Bull size based on bugles?

[Hnthrdr]

So here is a question for all my September enthusiast out there? Especially @ElkNut1 @cnelk @Jaquomo I think you have heard and seen a lot of bugles/ bulls bugling. Have you found a correlation to deeper, growling bugles and bull size/ maturity? Would love to hear your thoughts.

I have one anecdotal story where I had what sounded like “small” squealing bull, ended up getting a good look and he turned out to be a big mature six point.

Can’t wait for the bugles to start, but it’s funny standing 500 yards away and sometimes I think, “ oh he sounds, small or vice versa”

 

[butcherboy]

I’ve called in some big bulls and all they did was little squeals. Called in big bulls that sounded like a freaking dinosaur! Most young bulls are fairly quiet or do higher pitched squeals.

 

[Marble]

I've found that with most bugles, you can tell if it's a big mature bull. But not always. There can be a quite a variance. I haven't experienced a spike or small rag horn bugling like a mature bull, but I have seen mature bulls that seem like they have lost their voice.

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[5MilesBack]

By the time I get to a shot opportunity, I know what I'm dealing with. By that time they have all been mature 6x6's. I've NEVER had a small bull sound big, but sometimes (especially on a first response) I've had big bulls sound smaller. When my daughter shot her bull a few years ago, the first response at 6:30pm sounded like a raghorn. I told her, "well.......he's not big, but let's have some fun with him". He slowly got better and better. I was 80-100 yards behind her, and at some point I said to myself "that's no raghorn". Then I switched gears into "game on" and got aggressive, until he was in full on guttural, growling, screaming mode and then crossed in front of her at 30 yards.

I generally don't get a lot of responses from raghorns, so when I get a response it's usually a good bull and I can tell right away.

 

[Geewhiz]

IMO typically a big bull sounds big and a little bull sounds little, BUT like others have said I have been suprised by the opposite of both on more than one occasion.

Almost didnt even stop hiking one time when I heard a whiny effortless high pitched dink of a bugle. Dad said stop lets see what he is. I reluctantly did a half a$$ set up and let a few cow calls. Out walks a 320-330 6x7 that I proceeded to shoot. Since then I have learned to give them all a chance until you know for sure.

Aside from the sound of the bugle iteslf, often times you can get a good idea of his maturity level by the way he responds and with how much enthusiasm he exerts.

 

[Ross]

The only for sure tell is the “Deep Guttural Lip Bawl” imo When you hear this bull sound you know your dealing with a big mature and dominant bull. We all have been fooled one way or another so it is best to check them all out.

 

[cnelk]

Sometimes you just know.

 

[WCB]

General rule you can have an idea. When a bull gets really aggressive I think that is when you can really tell the age of the bull (not really the size of the horns). Bulls just throwing out locating bugles or rounding their cows up I think it is hard to tell.

But there is always and exception and like most it is normally an old bull that sounds young.

 

[Scoot]

I’ve called in some big bulls and all they did was little squeals. Called in big bulls that sounded like a freaking dinosaur! Most young bulls are fairly quiet or do higher pitched squeals.

This

 

[grfox92]

Called in a 340ish bull on Friday, his bugle sounded like a guy who was really bad at trying to bugle. The same bull proceeded to make what sounded like deep cow calls after he spooked but was still interacting with our calls.

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