Do cow elk bugle in June?

[Focus]

Okay, so I was camping in Central ID this past week and was glassing a meadow at about 5500 feet one morning. When I first got there a cow gave an alarm bark which alerted me to its presence. After sitting there another 45 mins I hear a couple of cow calls which allowed me to locate another 4-5 cows and calves. They were in medium dense timber and I had a hard time keeping them in sight for any length of time. So I can't swear to the idea that there wasn't a bull amongst them but I didn't see one and I'm under the impression that the bulls are in bachelor groups away from cows and calves this time of year (glassed five bulls in a higher meadow....7500 feet....earlier in the trip...that was pretty cool).

Anyway, I'm sitting there and all of a sudden, bam, bugle.............wasn't the most robust nor did it have any "depth" to it or chuckles or any other "feature" to it. But it dang sure was a bugle, I know what I heard.

So do cows bugle? Or did one of the juvvy male calves light off one just to test out the vocal chords? to me, it didn't sound high and tinny enough to be a calf, but what do I know.

Any thoughts? By the way, it sure was cool!

 

[dexnrex]

I experienced the same thing two weeks ago. The bugles were exactly as you described. I saw a few cows as well but there sure could have been bull in the timber. I was guessing young bull.

 

[Josh Kuntz]

Short answer is yes. Listen to a podcast or 2 with Paul Medel (Elk Nut) and he will probably discuss the fact that elk vocalize basically all year (not consistently) and that bulls and cows each make a wide array of sounds.

 

[Backcountry Hunter 2]

Bulls bugle all year round.

 

[Phaseolus]

I watched bulls in a bachelor group bugle in Colorado Unit 76 last week.

 

[Rdog]

I had this exact same thing happen to me here in Utah last weekend. Got to our glassing spot at first light and saw a few cows and all of a sudden heard a weird bugle, I was still processing what I just heard when my wife looked at me and asked. “Was that a bugle??” A bunch of mews followed so I knew it was just a cow. Heard a couple more over the course of the next hour or so but the last 2 I heard I swear were from 2 different bulls. They were in the bottom of the canyon in a deep and steep canyon and had some chuckling following. They weren’t full bore bugles though. Check out this video from Roe’s hunting resources and the cow bugle toward the beginning is just about exactly what I heard from the first few I heard. https://youtu.be/bOMUK2ENcg0

 

[hank4elk]

I hear bugles year round. A few are cows,which I have also witnessed.
Heard one yesterday morn.Sounded like young bull testing his pipes.
Spikes have been run off as calves are about.

 

[Focus]

Thanks for the replies fellas. Glad I wasn't losing my mind.

 

[dirtclod Az.]

Never witnessed it my self,but have read of cow Elk bugling year round.

 

[FishN4Eyes]

I've had several spikes exercising their lungs around my house the past few weeks.

I'd guess that is what you heard.

 

[ElkNut1]

You bet Cows can & do bugle! Why? The same reason bulls do, they can send the same message with specific bugles to other elk!

It's no different than men talking to women & vice versa! Here's a clip of a cow bugle for those who haven't experienced it.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SPn9k5GWvzU


ElkNut/Paul

 

[Focus]

ElkNut, that's exactly what I heard. Thanks for the verification!!

 

[oilcan]

elknut pretty cool video I have never seen that before.
I did kill a Bull in Wyoming that was bugling in the middle of November.

 

[jvanhoy]

Wow killer thread. I’m not going to lie when I first read it I thought this guy is crazy. Never heard of this but clearly plenty of knowledgeable people saying the same thing. Very interesting thanks for posting!

 

[shoots-straight]

Last week as the wife and I lay in the 5 wheel with the windows wide open and bunch of elk were mingling back into the willows for an open meadow. I couldn't hear them as I'm deaf, but my wife was giving me a play by play on the sounds they were making. Then she says she hears bugles. About 5 all told as the elk walked by. I don't think there was a bull around them.

 

[Cerebral Stalker]

Wow killer thread. I’m not going to lie when I first read it I thought this guy is crazy. Never heard of this but clearly plenty of knowledgeable people saying the same thing. Very interesting thanks for posting!

Same here!

 

[ElkNut1]

Ha Ha, we're all a little bit crazy, glad the clip helped out!

ElkNut/Paul

 

[dirtclod Az.]

Thanks for confirming,yes Crazy!I Am dirtclod Az.110' plus and rising.Burn baby burn!