Finally got one - have questions

[mjblowers]

I finally got the monkey off my back and got a big ole' Cow this year at 2 yards... thanks for all the help guys (I pulled in a spooked group with a screaming bugle while I was posted off a game trail for about an hour.)

Anyways, the encounter that I have questions about was a bull I bugled in for my brother in law a couple nights ago ( I had filled my tag on Saturday.)

After my brother in law missed TWICE on the same bull, another one came in behind us, where a THICK AS THICK 100 yard line of bushes separated us. It was about 10 yards thick and it appeared impossible to pass through. It appeared to be riled up, I'm new to this whole bugling thing, and so I figured it was coming in to take my cows. It chuckled some, it made some ape like sounds, it did some "high intensity" location sounding bugles, and I would continuously cut him off and scream back at him and chuckle some.

Where my question comes in is I'm 99% sure this was a satellite bull. The ElkNut book says the chuckles would either be the regathering sound OR a social type call that is non threatening asking for me to come over to him? (If I remember reading that correctly.)

But as it was at an impasse with me at the bushes, it RAKED and it RAKED and it RAKED harrrrrrrrrrrrrd. A lot. It just seemed like he wanted a piece of me. The intensity of the whole situation seemed to ME like he wanted to fight, but the chuckles say otherwise. At some points I heard stuff that sounded like ape sounds and at others they were more definitive chuckles. I know it's hard to diagnose without being there, but can anyone fill me in on what they think he was doing. Ultimately, I told my brother to cut through the thick stuff 50 yards up ahead but he wouldn't do it and the bull went away. I don't consider this a hang up, which is ultimately what has held me back the past couple years. It literally was probably impossible for it to come through with antlers on.

[whitingja]

Sounds like he may have been displaying to the cows how fit he was for them, and not so much challenging the other bull (you). Hard to say though.

[tdiesel]

thought the same thing whitingja. seems to me he was trying to call any cows over or perhaps he had a cow or two that were trying to come your way and he was trying to keep them over with him?? Even possible you mistook chuckles for grunt??? like MJblowers said hard to diagnos without actually being there. just a couple thing that came to mind right off.

[ElkNut1]

Mike, lots going on there! (grin) First off the ape like sounds are the chuckles. Anything coarser with intensity would most likely be the grunts. Chuckles will have a series of 4-8 generally where as grunts are in the 1-4 range. Satellites will also use both these sounds as easily as a herd bull, satellites have the same urges as herd bulls. It's very common for any bull to ask the cows or demand for cows to come his way in one series of sounds & then try to intimidate the bull as he scolds him to stay away from him & his cows.

It's no different if someone had your wife or girl friend against their wishes & you were telling her that all will be ok in one tone & when the guy says something you are much coarser with him in a menacing tone. Elk are no different! It's good you are trying to evaluate the situation & sounds used but don't over think it! (grin) Basically the real bull wanted or was very interested in the cows but was trying to intimidate (you) the bull to back down thus avoiding a physical fight for the cows. The raking in your situation is two fold, bulls will rake in a displaying action to attract cows yet rake in a fashion to intimidate another bull. In most cases when a bull is present they will both rake as they try to size one another up. Thanks for the great story & congrats on your elk!

ElkNut1

[>>>---WW---->]

Sounds like you had a ball! Also, the bull was displaying and calling to the cows as others stated. You could have done the same thing. Give two or three cow mews followed by a hi pitched ,younger sounding bull. This would give the bull a reason as why the cows were hung up and couldn't go to him. Hopefully that would make him want to come to you. And don't forget to rake some brush yourself.