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What's that you said? Episode #4

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What's that you said? Episode #4

Postby WapitiTalk1 » 06 02, 2017 •  [Post 1]

Allrighty WT members, in this VID, how would you interpret and label the sound this elk is making? More important than the title/label, is what do you think this cow is communicating with her sounds and behavior? Is this a sound we should try to replicate and use in our elk calling tool kit?

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Re: What's that you said? Episode #4

Postby Swede » 06 02, 2017 •  [Post 2]

She has lost contact with the herd, or maybe her calf. I doubt her calf is missing. I have never used that sound. I would rather move along slowly giving out cow mews until I hear a bull call out. You could get a bull to respond to the sounds she is making, but notice how fast she moves along.
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Re: What's that you said? Episode #4

Postby Lefty » 06 02, 2017 •  [Post 3]

I had a cow very similar two years ago,.. only she was louder, So loud it seemed fake. She was watching deer and the herd wandered off a different direction. She ran off screaming, 600 yards away and I made one mew and she ran right back to me and stopped 3 yards away.
What was interesting I never heard the herd answer the cow
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Re: What's that you said? Episode #4

Postby ElkNut1 » 06 03, 2017 •  [Post 4]

Absolutely, this is a great sound elk will use for communication. It's a sound they use year around. Here's a portion of its use that will be in the APP, it's called the "Contact Buzz in App".

The Contact buzz is mainly known as a cow sound made to regather elk separated from the group or to give direction to elk that need to catch up to a moving group. Depending on the situation the contact buzz can be delivered in a leisurely “come here” or as an urgent demand to “get back here”.

The cow in the clip is looking for cows she heard in the distance, she's in search mode & cannot find them, she wants a direction or visual of them to join them. (I talked with the hunters who took this video)

Lefty, it's more common not to hear other elk respond vocally to sounds as this Contact Buzz. Other elk will most likely just show up for assistance. I've called in many cows & bulls with this sound, it's very effective when used in the proper context. Like any elk sound, if you know it's meaning & message being sent you can now evaluate its use on what's going on & when to use it yourself.

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Re: What's that you said? Episode #4

Postby Lefty » 06 03, 2017 •  [Post 5]

ElkNut1 wrote: Lefty, it's more common not to hear other elk respond vocally to sounds as this Contact Buzz. Other elk will most likely just show up for assistance. I've called in many cows & bulls with this sound, it's very effective when used in the proper context. Like any elk sound, if you know it's meaning & message being sent you can now evaluate its use on what's going on & when to use it yourself.

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So maybe my patience the herd might have moved back! Or more likely the cow would have kept searching?
The cow I was on was so loud it sounded fake and she kept on and on, running like a crazy women.
A bit more to my story, the cow moved closer to the deer and the deer seemed annoyed by her screaming and wandered the opposite direction of the herd.

That little tid-bit Ill stick in my hat , Thanks
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Re: What's that you said? Episode #4

Postby MidMoElkNut » 06 03, 2017 •  [Post 6]

I don't have much to offer for these 4 topics but it sure helps a beginner out like me!
Being able to hear an actual elk make the sound and then everyone saying what sound they are making or what it means and why they are and also the ways you can use it is very helpful!

I have heard most of the episodes before but I can't say I really knew what the call meant.

Keep them coming I really appreciate all this information!

Great Thread!
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Re: What's that you said? Episode #4

Postby Swede » 06 03, 2017 •  [Post 7]

ElkNut1 wrote:I've called in many cows & bulls with this sound, it's very effective when used in the proper context.


Please tell us about the context you refer to. Were you set up in some cover and stayed put? Were you moving in cover? Did you try this when you knew other elk were close by, or were you just trolling?
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Re: What's that you said? Episode #4

Postby Swede » 06 05, 2017 •  [Post 8]

I really don't know what the context Paul refers to above, but I have tried a simple cow call every 40-50 yards or so as I worked my way through one area going to another. That is what I call trolling. I have had bulls come in behind me, but I was as surprised as they. They were silent until too late. I have had them call back too, but I cannot call it a success. The call back was usually a chuckle, but they stayed bedded. The time and place did not work for me, so I could not move in on them.
I have never really tried the lost cow buzz. I may try it this season when hiking somewhere. If I do, I will stay in cover as usual and listen for evidence of one coming.
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Re: What's that you said? Episode #4

Postby ElkNut1 » 06 05, 2017 •  [Post 9]

swede, the contact buzz is not a 'lost cow' -- It is a sound elk will use to bring back others their way that are part of the group such as a youngster out of moms view for a short spell. It is also used when in large groups as elk are on the move & some may be lagging way behind & out of site of the one leading, this buzz can give the laggers a direction if needed. When we as hunters are calling to bring elk to us such as in blind/cold calling setups this sound can be heard as they are in search of these elk they heard from a distance, they are looking for you! No doubt there are other means of use but this should with this a bit!

I've called in quite a few more cows with this contact buzz than bulls over the years, it definitely can bring elk your way. The New App we have coming out will explain it's message being sent & several methods of use by us hunters. It's a great sound as are many that elk use year around for simple communication.

I will add that on several occasions I've watched elk melt into the timber from 150 yards+ & wait until there was no visual of them, I'd then use a combination of this buzz & a long loud mew from one spot for 30 seconds then move away from the group I'd spotted going the opposite direction for 40-50 yards & hustle back to the original calling spot & have these elk walk towards me well within bowrange. You just need to be patient & give them time to come back!

I've used this sound in a cold calling setup & have called in many raghorns & spikes as well.

I've used it during an Advertising sequence where we had a stubborn herd bull that would not come even though he was asking for cows to come his way. With persistence & a few other calls I have brought most of them in!

On another occasion I came upon a game trail where several elk had just gone by on it, I did not see them but could smell them, I knew they weren't far away in the dark timber. I setup there with my son & said watch this, I'm going to call these elk back over here. It was a lot of fun going through a few mews, whines but the dominant use was the contact buzz on fairly high volume. Within 10 minutes of pretty persistent calling mixing it up with the 3 sounds here came two cows & a calf. They walked to within 15' of me looking hard & eventually walked right by me & my son not seeing or smelling us. No bull so we let them all walk! It was on opening day Aug 30th. There are others but here's a few where I've used it! Thanks!

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Re: What's that you said? Episode #4

Postby Swede » 06 05, 2017 •  [Post 10]

I agree that "lost cow" would not be a great term to describe the sound. I was not trying to give it any particular significance in that way. I am not comfortable calling it a "contact buzz" either, as other calls ranging from an advertising bugle to a regular cow mew could be considered "contact" calls. Maybe it is just me.
That said, Elknut demonstrated how the call has potential if used in the right place and time. I like the idea of trying it when the hunter knows elk are near.
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Re: What's that you said? Episode #4

Postby otcWill » 06 06, 2017 •  [Post 11]

Good discussion. I call this an 'excited cow call'. I've seen them make this exact noise when semi-busted, when the herd is fired up likely due to at least one cow in estrus, and in this situation where a cow seems to be separated and wanting badly to get back or call back the herd. The one constant in my opinion is that the cow is upset, agitated or nervous. This sound never comes from a cow that is calm. They have always seemed very frustrated when I've heard it. I've used it with some success but as Paul mentions, mostly on cows and rags which aren't my target. This is certainly something you might add to your arsenal but somewhere near the bottom of the playbook IMO; lots of other sounds to master first.
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Re: What's that you said? Episode #4

Postby ElkNut1 » 06 06, 2017 •  [Post 12]

Yes, cows can use this contact buzz in various situations from urgent to more calm situations sending their message or getting their point across. Here's a Video of this sound in a more calm demeanor as it were. Listen closely & you will hear it being used, it's July 22nd here.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Bxo4Tk0A1tc

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Re: What's that you said? Episode #4

Postby msd1228 » 06 14, 2017 •  [Post 13]

I like to use the buzz to add a more urgent or demanding tone to my sequences. I.e., if I'm cow calling a bull and I can't get him to budge, I'll increase the intensity of the cow calling and throw in some aggressive buzzes to give the "get your butt over here!" impression. I also use it if I scatter a herd whether intentionally (i.e I've been busted by a cow and run her off before she can start barking) or unintentionally. In such cases, I like to use the classic loud, drawn out lost cow mewwith a sharp buzz at the end of the mew. Works pretty well for me.
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Re: What's that you said? Episode #4

Postby BrowTines » 06 15, 2017 •  [Post 14]

I used this call extensively to call my raghorn that I shot this last Fall. The elk were down the hill from us and there were was one bull responding with distant bugles. Nothing seemed to be working until I started to use the Buzz. I view this sort of like Elknut, it seems to be a demanding call - I translate it to: Get Over Here! It strikes me that it is the perfect come back to the cow calling bugle that you hear from so many bulls use demanding the cow to come ...and it worked, I had 3 bulls come in on this setup (all raghorns but for me - any elk is a trophy elk).
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