Handling The Nervous Grunt/Bark!

[ElkNut1]

Here's a sound many of us who've elk hunted for awhile have heard on a regular basis, it's known as a Nervous Grunt or Nervous Bark. Nearly 20 years ago I referred to it as A Popping Grunt, they are all the same sound.

There are times to use this sound & times to know how to React to it with decent results!

First we need to be aware of it's message when used by us or the elk!

The Nervous Grunt's message is asking for an Action! It expects a Visual or Satisfying response to something they've seen a glimpse of or heard but now wants to see this animal to be sure where it is or that it's not a threat to it.

I've had success with this sound on several bulls by Reacting once it was heard & identified. I've had equally good success by using this sound first! Like many encounters it's Situational! For Instance ----

I've done well by immediately heading straight to the bull cow calling my way to him with cover & wind in my favor.

Another thing I've done is use the Nervous Grunt to bring elk back that I've accidentally bumped out of their beds.

Too, with two of us I've left the shooter right where we heard the Grunt/Bark & retreated while cow calling as if I were leaving, this has drawn a bull right in!

I will say it's common to get into a Nervous Grunt stand off with a Cow or Bull & in most cases the elk leaves the area unscathed!

Are there tactics you've tried when this Nervous Grunt was heard or you used it first!

ElkNut/Paul

 

[87TT]

Once again good info Paul. Had one encounter with a herd bull when I was brand new first year hunter. I didn't even own a bugle and wasn't sure about my cow calling. Me and that bull played for 45 minutes at 50 yards in the thick. Never saw him. Wish I had talked to you or had your app first.

 

[jmcd22]

Thank you for sharing your knowledge with us yet again! I took a shot at a bull that I missed completely and he let out a bark...To be honest, I had no idea what to do so I just reacted. In this instance, I was uphill, in good cover and had good wind. I hit him with what I understand to be a "you come to me" cow call immediately after his bark and he hung up for what felt like 10-15 minutes just staring back up at me. I could tell he was confused but still interested. I let him stand there and look at me with no movement or response...as soon as he put his head down to feed or walk away, I would hit the call again. Every time he would stop and look but wouldn't come any closer than about 55-60 yards. I have no idea if what I did was right or wrong but it stopped that bull when he was on his way out! A shot didn't present itself but I felt what I did was somewhat successful

 

[5MilesBack]

I encounter this mostly when bulls come in silent and I bust them. They'll run maybe 30-40 yards from the direction they came from and then throw one out. By that point I've already thrown my own out as soon as they busted. Most the time they are raghorns and I end up playing with them for a bit.

One year though I was fast hiking it back to the truck at 2pm on a hot day. I was only 1/3 of a mile to the truck when I came over a small rise with a grassy open bottom in front of me. I kept walking towards it when I suddenly saw a bull laying out in the open next to a tree. He saw me about the same time I saw him and he bolted to the timber about 10 yards away from where he was bedded. Then he hit the nervous grunt, after he was in cover. I was not in cover at that point so couldn't do too much to sway him. But he did stick around for about 45 minutes moving in a half moon pattern just enough inside the timber so that I couldn't see him for a shot. As best I could tell, he was a good 5x5.

 

[trophyhill]

Great thread Paul. I used this sound to call 6 bulls into bow range 2 years ago in CO. Each time was after a couple hours of calling with no responses. I surmise that the calling brought them in to investigate but wouldn't come the rest of the way and were outta site so I didn't know they were there at the time. In each instance, the bulls came in silent.

My take is I was telling them to show themselves. And they oblidged. I got ostercised on another forum for even saying that. But hey, I was there, they weren't and no reason to lie about it. I will continue to use this sound when elk are silent and I suspect elk are near when I have tried everything else and have nothing to lose

On opening day I called a bull in with cow calls and he stopped at 30 yards but I didn't have a shot. After what seemed like an eternity, he went back in the direction he came in from. He barked on the side of the ridge about 150 yards away. I barked back mimicking his short barks everytime he would do it. This went back and forth every few minutes for about 30 minutes. I was able to bark my way in to 20 yards. Again I had no shot but he didn't know I was there.

Then I look over and see the lead cow staring at me. She barked. Her bark was much more intense and somewhat drawn out with urgency. That one was gig up and the herd I didn't know was there left in a hurry taking the bull with them. But I learned something that day.

 

[ElkNut1]

Good stuff guys! Your experiences are what most hunters go through! They get into great exchanges trading Nervous Grunts but very few bulls or cows are taken when in the heat of the battle! I went through this as well, as soon as I started going straight at them cow calling I noticed it anchored them to that spot awaiting my approach! I've taken several bulls doing this as has my Son!

We've also pulled a couple other bulls in & put them down by the caller retreating while cow calling softly right after a bull hit us with this Nervous Grunt Reaction. Guys, this stuff works, give it a try!

ElkNut/Paul

 

[ElkNut1]

How about running at the elk Grunting/Barking yourself while in good cover/timber? Who's tried it?

It's when we sit back & still call that we generally walk away with no more than a memory or story to share once you hear the Nervous Grunt! It's a time to get aggressive with your sounds & action when you have the cover!

ElkNut/Paul

 

[mfllood3800]

I had a herd cow grunt as I was coming in.
I didn't know the herd was there.
I stopped, and as with most barks, she was within 50 yards.

I took one step to get a visual, instead of mewing on a call.
My mistake.
She got what she wanted - a visual.
She booked and then stopped.
Other cows didn't budge
She was jumpy
Even the bull didn't stop eating
He was a 350 class bull and gave me a 40 yard broad side for close to minute.
But I was carrying a spike only tag.
Lol

The barks can be heart melting, but they don't always end the chase, sometimes they begin it.


Sent from my SM-G960U using Tapatalk

 

[elkdog]

Thanks for the info on this situation.

 

[5MilesBack]

How about running at the elk Grunting/Barking yourself while in good cover/timber? Who's tried it?ElkNut/Paul

That sounds like my kind of hunting, but unfortunately every time they've done it first I haven't had the cover to even try that. But I run at the elk frequently while screaming at them when I'm in the timber when neither of us have barked. And that has been very successful.........or we end up running into each other when I don't time the distance right. That happened last year with a big bull as we both freaked when we came around a large set of trees and were 5 yards from each other, both on the run.

 

[ElkNut1]

Mike, yes sir, that's our style as well, when a situation calls for aggressive action we are up to the task! I've run amongst small groups while Grunting/Barking as some call it while they were in dark timber. The risk is not getting the shot on the bull, on several occasions I've run smack into cows & spikes. You'd think they'd scatter like a bunch of scared hens but no sir, they stand & stare in disbelief even at 10 yards! You can take them completely off guard as a hunter is the last thing they're expecting. For those looking for any elk don't discount this high adrenaline rush tactic.

ElkNut/Paul

 

[5MilesBack]

don't discount this high adrenaline rush tactic.

ElkNut/Paul

That's why I bow hunt elk.......love the rush! Good stuff.

Now if I would ever get off my butt and book an archery Cape Buffalo hunt.......the vocalizations won't be there, but the rush should still be there.

 

[Big Sneaky]

Good info, thanks for sharing.

 

[Cstangle24]

Awesome info thank you. Now just to have the confidence to use it in the heat of the moment.

 

[ElkNut1]

You bet guys, thanks!

Yes, the 1st time is generally the toughest but then 2nd, 3rd, 4th, etc. come natural! Good look & be confident in its ability to work for you!

ElkNut/Paul

 

[zallen1]

This year I was working a nice bull for about 1.5 hours. The first 45 min I tried to draw him in using cow calls but his response was to respond back and rake with the expectation that I would join him (hard to reverse natural order ;-). I could get a visual on the bull about 400 yards away but had limited cover. Ultimately I decided to use Paul's tactic and anchor him with my cow calls and go at him. Using every bit of cover I could I closed ground to within 200 yards but it was getting close to the end of the day and I think his cows started heading to water. Each time I cow called he would respond but I could tell he was leaving so I switched up my tactic to aggressive bugles - acting like I was a new bull going after this cow. I was able to bring him back but he hung up just out of site and got silent. When I heard a bugle that sounded like he was moving off (turned out to be a satellite bull) I thought he had left and I resumed my chase only to bust him not 60 yards from my spot. As soon as he busted I threw out a nervous grunt and some chuckles (it appeared that he hadn't seen me but instead movement that he didn't recognize) and ran to the next opening. As I cleared the brush I spotted him 25 yards away and scrambled to get a shot but was ultimately unsuccessful. However, it reinforced to me the place this type of calling has in my calling tool chest.

 

[Moondoondude]

I tried the "bark" followed by a 3-4 note chuckle when things came to a stand still (bull held up). It gets things moving again, not always in the right direction - but it does bring the action to the party. The chuckle I used was a bit more spaced out than usual, typically a "bark" followed by a brief pause and a 3 or 4 note drawn out chuckle. It tickles the curiosity.