him walk another year.

 

[roosiebull]

it's not uncommon for roosies to only chuckle, but I will only mimic a bull if he is getting more intense doing so. I refuse to just go back and forth with a bull copying him if things aren't happening.

at some point the wind WILL go bad, so I don't like doing a lot of back and forth with bulls. I will chuckle when a bull isn't getting increasingly worked up just to see if that changes things, if not i'm not going to keep doing it just because he is, I will try to find the thing to do that gets him over the back and forth.

I don't ever think there is a best time for any sound, our job is to keep feeling out the encounter to get the bull within range before the wind switches or something else happens.... could be just breaking sticks, raking, screaming, moaning, nervous grunt, etc... i'm not content just keeping a bull bugling, and I will just keep trying things that make sense to keep things going towards a shot opportunity.

I think people get too content just to maintain communication with a bull, I like things happening, and if it doesn't look like things will go my way, I may just leave him be for a bit rather than lollygagging around until the wind switches, especially if they are up feeding, I may give it some time, let them bed, and then come back and try to take his options away.

of course there can be a million factors that dictate how to work the situation, and every encounter has different dynamics. there is no situation that tells me chuckling is the right sound to make, but if I get him worked up and he's chuckling after every bugle gaining intensity, I will be trying to one up him on aggression.

lots of factors including time of year, amount of bulls in the area, presence of cows, is the bull you are working one with cows?

I have never got into "speaking the language" I just try to read the situation i'm in and keep trying things, gauging the reaction and going from there.

i'm also not trying to call in every bull I hear bugle, I assume get in on a located bull and shoot him with less urgency when he doesn't know i'm around. if I think I can get a shot at an elk without calling him in, I will usually go that route, I like the controlled situation that provides rather than one coming in, getting too close, very little control of his body angle, and there is no turning back, where he is going to blow out in a very short time whether there is an arrow in him or not.

I shoot better when it's not urgent too. I would rather shoot one calm at 20yds broadside than 6yds quartering to and rushed.

 

[SoDaky]

"Low grunts...low guttural semi bugles, etc are VERY effective."

^^This combined with raking often is the deal closer.

 

[Wrench]

Raking is the sealer of the deal.

 

[cnelk]

All I know is that bulls SOMETIMES chuckle.... hunters ALWAYS chuckle when calling...

 

[Beendare]

All I know is that bulls SOMETIMES chuckle.... hunters ALWAYS chuckle when calling...

And most do it poorly.....


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[roosiebull]

All I know is that bulls SOMETIMES chuckle.... hunters ALWAYS chuckle when calling...

that's pretty funny, haha... and I think pretty accurate. I avoid it because i'm no Dirk Durham when it comes to chuckling it's certainly not a hand I show right outta the gate.

 

[spike camp]

And most do it poorly.....


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No doubt!
Not sure how much the sound quality actually matters...but some just sound awful!

That dude Dirk....his chuckles sound better than most bulls!

 

[roosiebull]

No doubt!
Not sure how much the sound quality actually matters...but some just sound awful!

That dude Dirk....his chuckles sound better than most bulls!

within reason, I don't think sound quality is very high on the list of things calling a bull in. the people I have been around, the best sounding callers aren't as good as the better callers I know who don't sound competition quality by any stretch.

of course sounding good has no down sides, but I have hunted with some guys that sound really good who don't kill elk often.... they get bulls to answer, but they always "take their cows and run" haha... gauging the scenario is the most important thing I think (besides obvious stuff like wind, or getting seen)

the guys I know who call a lot of bulls in, and always get elk killed aren't that good sounding, but they know how to read a situation, and have been in a lot of calling situation figuring things out by doing it.

I think people are happy just going back and forth with bulls, and are afraid to mess it up, and never do anything to get them in range..... once in awhile they have a close encounter with an aggressive bull.

I do think the strategy changes regionally, and I think it's easier to feel good at calling around here. roosies are easy to anger, and a little rag 4x4 thinks he is a 300" bull.... hard to run a roosie off being too aggressive. the terrain is an advantage too if you know how to use it to your advantage.

time of the season matters too, but that's a broad brush. the most suicidal aggressive bull i ever encountered was the second day of the season, and it was an early start that year, i think it was August 25th. that bull had a goal, and that was to not let me hunt the next day, haha.... i even gave him a warning shot, but he wasn't having it

 

[spike camp]

Agreed as usual, roosie.

 

[5MilesBack]

roosies are easy to anger, and a little rag 4x4 thinks he is a 300" bull.... hard to run a roosie off being too aggressive.

I never really had any desire to go hunt roosies, but now I'm intrigued.

After watching Dirk on some hunts, I'm pretty sure he and I could hunt well together.

 

[sneaky]

I chuckle every time I hear someone playing one of those blue reed Primos elk flutes

Sent from my SM-G955U using Tapatalk

 

[5MilesBack]

I chuckle every time I hear someone playing one of those blue reed Primos elk flutes

I don't chuckle, I sneak in close to them and stay out of sight and then hit them with a big ole nasty lip bawl growl bugle, and then lead them on a chase for miles.

 

[bignocks]

I feel like most of the time the chuckle is a give away if it's another Hunter. Seems harder to emulate to me. I may hear a bugle and think maybe a bull then hear the chuckle and know pretty certain it's a hunter. Anyone else notice that or just me. So I tend to avoid doing it because I'm one of those not so good chucklers.

 

[HighUintas]

I'm an elk noob, but I've listened to every Paul medel interview I can find and use his educational material. So, just to parrot what I've heard him say a lot, is that a chuckle is most common coming from a bull that is inviting cows to him and that you can use it in a sequence to make a nearby bull think you have hot cows with you, if you follow that up with the excited bull sounds.

I think that's the only way I've heard him recommend using it. In fact, I think he may have said he rarely uses it.

 

[Gapmaster]

I think it can mean different things..I’ve felt it was a nervous sound at times especially when accompanied with a bark. I’ll chuckle back and it has seemed to calm a few bulls down for me. I feel like the last two bulls I killed was due to this. Had been too close too long but was able to keep the game up with a few chuckles now and again. Just my two cents..