Quiet Cows

[Vanish]

We hunted probably 12 days last elk season, mostly the weekends. We had elk encounters every day after the first weekend.

There wasn't a whole lot of pressure in the immediate area where we found elk.

We never heard a mew the whole season, even when watching a small herd of cows within 80 yards for 20 minutes.

I don't know what to make of it when compared to watching Elknut's DVDs or reading other's posts.

[Swede]

"Within 80 yards". Cows and calves could be very hard to hear that far away. The sound level of the cows and calves is often about the same as small birds. Under the right conditions I have heard them at 80 yards, but it has to be quiet and you need to recognize what you are hearing. I have had fairly experienced elk hunters claim "that is not elk", when that is exactly what we were hearing, and the cows soon showed themselves.

[Vanish]

Thanks, that just about answers the question. I guess considering how far away you can hear a bull, I for some reason assumed you would be able to hear cows farther away.

[ElkNut1]

Yes, cows can mew & chirp very softly, 80 yards is plenty close enough to hear them though if they were talking much at all. There there are times that they are down right loud!!! This is especially seen as nursery groups gather together or when there's lots of rutting action with bulls competing for the cows attention! Then there's times outside of being in estrus that they can be quite calm in nature, I believe that's what you experienced!

ElkNut1

[Swede]

Where I have noticed the cows being loud is when there is some excitement or concern/alarm. Cows just feeding along seem to almost be having a dinner conversation, but it is not audible far away. In some ways they seem almost human. Paul wrote of nursery groups. Ever go to a Sunday school nursery. It sounds about the same.