Hot Cow Sounds

[Swede]

On another forum Elknut started a discussion about a contact/estrus buzz cow sound. I played a little with the sound and got to where I could do it ok with a diaphragm. Then I looked down into the drawer where I keep my calls. There it was! My old Sceery Hyper Cow-in Heat ACE3. It makes the contact or estrus cow sound very well by just biting and blowing. Of coarse after driving my wife nuts with it, I had to check it out on the internet. Sceery advertises it this way: "Produces the super attractive sounds of a hot cow elk in heat." Apparently Ed Sceery must have thought the sound came from a cow in heat. Some however argue that cows use it directing their calves in the earlier summer. Hummm?

[ElkNut1]

Yes, the Contact Buzz is basically used by elk to keep tabs on elk within their area but can also be used if they hear other elk in the area they are not familiar with. This sound pertains to all elk not just calves. This sound gives a direction so other elk know where they are whoever it is they are communicating with. This is not the same as an excited cow whine, this is more of a gravely tone buzz. It generally requires a throaty type voice inflection as your tongue contacts a mouth reed or also done if using a bite & blow cow call. You want that raspy buzz tone.

You can hear it here in July at the 3 minute mark of this clip. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Bxo4Tk0A1tc

ElkNut1

[WapitiTalk1]

I believe this clip is another example of this contact buzz, yes?

[ElkNut1]

Yes, that's the Contact Buzz too, same as the other clip. The two guys who took the video were cow calling near their rig when they started hearing this young cow come their way mewing, whining & giving the Contact Buzz in search of the cows she heard these guys imitating. I talked with these guys over the phone & got the info straight from them.

This is the same sound from this cow on the Sounds By The Elk CD under the Contact/Estrus Buzz name.

ElkNut1

[Swede]

I just found it interesting that a manufacturer would make a call that duplicates that sound and call it "Cow in Heat" or hyper hot. I have had some other hot cow sounds, and the manufacturers of bite and blow cow calls all seem to tell us that it is an estrus sound, which it obviously is not entirely correct. In fact I am wondering if it has anything to do with a cow in heat.

[B.Sentman]

Steve Chappell has a video were he does the Estrus Buzz and talks about hearing this sound in the wild and explains it as a hot cow in Estrus sound as well.

Basically explains it as a cow that is ready to breed that instant.

[saddlesore]

Been using that Skeery for a long time I'd use the Cow Talk one too,but they don't work so well with caps or false teeth

[ElkNut1]

Contact/Estrus Buzz!


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 Contact/Estrus Buzz!
What's its meaning? Why is this particular sound & why do elk use it? 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 bull’s 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 various times of year then it must have a different meaning other tan a breeding sound? 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.


There's quite a bit of footage of this sound that can be seen, not at anytime will you see a cow being mounted as she's using it, matter a fact rarely will you ever hear a cow make any sound or whine of any sort as she is being covered by a bull. I've witnessed this many times over the years & have yet to hear any cow make this sound at that time. But elk will use this Contact buzz under situations where excitement or separation is involved within their group or using this sound when there are several nearby groups within earshot of each other. It's not unusual at all to hear cows in different groups as they make contact with one another inviting them their way or just using this sound for direction to other elk that may be lagging way behind as they travel. Like any elk sound it can be used subtly or in a demanding/urgent tone. Will bulls respond to it? You bet, but so do the cows, just like bulls respond to a variety of other cow sounds too, it doesn't mean all cow sounds are estrus type sounds to the bulls! (grin) Food for thought! Too, just remember when we ourselves may be able to apply this sound to pull other elk our way or use this Buzz when a bull responds by calling us his way, we can use this sound as we head straight at him keeping the wind & cover in our favor, noise is not an issue as this bull fully expects this cow to come as he urges her too!

Bottom line, this is not an Estrus sound given by cows ready to be bred! It's no more than a communication sound sound elk use all year.


ElkNut1

[Swede]

It seems likely that the "estrus" name was given to the unusual sound, because the person that heard it was out hunting in September, and thought it was associated with the rut. I know it is not common as I don't remember ever hearing it in the woods. Maybe it was out there, but I thought is was some other forest sound, but it is distinct. Anyway thanks Elknut for the explanation. I think one of the family bought me that Sceery call but I was not attracted to it, and it has stayed in my gear box during the season. Maybe I will give it a try.

[ElkNut1]

swede, you bet! You are correct in your Sept evaluation! I too jumped on the band wagon & stuck with the name "Estrus" for the same Sept reason when I should have selected a different name to avoid confusion. I knew from the beginning when this sound first started to materialize that it was not an Estrus sound & have not condoned it for 10 years or more now, I don't recall exactly. Point is it is for communication purposes not a cow nearing to be bred! This is important to us hunters to have the proper understanding. It's easy to see how ones could misrepresent this sound accidentally, I'm glad to see others recognizing that elk have a language & were trying to discern it, my hats off to them as they too recognize their importance! We all make mistakes, it's those willing to alter their thinking when the truth comes along that is best. Thanks!

ElkNut1

[B.Sentman]

Thanks for the additional explanation Elknut!

This is a sound I have been practicing frequently and I am excited to use it in the woods this year!