Alarm bark - cow vs. bull?

[ArrowForester]

So, I know a guy…a friend let’s say……who was recently busted by an elk but he did not actually see it. I am…err, I mean….he is pretty sure it was just being seen by the elk two times in close proximity but not being scent detected. The animal ran away and barked, ran some more and barked again, and again, and again. Circled back for another look and barked some more. Acted like an old whitetail doe with all of the noise. But sounded more like a bull. Very deep, hollow, loud bark and several times there were a couple additional notes at the end that were almost like a chuckle.

Is there any noticeable difference between a cow bark and a bull bark? Seemed deeper and more complex than cow barks “he” has heard in the past. Not as much an alarm bark as a “laughing at the idiot” bark. And the circling back was likely an escape route that went downwind but it did not make it downwind before another visual.

 

[Read1t48]

Sounds to me like a bull or a young spike. Did you bark back? You should have. Immediately. That elk was wanting to see you. If you barked back, it may have settled down. You could have also let out an aggressive bugle. Like a bull calling cows bugle. If your critter was a cow, she might have come back. If there are other elk in the area, especially bulls and cows, you would have just painted a picture that you - a big bull - ran out whatever was just there. It would have justified the so called alarm. Sometimes the bark is not an alarm; they are just wanting you to show yourself. You can put them in search mode by barking back or at least giving you a bit more time. Your animal was curious for sure.

 

[nphunter]

I agree with the above post, bark back every time they bark at you. If you are in thick cover try to move so you can see them and then move in for a shot if they stay there and bark. Elk bark all the time, Saturday morning we had an elk barking right outside of our tent in the head of a drainage, it was out there barking for like 20 minutes or more. I got up and why my water was boiling for coffee I barked back at it from 3-400 yards away, we barked at each other back and forth a couple of times and it calmed down and must have gone on its way.

 

[gelton]

I've been busted by a cow while calling for my hunting partner, she clearly saw me and got to barking and wouldn't stop so I put my bow above my head like a set of antlers and waltzed around for a while.

She didn't run off but was still out of range for my partner to take a shot.

 

[smokewrench]

@ArrowForester I believe Elknut talks about this very situation on his app. Might mention the app to your friend. It's a one time $10 and you can download Paul's tips for offline viewing.

 

[ArrowForester]

Thanks for the replies guys, all good input.
I probably should have returned the bark but it had been such a long and hard day that I didn’t think of it. The circumstances and the encounter were such a gut punch that I was deflated and the thought of a vocal reply never even occurred to me.
I did wonder what Elknut would have to say about it. Hopefully I will be more thoughtful with my head in the game next time.

 

[Gerbdog]

Thanks for the replies guys, all good input.
I probably should have returned the bark but it had been such a long and hard day that I didn’t think of it. The circumstances and the encounter were such a gut punch that I was deflated and the thought of a vocal reply never even occurred to me.
I did wonder what Elknut would have to say about it. Hopefully I will be more thoughtful with my head in the game next time.

Happens towards the end of the hunting day. I've had more than a few encounters blown at the end of the day due simply to exhaustion and not thinking straight in the moment. I get it! Good news is you got great answers here and next time you'll probably get it right. Elk still gonna do what the elk wants to do, but your % chance for a better outcome will improve!

 

[trophyhill]

Sounds to me like a bull or a young spike. Did you bark back? You should have. Immediately. That elk was wanting to see you. If you barked back, it may have settled down. You could have also let out an aggressive bugle. Like a bull calling cows bugle. If your critter was a cow, she might have come back. If there are other elk in the area, especially bulls and cows, you would have just painted a picture that you - a big bull - ran out whatever was just there. It would have justified the so called alarm. Sometimes the bark is not an alarm; they are just wanting you to show yourself. You can put them in search mode by barking back or at least giving you a bit more time. Your animal was curious for sure.

100% agree. In 2017 while hunting the Western Slope, I called a herd bull in to bow range at 30 yards on opening day but he stopped with his vitals covered. I was at full draw for an eternity. When he didn’t see the elk (me) he herd. He went back to his cows and barked. I immediately barked back at him we barked back and forth until I got back into bow range at 20 yards. When I started to draw my bow, he caught the movement, jumped, turned and bolted before I could even think of settling my pin on him. Learned a valuable lesson that day.

I've got to edit this because the nervous grunt or bark is an underutilized sound that many are afraid to use because they think the sound only has 1 meaning.

after that opening day encounter, I had 4 rag horns come in to calls and hang up out of bow range. A couple I knew were there and a couple I did not know were there. In each case I used the nervous grunt and that was all it took to get them to come running in. And I mean running in! Ended up arrowing 1 at 6’. You wanna talk about exciting and fast action? I’m here to tell you about it!

that hunt could have been an exception to the rule though. I called 10 other bulls in during that hunt making other elk sounds. And I was only hunting weekends. Been wanting to get back there ever since.

I had a tree stand hunter basically call me a liar on another forum when I told the story. Haven’t been back to Wapititalk since

 

[Read1t48]

Trophyhill...
Great story! Your experience of the grunt is what I see in the woods when studying the behavior of elk. For many experienced hunters- of which I am not - the nervous bark or grunt is the last sound they ever hear. It can bring them right to you and equally anchor them to their spot when used in the right situation.

 

[trophyhill]

Trophyhill...
Great story! Your experience of the grunt is what I see in the woods when studying the behavior of elk. For many experienced hunters- of which I am not - the nervous bark or grunt is the last sound they ever hear. It can bring them right to you and equally anchor them to their spot when used in the right situation.

Once again I incorporated the “nervous grunt” into my calling and brought 2 bulls in to bow range this year. One of those bulls sensed something wasn’t right and fled and I stopped him again just out of site. This guy displayed some different pitches and tones of the bark at this point. He started a deep pitch bark that sounded just like a big dog barking as we talked back and forth to each other. If I could have killed him I would have named him the baritone bull

 

[Read1t48]

Trophyhill -
That’s awesome! I just listened to an elk recap podcast where a smaller immature bull was scent checking a cow that was coming straight in for a frontal shot. The shooter let out a big bull scream, at 7yds., in order to draw, and scared the living daylights out of the immature bull and off he went out of their lives forever. I think a nervous grunt would have been way less intimidating, and got him to stop or worst case he may have whirled, went out 20 yards and stopped to turn and look providing a broadside shot. There is no substitution for time in the woods and listening to elk. I love making elk sounds that real elk make that you never really hear in a calling contest or in a podcast. They definitely make some unique sounds and you can generally use them to identify a real elk versus a hunter. Those seldom used sounds are what really seals the deal for elk to come in close. I have a lot to learn but the journey is the most enjoyable part of elk hunting.