Have You conquered The Estrus Buzz?

[ElkNut1]

Hopefully many of you have been practicing this most deadly sound!! If not do your best to do so before your elk hunt starts, this is a unique sound & tone that can enhance your close encounters with bulls & cows alike! Here's the video clip once again! Thanks.

viewtopic.php?f=11&t=237

ElkNut1

[otcWill]

I just can't get it down with the diaphragm but definitely have it with one of my reed calls. I'm not sure how deadly it is b/c I'm always sounding like a pestered herd when I let one rip. I've had good success but just never had that particular sound really freak a bull out and seal the deal. I do usually throw one into almost every call setup though and without a doubt, my calling success has improved exponentially since discovering Elknut products/tactics. Thanks, Paul!

[RockChucker30]

That's a tough one for me....but I have trouble with fine control of the lip bawl too. I can do it, but I lose it sometimes.

[ElkNut1]

Some of the most difficult sounds to achieve are the ones that can work the best! Timing on this sound is important as is any elk sound used. The Estrus Buzz in medium to loud tones are for locating elk, any elk, you are not necessarily trying to call them to you. It is used in place of a location bugle. The more mild tones of the buzz are used for closer encounters to help seal the deal. It is truly a deadly tone that few hunters ever rely on! This is a great sound that can give elk a direction! It is one of the best to use on a cold calling setup or sitting a well used trail. This sound asks an action out of other elk where as a social cow call asks nothing of other elk within earshot.

ElkNut1

[elkmtngear]

Great video Paul.

I'll be giving those techniques a workout on my 1000 mile drive to CO this Season.

[twinkieman]

been working on all of my calling for the past 3 months. The estrus buzz, I am able to do, that being said I have not had a bull come into ot yet. Maybe this will be the year.

[ElkNut1]

Just as a refresher folks, look this info over! Some perceive this sound as one that is used by cows for a bulls sake.>>>>>>>>>>

This is a specific sound elk will make & generally only heard within its own ranks! If we can correctly understand this sound exactly as elk perceive it this will put us one step closer to both understand its meaning & what's going on. As many know most sounds we hear in the woods are not actually seen happening by the elk, with this in mind it would be important to know what we should do next just by hearing this sound? This cannot help but make us better elk hunters by defining such sounds as this! This sound is what I call the Estrus Buzz!
What's its meaning? Why is this particular cow using it & what is she wanting? Taking a sound out of context & applying a definition to it could be inaccurate or just guessing, so to know the true meaning the best we can, we must see this sound being used by the elk in many different instances. All these instances should have similar meaning & conclusions as to what it means or we could be off in its definition!

Some say it's a breeding sound used by cows wanting a bulls full attention as she nears estrus? If this were true it likely would be reserved for late Aug, Sept & Oct & parts of Nov are even possible! It most likely would not be heard outside of this time frame or it would not be a true breeding sound since elk do not breed/rut at any other times, if elk do use this sound anytime of year then it must have a different meaning than some feel? Guess what? Elk do use this sound throughout the course of a year, meaning it can be heard any month or season! Does this mean because we want it to mean a certain thing so bad that we should overlook that it's being used in non breeding months too? I think not, it means we need to reevaluate our understanding!

ElkNut1

[mandrroofing]

When using the louder one for location how long of this calling would one use 10- 15 sounds? and could you use a grunt tube to reach out even further?

[tdiesel]

Yep heard a cow make this noise in July we kinda bumped the group of cows and calves as I tried to asses best I could tell she was asking for her calf to come now!! Once he met up with her she was quiet as they moved over the ridge. My friend said that was the weirdest noise I've ever heard an elk make. It was a first for me hearing it in the wild as well I only have heard it here and a video on YouTube. Kinda neat to try and interpret the meaning all I can figure is it means gather for something important. Wether for breeding or moving out.

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

I'm a firm believer that there is nothing estrus at all about the so called estrus buzz sound. In fact, I believe it is a VERY anxious sound used by a lost or lonesome elk that is in need of companionship. Or one that is begging or pleading for companionship.

Paul showed two great ways to produce the call on his video. However, what he was going was a common cow mew with a buzz added to it. A real elk puts more emotion in it. The sound is one high pitched note with a buzz. It is full of emotion and there is no tapering off on the end as with a common mew.

When I first started trying my luck at duplicating the sound, I did exactly as Paul does in his video. I was never happy with my results. But after listening to real elk sounds for awhile, I realized that the estrus buzz sounds almost exactly like a Chimpanzee screaming. That's when I figured out that the sound does not taper of on the end like a common mew. But instead , it is one single high pitched very anxious sound.

[WapitiTalk1]

I think this is the the "very anxious" estruss buzz (almost chimp sounding) you are referring to WW...Yes? This young lady was really anxious.

[ctdad]

On a scouting trip this summer, I watched a herd of cows and calves for about an hour. When the herd got nervous, the cows would do this "estrus buzz" calling for and looking for their calves. I must have herd 200 of these calls. It was a good first hand lesson that this sound means a lot more than "estrus" meanings.

[ElkNut1]

The video I posted is a "How To Video" The same as Grunts, Chuckles, Location Bugles etc. When teaching ones to learn any of these sounds you teach the basic sound so it's achievable by the student. As with any of these sounds you can show demanding or urgent tones depending on the situation at hand,these will take place once the basic tone is conquered. There will be times when a hunter will use a subtle tone of the estrus buzz when elk are nearby & medium tones with elk a bit further out then there will be tones on a higher volume as the young cow is using in the above video. The meaning however does not change it remains the same, this sound does not have to be perfect just believable the same as any elk sound that is required for a specific encounter.

Mandrroofing, when I use it as a locater I will start at a mid volume in case there are elk close by that I am unaware of, I will give a 1/2 dozen whines & buzzes. If nothing responds I will then escalate the tone & length in a more aggressive manor. I've used this sound over 20 consecutive times along with the mewing & buzz together with very good results. At this stage of the calling sequence I'm just trying to locate elk not call them to me. At times I've had both bulls & cows show up unannounced, you just never know so be prepared for an elk slipping in silent just in case! (grin)

Guys/Gals, the Name Estrus Buzz is just the name, it has nothing to do with cows breeding or needing to be bred at any time. I've explained this numerous times in my writings & within the PlayBook. Just want to make it clear Thanks.

ElkNut1

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

Paul: I hope you didn't think I was knocking you video. I was only trying to express my own findings and expand on what you stated. Your techniques on how to make the sound are excellent

[ElkNut1]

Bill, not to worry! (grin) I understand where you were coming from this is why I felt the need to qualify my recommendation on how to start the learning process on any elk sound. Thanks!

ElkNut1

[Bullnuts]

WW - You mean those WEREN'T monkeys I was hearing? Dang it!

[recurve]

Ok, I will chime in with a question. As always this is great stuff and I'm thrilled to be learning about some new ideas that offer me another arrow in the quiver so to speak.

If I take it correctly the Estrus Buzz is a good option for a locator call and cold calling. I was thinking about using this in some of my cold calling opportunities by started off with some lost cow calls and then adding in the estrus buzz call on and off for 1-2 minutes alternatingly mixing them together, is that a reasonable sounding plan? Do that every 10 minutes and give a spot 45 minutes total before moving on? I.E. I'm just wanting to make sure the two calls fit that situation of portraying a lost cow that is nervous and anxious. Sound reasonable?

Also, is their a use for the estrus buzz in a different situation where you have a bull you are calling to that is hanging up and we shift a threat situation? I.E. to protray a nervous cow that is being harrassed by a bull trying to pull her away? Throw it out with some whining pleading cow calls after first giving one short scream and/or chuckles?

Let me know what you guys think?

Chris

[recurve]

Bumping this one back up because I'm still curious about how I could optimally being utilizing the buzz in some of my set ups.

Thanks again,

Chris

[BRazz]

Recurve -

I started using the "estrous buzz" sound on accident the very first time I was bow hunting. My plan - years ago - was to go sit on a ridge that I had scouted via GE and make some calls and see what happened. The hike to my intended destination took much longer than I thought, so I ended up making some setups in some random spots. On the first setup before I could make any calls I heard the noise that is described here. I honestly didn't even know it was an elk until I saw her - it was very much like the video of the cow posted on this thread, btw. Anyway, she mosied on, so I did too. At my next setup about 30 minutes later I tried making that noise, thinking it couldn't hurt. Within 5 minutes I heard a twig snap, and sure enough here came a little velvet-clad 4-point. I didn't get a shot, but what an experience! And this was probably the 7th of September, relatively early in the season...

My point is that I think you are putting together a good plan - at least in my opinion. I interpret this sound as a demanding "do something" sound - whether it's for a calf to come to mama, a bull to come give me the business, the elk herd to tell me where you went, etc. So I will mix it in with other cow sounds (mews) on occasion, or even with bull sounds (chuckles, etc). Often times I will use the sound by itself, trying to represent a lone cow. I've even mixed it in with "fighting cow" squeals and had bulls run in. Give it a try in a variety of settings, it's certainly not reserved for the rut and "estrous buzz" is definitely a misnomer.

Hope that helps. Just my experience...