A chuckle is a series of grunts. Like a gaggle of geese.:wink:
My understanding is that the chuckle is a sign of a mature bull as the younger ones don't do this.

 

I HAVE NO CLUE!!!! Here's a very bad guess!!
Is a chuckle the noise they make right before they bugle and a grunt is after:mg:

Total guess since i have never hunted elk but would love to!!!!! I need to change professions first though. Darn teachers!!!!!!!!! Can't get out to hunt in september!!!!

 

hmmm..

Well i chuckle when i cut a real good loud stinky fart in public, then i grunt when i am on the toilet getting rid of the turd that was making all that nonsense!!!!!!!! Oh yeah and i'm a life member of Elks. I win!!

 

Let me try

Chuckle, series of sounds mature bulls make after the whistle of the bugle.
Grunt, the low pitched gutteral sound bulls make when tending cows.

 

I don't know

I do not know but would like to learn I am going elk hunting in CO this fall and I do not want to blow it calling him.

 

I am DQ'd as Paul (Elknut1) has taught me all I know about calling. He is da man! :wink:

 

So far, no cigar! (grin) Great thoughts though! This is why as elk hunters it's so important to have a reasonable knowledge of what elk are saying, it will improve our chances per encounter!

Thanks Jerry!! Looks like like you did pretty good last year!

ElkNut1

 

The Bugle is a loud scream, which is variable in pitch, with higher sounds often coming from younger smaller bulls, and deeper sounds from older larger bulls. The "Full Bugle Sequence" performed by an adult bull (3.5+ years), begins with a Roar that usually gains in volume: rrrRRR. The Roar is often followed by a high-pitched Bugle (which may rise two to three notes): eeeEEE, followed by a series of grunts called a Chuckle, which may sound like the braying of a donkey. The Chuckle often ends on a lower note than it started, because the bull runs out of air: UH-UH-UH-uh. The Full Bugle Sequence sounds like: rrrRRR-eeeEEE-UH-UH-UH-UH-uh. A Bugle or a Bugle-Chuckle usually lasts .3-.4 of a second, and may occur as often as twice a minute; a Full Bugle Sequence may last up to .6 of a second perform a low-intensity (not as loud) from of the Roar that I refer to as a Growl. It may be performed when the bull is lying down or standing up.

 

OK TRMichaels LOL

 

What did you search it to. lol

 

No, you sounded like him though in your post.

 

Great response there Riverghost, but it's still not right. Most biologist will associeate the grunt & chuckle as one in the same!! Not true! The two have entirely different meanings & they have a different sound when heard. In other words a grunt is a grunt & a chuckle is a chuckle, when explained, you'll see the diffrence!

It's like a bugle, they have different meanings, some are bugles looking for cows, some are calling cows to them once contact vocally is made. Then there are challenging bugles, then there's roundup bugles used when a bull feels his harem is threatned & it wants to collect them quickly for escape, & there's more!! (grin) Just sharing examples!

ElkNut1

 

I can't take credit for it I just copy and paste. Doc busted me

I add your website to my favs

 

RG--LOL!!! Heck I should give you a T-Shirt for the extra mile you went to!!

ElkNut1

 

I think you should give a T-shirt to the guy that ran a virtual arrow through him:wink: Just kidding, send the man a T-shirt we're all trying to clothe the boy this year.

 

The sad part is I have been searching for the last hour and I still can't find the answer I can't find the meaning of the calls just the sounds differances.

 

A grunt is when they are doing a flehman sniff or tending a cow trying to sniff the scent, but a chuckle is part of the bugle sequence. Did I get it right?

 

i have his vids so im dqed too, but just a note to anyone on here who is either an elk hunter or wants to be or intends to be, this guys vids are the heat.

you will learn more through paul than ya prolly ever will in the woods....

 

That's BS Paul! One of your customers should be in drawing for a free shirt!

 

Wow, this has proved to be tougher than I expected. Don't feel bad though I know many guides that didn't know there was a difference either! It's so common to ball them both into one & the same!!

Here's a solid clue. Grunts given by bulls are meant for a challenge or intimidation. Many times you'll see this combo of sounds, that is a screaming challenge followed by base type hard hitting grunts, this is especially so if a herd bull is being hounded by a sattelite bull or several at the same time. This normally takes place if the herd bull has a cow or 2 in estrus. (in heat) The herd bull is doing his best to keep these lesser bulls at bay. There is no chuckling in a senario as this, they are hard hitting defensive grunts! So where to chuckles come in? (grin)

Thanks to all for being good sports, plus it's a great way to further ones knowledge in understanding elk talk!

ElkNut1

 

I'll try another guess.

A bull will chuckle when spraying urine on himself.

 

Maybe he chuckles when he pees on another bull.
I would.

 

OK Guys!! Here's the answer! No need to drag this out any further!!(grin) First, I'll bet you've all watched the Outdoor Channels for a while now, yet you don't know the difference in the 2, interesting!

Grunts are for intimidation & in most cases mean buisness. Bulls will use these by themselves or in addition to threatning screams to ward off adversaries, they can become quite heated at times or on the light side just to let other bulls know who's boss. Grunts are not used against cows! Bulls do not challenge cows! Think about it! They want or are looking for cows at these hunting season times of Aug--Sept--Oct.--So where do Chuckles come in?

This is what bulls do when talking to his cows or keeping them close especially if he hears, sees, smell another bull around his harem. He can get quite urgent or demanding with these chuckles depending on the situation at hand.

If you've ever called to a bull or seen it on TV/Videos with a cow call do you remember the response? In most cases it's a short high pitched scream, as the bull gets more nervous/demanding for the cow to come to him he will either lead with chuckles or end with chuckles after his short scream, he's telling that cow to come over NOW! Chuckles are higher pitched in sound & more rapid in succession than grunts. They don't carry that hard hitting base type intimidating thump like grunting.

So chuckles are primarily used for talking to ones cows or used in calling cows over to him. This is important under many encounters especially close ones when working a bull to recognize a threat or an invite!

I think several of you deserve a T-Shirt anyway!! (grin) The first 3 that email me will get just that!! Let me know in your email it's for the T-Shirt! --elknut@citlink.net

The T-Shirts can be seen at www.elknut.com

ElkNut1

 

Dang a bit to late....

 

I'll use a trick I learned from Riverghost in answering this question:chortle:....Grunts are for intimidation & in most cases mean buisness. Bulls will use these by themselves or in addition to threatning screams to ward off adversaries, they can become quite heated at times or on the light side just to let other bulls know who's boss. Grunts are not used against cows! Bulls do not challenge cows! Think about it! They want or are looking for cows at these hunting season times of Aug--Sept--Oct.--So where do Chuckles come in?

This is what bulls do when talking to his cows or keeping them close especially if he hears, sees, smell another bull around his harem. He can get quite urgent or demanding with these chuckles depending on the situation at hand.

If you've ever called to a bull or seen it on TV/Videos with a cow call do you remember the response? In most cases it's a short high pitched scream, as the bull gets more nervous/demanding for the cow to come to him he will either lead with chuckles or end with chuckles after his short scream, he's telling that cow to come over NOW! Chuckles are higher pitched in sound & more rapid in succession than grunts. They don't carry that hard hitting base type intimidating thump like grunting.

So chuckles are primarily used for talking to ones cows or used in calling cows over to him. This is important under many encounters especially close ones when working a bull to recognize a threat or an invite!

 

Doc, are you a lawyer? Or studying to be one!! (grin) Just joking!!! Now go check out an elk video & see the difference for yourself, you'll be a believer!!

One free T-Shirt left!

ElkNut1

 

Doc, are you a lawyer? Or studying to be one!! (grin) ElkNut1

A lawyer? I have been called some very bad things in my day, but nobody has gone that low:wink:

Thanks again for injecting a thread like this in the BH section.:thumb:

 

Grunts are "mean" or "Warnings"

chuckles are social. A bull that is lying around midday and hears you calling, will sometimes chuckle at/to you to say, "i'm over here".

 

Chuckles Or Grunts--What's the difference!

A chuckle is the last sound they make when I slip in on 'em.

A grunt is the last sound he makes comin' in.

 

Thanks all for the kind words guys, there's nothing like elk & elk hunting, if you're an elk hunter I'm sure you'll agree!! (grin)

Bullhound, very true & good point!--This is especially true of younger immature bulls, they always seem to be looking for their kind. Too, they're very curious to new bulls in the area.

A note about chuckles!! True they can be social, but they can have a sense of urgency as well. This is notable if another bull shows up in the general vicinity of an established herd, vocally, possibly advertising himself in looking for cows. This herd bull can quickly & urgently chuckle his cows together. You'll notice the urgency when he strings his chuckles in a series of 2-3 seperate rounds of chuckles with a slight pause of a few seconds between them. He may even add a round-up bugle to usher them together, he wants all his cows right where he can see them.

Not all bulls want to fight, most will flee when given the chance unless a threat is present & right in their face!

A good hunter will recognize these sounds when faced with them thus making a high percentage rational decision in what to do next as to not alarm this herd! You can either push them or calm them down!

Wear those T-Shirts proudly!!!! Thanks!

ElkNut1