Have You Tried The Nervous Grunt Yet?

[ElkNut1]

I was curious how many here have used this sound in a hunting situation? How did work for you & what was the encounter that you used it in? I know we get it used against us by the elk from time to time! (grin)

ElkNut1

[JohnFitzgerald]

I use it all the time. Here's just a couple.

Last year, busted a satellite bull and used it to stop him dead in his tracks.
Three years ago, used it on a cold call setup and called in a spike.

[slim9300]

I haven't had one hang up at close range since I implemented your techniques (they have all just committed once they got close), but when one does, that's the call it's going to get!

I have used it once for stopping an elk (thanks to your suggestion) and it worked perfectly, but I was tagged out at that point. It didn't seem to matter that my popping grunt sounded very squeaky without a tube either. =)

[BowElkDwn]

I have used it a couple time's, I mean a lot of times. It works great as long as you do it loud enough. So many times the elk is walking through grass or thick brush and making a lot of noise themselves. You have to make sure they hear you. If it is super quiet around than you don't have to do it near as loud. I know I've done it a few times and they don't stop and always come to the conclusion that they didn't hear me because when they do they always stop in there tracks.

[ctdad]

I use it all the time. Here's just a couple.

Last year, busted a satellite bull and used it to stop him dead in his tracks.
Three years ago, used it on a cold call setup and called in a spike.

How did you use this call in a cold call setup? Did you call the spike in with other sounds and then stop it with this noise? I'm not questioning that you did it, I just want to learn how to use it in this situation.

[PHELPS GAME CALLS]

Paul,
We have talked about this quite a bit and I'm still hesitant to use it. I feel that too many things could go wrong. I always create the "threat" and it is almost fool proof as long as we get setup in the right spot.

[dotman]

Can't say I have but I have all kinds of new stuff to try this year

[westaner]

All this time I've known about it I've never used it. Hind sights always 20/20!
But I will practice it while I'm at full draw just to prepare for this season.

[JohnFitzgerald]

I use it all the time. Here's just a couple.

Last year, busted a satellite bull and used it to stop him dead in his tracks.
Three years ago, used it on a cold call setup and called in a spike.

How did you use this call in a cold call setup? Did you call the spike in with other sounds and then stop it with this noise? I'm not questioning that you did it, I just want to learn how to use it in this situation.

Sure, I'd be happy to explain. Sat down for a cold call setup. Before I even got a chance to start, I heard something coming down the trail. It stopped at 80 yards just out of sight. I gave a soft nervous grunt and the spike came blundering in. Explaination, the nervous grunt was asking the the spike to show itself. I've even used/heard nervous grunts at the end of screams or challenge bugles. It's one of the biggest tools in my arsenal.

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

The nervous grunt or nervous bark as I call it is the only elk sound that has worked for me 100% of the time, no holds barred! It will make a hung up elk show himself and when I was guiding rifle hunters, I have stopped bulls dead in their tracks at over 150 yards for the shot.

Everyone needs to master this sound!!!!

[ElkNut1]

I'm in 100% agreement with WW!! Thanks Bill!

ElkNut1

[Wyo67]

What do you do if that bull you're working nervous grunts at you first? I've bought a Heads-Up decoy this year and figure, I can throw that out right quick, but I was kind of at a loss for how to respond when that happened to me.

Mike

[ElkNut1]

Yes sir the ole Popping/Nervous grunt!!! I can't even begin to let you guys & gals know how important & deadly that elk sound is for us! We would have far less elk on the ground without it, it's our money sound over all others when it's actually needed! Once you see it in action & see how quickly elk "react" to it, it will make a believer out of you! Yes sir, it costs more bulls their lives more than any single sound we use over bugling for location!

Jason & others, never be worried about running elk off with it! They do not run unless they are physically looking at you when using it. You don't want to use any elk sound then! (grin) This done in single note fashion with no follow up ones such as grunting or chuckling is a seal the deal sound!

When bulls or cows give it first, whether you accidentally surprised them or they came into your call & hung-up, then they used the Nervous Grunt sound asking for a visual or sound identification. There are several things we hunters can consider! Remember, when elk use it they want to see you!!!! If cover is heavy or thick enough you could give a few cow or calf/ mews, no need for both, & go straight at them keeping good cover & the wind in your favor as you close the distance! A Heads Up Decoy could prove valuable here held in front of your face as you go at them! This elk wanted a visual so give it to them, of course don't let them physically see you! It requires thick country to pull this off! I've went straight at many elk in the past that asked to see me or invited me their way!

Here's the type of country you can pull this off in!

ElkNut1

[ElkNut1]

Now, if the country hunted was more open where there was no way you could get away with going right at them! Then you need to consider other options! One may be if theres two hunters, leave one hunter right there if this hunter could slip in a few yards closer then he should do it without being seen! The other hunter needs to retreat the opposite direction giving very low mews & pleads breaking a few sticks & rustling things giving the illusion she is leaving! This could excite this elk enough to try & catch up to her giving the shooter his one & only chance!! He may have this elk go right past him in the process so the shooter may have to stop him with his own medicine, the nervous grunt! (grin) There are other ways as well but these two are worth our consideration!

Here's a bit more open country where it would be tough to go at the elk so this above method may be better between the two?

ElkNut1

[Elktracker]

Great info Paul I am going to give this a try this year as the area I am in is very brushy Oregon coastal rainforest I can think of a couple times it may have worked for me! Thanks a bunch for all the info.

Josh

[PHELPS GAME CALLS]

Paul,
My goal is to not have them hang up.

I have it in my back pocket and if I need to use it, I won't hesitate. At least when I'm calling for my elk hunting partner.

[ElkNut1]

Jason, spot on dude!!! Avoid hang-ups!! Setups are very important in avoiding them! But there are those times slipping through the woods & bam a bull hits you with a Popping/Nervous Grunt that you accidentally surprised, when this happens hunters have to react quickly & know what to do? When you can over come unforeseen encounters as that you are on the right track in solving those unexpected situations!

Here's a classic example of good shooting & quick action by Paul Jr & I when we surprised a bedded bull accidentally as we were heading out of our hunting area! I retreated calling with cow sounds & Paul Jr did the rest! (grin)

ElkNut1

[ctdad]

Do you ever return their nervous grunt with one of your own?

[Joetech]

So is the nervous grunt and bark the same?

[eltaco]

Do you ever return their nervous grunt with one of your own?

I'll be frankly honest, I don't know what Paul says about this... but I did use it last year when a bull gave us a nervous grunt, and it worked out VERY well for us.

Without taking the time to paint the entire picture... I ended up calling a bull into a meadow about 150yds wide. I was able to get him to come to the dead center of the meadow, where he thrashed everything in sight. He wanted a fight, but he was a small bull and I don't believe he wanted to get any closer until he knew what he was up against. He put on one heck of a show for us, responding to everything I threw at him. I instructed my buddy to grab my decoy and give the bull a little flash... little did I know, my buddy walked right to the edge of the clearing and popped that decoy up (it's not easy finding good help these days...) Well, that set the bull on high alert. He squared right up at the decoy and gave a nervous grunt. I instinctively did my best to match the grunt, and couldn't believe my eyes when he went right back to thrashing his wallow. Unfortunately, the damage was already done, and he kept looking back with suspicion, each time giving us a nervous grunt. We went back and forth for a little while, but it was clear he wasn't comfortable with the situation, and the shooter couldn't get any closer.

While we were deadlocked, it did buy us a LOT of extra time with that bull. In a difference terrain scenario, that time would have been VERY valueable. I'd like to hear other's input, but based on that experience, I'd use it again in a heartbeat... actually, I'll be more quick to use it in the future; I'd always been hesitant prior to that experience.

[WapitiTalk1]

So is the nervous grunt and bark the same?

If you're referring to an alarm bark, absolutely not. 180 degrees different. If you hear an alarm bark (normally by a cow but not always), the game is over.... the next thing you hear is thundering hooves and crashing alder. A nervous or popping grunt, is a bull saying "HEY, I know something's there... I've heard you or seen brief movement, and, if you don't show yourself PDQ, I'm outa here". I've been on the receiving and giving end of the nervous grunt. If I'm on the receiving end, I respond immediatley with some cow calls (puts his mind at ease and lets him know that there is indeed, something there).... When on the giving end, I use it to perhaps get a cautious bull to come out a bit farther from the brush... RJ

[Ruttn' Rooseys]

It worked for me when my hunting partner and I had a bull come in to 80yds when we were using cow calls and some locator bugles. The bull eventually moved away but we could here him in the distance making soft chuckles, I threw out a nervous grunt and he came in on a string! That bull came in and stood broadside at 30yds, however he managed to place himseflf behind a tree covering only his vitals. I had him at full draw for several minutes, but when he didn't see any other elk he filtered away. Those wapiti are like ghosts, they show up then dissappear.

[ElkNut1]

Joe, along the same line of Phantom's thought, no they are not the same! The difference between the two is a nervous/popping grunt is given in a single grunt fashion, other grunts do not immediately follow it like a series of grunts or alarm barks, yes they do sound similar. Alarm barks are given repetitiously & the area is vacated as they continue to bark sou8nding the warning of a threat in the area & distance will be put quickly between you & them! I've never run an elk off yet when using a nervous grunt. It's popular for elk to give this sound every 20sec-30sec or so until they are satisfied with a settling response or visual, at times they will pace back & forth out of nervousness & if you don't do something quickly they will move off, they generally don't leave the area entirely but they will for a while, it's not like you busted them out of a bedding area & you were seen or winded!

eltaco, your hands were tied once your buddy stuck that decoy right out in the open! You don't mention what sounds you used to get that bull to come into the meadow?

ctdad, yes, we've used it many times right after elk have giving it to us! We've not had one elk come running to us because of this but have had them hang around the area with 50-70yds many times but generally in cover where you could outline parts of them but not enough cover where we could break the distance. It's a tough situation when this occurs! Your best bet is to employ one of the methods I described above.

Paul Jr & I have been in a few close encounters where the bulls, yes several were giving the nervous grunt at the same time but that's a different story! (grin) When this occurs it's advantage hunter all the way! We've more times than not come out the winner with bulls on the ground! Aggressive action is needed real quick to turn the tables on them & get them to react!

ElkNut1

[eltaco]

I guess that's important info!

I found myself in an odd situation where I spotted 3 cows at the far end of a clearing. They were all bedded but wide awake and I knew we wouldn't be able to get within shot distance. I took a chance that there would be a bull with them in the trees and tried a risky tactic. Closed the distance on the cows and as soon as they spooked I gave a gnarly bugle... no bull likes to see his cows being gathered by another bull... this absolutely sent the bull over the edge and he blasted into the middle of the clearing to see who was trying to steal his cows away! That bull was bucking like a rodeo bull and thrashing wallows in front of us for quite some time, challenging me and responding to any hostile bugle I threw at him. We botched it with that decoy, but that experience taught me A LOT about some techniques that I hadn't tried before, and how successful they could be in the right situation.

[mongopino915]

Have had the elk used on me more than I have used on them.

My step son used it on a cow and a calf on the run after I have placed an arrow into the lead cow and all hell broke loose. The two elk came to a dead stop 20 yards in front of him but we did not have anymore cow tag.

Used here and there to create excitement but have not used to plea the real elk to show himself to me. Maybe this season.

[Joetech]

Thanks, elknut...Thats what i was trying to get at, was if they sound the similar. Thanks again

[geniusjohn3]

Good info and post.