HEY! Ya YOU!

[WapitiTalk1]

What is the best tool/sound to have in your elk tool kit to stop a bull for a shot?  Hint:  it’s not a cow chirp  .

[tlbradford]

warning bark

[cougforester]

Quick sharp bark. Like this:

Turns em into a statue.

[branches]

I hate that sound

[WapitiTalk1]

In a nutshell, elk really make two kinds of "barks".  The warning bark (like Branches mentioned, we hate and don't want to hear that sound).  Warning barks are just that.... an elk warning their group that there "is" danger afoot.  Warning barks can be just a few, but oftentimes, may be given many times throughout the course of a period of time as you see the south end of north moving elk  .  You've been busted!  The elk has either pegged you as a threat by your human silhouette, human stink, or something else that has ID'd you as an absolute threat to the herd.  The other type of bark (which is what I'm talking about to stop an elk for a shot) is the nervous bark.  Elknut originally coined this type of elk noise as a popping or nervous grunt; he has since changed the title a bit to a nervous bark.  The sound is explained very well in many of Elknut's products.  What is it?  Well, it's a sound elk make when they want clarification on what they think they hear or see.  Case and point:  You've set up in a cold calling setup and a bull comes in silently.  Once he comes in, he knows that there was an elk (or multiple elk) making sounds but "cannot see it/them".  At that point, he may give a nervous bark which is asking for clarification!  "Hey you, Ya You!".  At that point in time on Wapiti Mountain, you don't have long before the bull shows you his hind quarters on his way over the ridge.  Using this sound as a hunter is an absolute killer method to stop a moving elk in their tracks for a shot.....  Trust me on this, it works almost every...single...time!  Now, how to make this sound with a diaphragm?  I've placed a VID from Michael Batease from the Elk Calling Academy below.  Michael is a former RMEF World Champion elk caller (and continues to compete every year at the highest level), and, is the owner of The Elk Calling Academy in Idaho. 

Learn how to make a nervous bark, and, keep it in your elk tool kit folks..... It is the best method to stop a moving elk for a shot  .

   

[Karl Blanchard]

No reed need just give em the "YO"!

[WapitiTalk1]

Give em the "YO"!

LOL, no trout about that... I forgot about the YO HO GO method    I think for that method to be effective, you have to be standing by a Subaru though 

[Karl Blanchard]

Give em the "YO"!

LOL, no trout about that... I forgot about the YO HO GO method    I think for that method to be effective, you have to be standing by a Subaru though 

works near Toyota's as well

[lamrith]

In terms of using as a hunter this is very similar to what tree stand and blind hunters do with deer.  For deer it is a voice grunt "Maaahhh" that will freeze the deer for a second when they get into a shooting lane.

Not had a chance to do it myself, but looking forward to it!

And yes being on the receiving end of it is the worst.

[WapitiTalk1]

And yes being on the receiving end of it is the worst.

Larry, yes and no. On the receiving end of alarm/warning bark(s) is not good (get ready to see elk butts).  Being on the receiving end of a nervous bark can be a good thing.  Heck, there's a vocal bull in close to you asking for clarification, right?  Your day could be going worse  .  If set up with a partner, you as the caller can now continue with whatever elk calls which brought him in (or even just rake some brush) to sooth the nervous elk's mind.  Partner draws/shoots and you both sit down and wait to get tracking.  In some situations, you can also give a nervous bark back at the bull asking "him" for clarification... that can work also.