DAA
Member
- Joined
- Jun 14, 2012
- Messages
- 715
It's too early for the "real" rut, but pre-rut activity is getting into full swing, as it normally does in late August. That sounds like typical young bull just trying to impress his mom and his sisters with what a bad azz he is turning into 
. I watched two different young rag horns doing exactly that and sounding very similar last weekend in the La Sals. I was wishing I had a diaphragm and a grunt tube with me so I could have made a King Of The Mountain full on rut crazed bull scream just to watch those little bulls shit themselves .
Cow calls are generally more interesting and do seem to serve more elaborate communication purposes. Elk are of course a herd animal and there is generally a matriarch - a "lead cow" that decides when and where the herd moves. She often does a lot of the vocalizing, but the whole herd can get to yapping when they are having a good time out in a meadow grazing.
Had a very neat experience with cow elk vocalizing about 25 years ago while bowhunting on Monroe Mountain. Getting very near dark, I had managed to sneak out into the meadow right on the edge of a herd of feeding elk, all cows and calfs, no bulls among them, about 30 animals total. The lead cow was obvious, as they usually are. Anyway, one of the beta cows started chirping, about what I've no idea - it wasn't me as I was downwind and well concealed. But the lead cow came trotting up to this chirping beta and the two of them raised up on their hind legs and had a boxing match with their front hooves. The rest of the herd started chirping like CRAZY while this was going on. Being practically right in the middle of it, hearing all the individual animals and unique voices and inflections, it was just super cool. After about four instances of the raising on hind legs and boxing with front hooves, the beta shut her yap, the lead cow moved off and began a perimeter patrol which resulted in her detecting my presence, she gave the distinctive warning chirp and they all exited stage left, post haste.
Very cool experience.
Along similar lines and something I never hear or read about, but I've had similar experiences with pronghorns vocalizing. Seriously, I don't remember ever reading anything about them vocalizing, but I've been close in on a herd and heard them making soft chirps amongst themselves that sound very similar to cow elk calls.
- DAA
. I watched two different young rag horns doing exactly that and sounding very similar last weekend in the La Sals. I was wishing I had a diaphragm and a grunt tube with me so I could have made a King Of The Mountain full on rut crazed bull scream just to watch those little bulls shit themselves .Cow calls are generally more interesting and do seem to serve more elaborate communication purposes. Elk are of course a herd animal and there is generally a matriarch - a "lead cow" that decides when and where the herd moves. She often does a lot of the vocalizing, but the whole herd can get to yapping when they are having a good time out in a meadow grazing.
Had a very neat experience with cow elk vocalizing about 25 years ago while bowhunting on Monroe Mountain. Getting very near dark, I had managed to sneak out into the meadow right on the edge of a herd of feeding elk, all cows and calfs, no bulls among them, about 30 animals total. The lead cow was obvious, as they usually are. Anyway, one of the beta cows started chirping, about what I've no idea - it wasn't me as I was downwind and well concealed. But the lead cow came trotting up to this chirping beta and the two of them raised up on their hind legs and had a boxing match with their front hooves. The rest of the herd started chirping like CRAZY while this was going on. Being practically right in the middle of it, hearing all the individual animals and unique voices and inflections, it was just super cool. After about four instances of the raising on hind legs and boxing with front hooves, the beta shut her yap, the lead cow moved off and began a perimeter patrol which resulted in her detecting my presence, she gave the distinctive warning chirp and they all exited stage left, post haste.
Very cool experience.
Along similar lines and something I never hear or read about, but I've had similar experiences with pronghorns vocalizing. Seriously, I don't remember ever reading anything about them vocalizing, but I've been close in on a herd and heard them making soft chirps amongst themselves that sound very similar to cow elk calls.
- DAA
20 years of film photography predate my 15 years of digital life.
