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Bull Moan

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Bull Moan

Postby JohnFitzgerald » 09 10, 2013 •  [Post 1]

Question for all you elk junkies, what does in mean when a bull gives a single moan? No call was given by the hunter leading up to the moan.
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Re: Bull Moan

Postby BRazz » 09 10, 2013 •  [Post 2]

Not sure...

Describe "moan"... and some more details. Was he alone? Bedded? Close enough to hear your footsteps? Etc.
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Re: Bull Moan

Postby JohnFitzgerald » 09 10, 2013 •  [Post 3]

BRazz wrote:Not sure...

Describe "moan"... and some more details. Was he alone? Bedded? Close enough to hear your footsteps? Etc.


It's hard to describe "moan". The sound my son makes when I ask him to take out the garbage! :-)

Close enough to hear his moan, so close enough to hear footsteps. As for being bedded, doubtful. Probably cow'd up.

jf
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Re: Bull Moan

Postby Birks » 09 10, 2013 •  [Post 4]

could you maybe give us an audio sample to identify? i haven't ever heard a moan, so it'd be great to be able to pin point it in the field.
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Re: Bull Moan

Postby BRazz » 09 10, 2013 •  [Post 5]

JohnFitzgerald wrote:The sound my son makes when I ask him to take out the garbage!


I like it! Not sure what it meant though... somebody here surely has some ideas.
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Re: Bull Moan

Postby flystrait » 09 10, 2013 •  [Post 6]

I have only heard moaning late in the mornings when they are bedded. It typically is only one moan not several when I have heard them. I beleive it is prompted by our sounds, had them do it when I bugle and had them do it when I did not bugle. I just figured they just heard us moving through.
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Re: Bull Moan

Postby JohnFitzgerald » 09 10, 2013 •  [Post 7]

I've had bulls moan and growl when I bugled really close to them. That's a clear warning. But to have one moan with no precursor is a little strange.
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Re: Bull Moan

Postby elkmtngear » 09 10, 2013 •  [Post 8]

JohnFitzgerald wrote:I've had bulls moan and growl when I bugled really close to them. That's a clear warning. But to have one moan with no precursor is a little strange.


Maybe it came out the South end :o
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Re: Bull Moan

Postby tdiesel » 09 10, 2013 •  [Post 9]

I had one moan about three years ago just when it was getting evening time I don't know if he heard us or not (doubtful) but he had cows and I was thinking maybe he was telling a cow to sit back down or something. they were in their bedding area and teh cows usually try to run get a drink early and the bull usually tries keeping them in the timber longer. I replied with a lost cow call and he bugled to me to come over which we eventually did but got busted by the wind. maybe he did hear us and was either warning or qestioning what we were. though we were probably 200yards at least from him and had on open trail not kicking sticks or anything. only heard it once and at the time wasn't even sure if it was an elk until I cow called. always figured we just happened by at the right time to hear it and figured he was telling his cows something. maybe his son was jumping on him in bed before he was ready to get up I have a three year old that does that to me sometimes and I groan and moan too
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Re: Bull Moan

Postby Buglemaster » 09 10, 2013 •  [Post 10]

Several years ago, we were hunting some country that was bordered by a BIG ranch that allow very few hunters. The elk bedded in some dark timber daily & were not disturbed by anyone the week we were in there. Around 6 pm , the master would moan & shortly after things would come alive. The cows would start talking & the bugling for the evening would take off. I kinda figured he was just getting up from a lazy siesta & telling his girls it was time to head out to supper... Or something... I would really like to know what he was saying. You could almost set your watch by his moan. He was a herd bull with a bunch of cows & several satellite bulls annoying him. They were probably 400 yds away when bedded, but it shure did sound like he was in the exact spot every evening when he did it. We haven't been able to hunt the neighbors place for 4 years & that really sucks as it was a lot like hunting next to Yellostone Park. I have old videos of over 200 head coming off the hayfield every morning with as many as 25 bulls screaming at each other. The best part of this little story is we will be back in there on Friday for a week. I'm so pumped up I need a pressure gauge! Each year, we generally get a bull or two to jump the fence & come visit, but the big daddy never has.
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Re: Bull Moan

Postby tdiesel » 09 11, 2013 •  [Post 11]

Buglemaster wrote: Around 6 pm , the master would moan & shortly after things would come alive. The cows would start talking & the bugling for the evening would take off. I kinda figured he was just getting up from a lazy siesta & telling his girls it was time to head out to supper... Or something... .


very much along my lines of thinking and same reaction and time and all
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Re: Bull Moan

Postby ElkNut1 » 09 11, 2013 •  [Post 12]

It's possible many have heard moans, groans or soft growls sounding like a moan but have a different definition as to what was what. Much is depending when & where you heard it. Bulls will moan or growl lightly or powerfully depending on the disturbance. True, they do moan in their beds, why, lots of reasons, nothing written in stone there. They could hear a branch snap or see an unidentified movement, this can produce this sound asking what is it they are hearing/seeing. Too, as herd bulls keep tabs on their harems & some cows are showing signs of estrus he can be very nervous & protective so he may give a low moan type growl to let juvenile bulls know that he knows they are nearby, by seeing them or smelling them as they circle these cows hoping to get close.

On many occasions we've had bulls with cows just ahead of us as we tried slipping in as silent as possible through the timber, on many occasions we've made just enough noise that we were heard but not scented or seen, this has produced this moan/growl from the bull wanting an identity to the sound or movement that alerted them. We have used this to our advantage in several situations. In most cases we cow called to calm him down & in some cases as long as we were within 60yds or so have the bull come on over to check us out after cow calling.

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