Do elk make bear sounds?

[Prairie Dog]

I am hunting in southern Co. two days ago my gps was acting funny so I sat down to mess with it, when I did my back pack hit the ground. Right after that I heard a LOUD woofing sound about a quarter of a second long about 25 yards away.

I thought it was a sow bear with cubs warning me. It made the woof about 6 or 7 times. I nocked an arrow just in case and spoke up and said "one of us has to go". I never did hear footsteps leave but I walked into the brush and all I found was a big wet spot of elk urine and hoof prints.

Have any of you ever heard an elk woof like that? I think if I had cow called I might have killed my first bull, but I didn't want to bring a bear in yet.

PD

[Vanish]

My Dad said he watched a cow make blowing sounds just like a deer this past weekend. I didn't know they did it either.

[Prairie Dog]

It was a more threatning sound than a nervous sound you would expect from an elk.

I have a bear tag but the season doesn't open till the second. If the season was open I would have done it different.

[WapitiTalk1]

With how you explained it, it may very well be that a bull heard you moving and was giving a nervous/popping grunt to make you show yourself (thinking you were an elk from what he heard moving through the brush).. Nervous grunts almost sound like a dog barking sometimes.

[shooter21]

Yep iv run in to this before .

With how you explained it, it may very well be that a bull heard you moving and was giving a nervous/popping grunt to make you show yourself (thinking you were an elk from what he heard moving through the brush).. Nervous grunts almost sound like a dog barking sometimes.

[Prairie Dog]

shooter 21

Did you know it was an elk when you heard it? Or were you a little uncertain?

[JohnFitzgerald]

I've had elk make all kinds of sounds. Just last Saturday I had a bull give me a cross between a groan/nervous grunt. Once, I even heard a bull hiss like a snake. Still trying figure out that encounter. If it was an elk that made the sound, then I would have to agree with Phatom16. It was some type of nervous grunt.

[one_elk]

I have heard cow elk blow like a doe does when she get a nose full of human scent...and as others have said they certainly make a wide variety of sounds on the other hand I never herd a black bear huff or woof (is that even a word) have heard plenty of Grizzlies do it but not black bears....

[ElkNut1]

Yes, unfortunately more than I'd like to hear! (grin) Odds are good it was an elk, all elk can make that dog type bark or wooffing sound! The elk wanted an identification or visual from you!

ElkNut1

[shooter21]

100% sure i was watching it the first time !!

shooter 21

Did you know it was an elk when you heard it? Or were you a little uncertain?

[jensenrw.2000]

Had the same thing happen last year with a buddy. Walking down an old logging trail 2/3 of the way up a steep and deep canyon and cow calling every 200 yards or so and we got a response that sounded like a groan about 60 yards below in the heavy brush. I said "was that a bear?" My buddy said "that was a bull!" We set up and next thing you know we had 3 bulls going in the next 20 minutes.... and then we ran out of light without getting any of them to commit. Wish I'd known about the threats at that time...

[Prairie Dog]

Well i'm still hunting the same area and this was my last encounter with an elk.

I sure wish I had thought about it a little different when it happened.

The only good thing is I still have 22 more days

[KMT]

I had a 5 point bull coming to me a few years ago that mixed in bugles with growls that I could only describe as "bear like." I watched him come out of the trees a hundred yards away and he made the noise until he was within 20 yards. If I hadn't seen him, I would have bet any amount of money that the growls were coming from a bear. I hunt in an area that had a bear population explosion in the last few years, and I usually see on average 1 bear for every 3-4 days of hunting. I don't assume that the growls I hear are from bulls, and I'm obviously not good enough to tell the difference without seeing AND hearing it.

[whiskeydog]

On Sunday, my dad and I were walking back to camp just before dark when I heard a "dog" barking. My dad thought it was a coyote, but I thought it was too consistent and much too deep for a 'yote and was most likely a labrador or german shepherd that some hunter had decided to tie to a tree while he went hunting. What was crazy was that the barking was at 10-15 second intervals and went on for over 10 minutes! It seemed to be coming from only a 1/4 mile away or so, so I decided to go see what was going on. Just as we got there, two hunters came out of the trees and asked if we'd seen "it". Apparently they had spotted a raghorn at around 80 yards, and he had smelled them but couldn't see them. The bull walked in circles for 15 minutes barking in their direction before finally disappearing into the trees. I would have sworn it was a dog...