The Estrus Buzz Hoax!

[WW]

<!-- m --><a class=\"postlink\" href=\"https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KrW-OAn8VA4\" onclick=\"window.open(this.href);return false;\">https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KrW-OAn8VA4</a><!-- m -->

The link above is a prime example of what a so called estrus buzz sounds like. Pay close attention to the sounds this cow is making. But more importantly, pay even more attention to her body language. I see one of two things here. She could be looking for a lost calf, or she is separated from the herd herself and is looking for companionship. At any rate, she is very anxious and that shows in both the sound she is making and in her body language.

Did you happen to notice when the camera guy was shaking around that there was a short glimps of a mature bull that had come sneaking in to see what all the commotion was about. If the cow was making true estrus calls, why didn\'t that bull come on in and sniff her or breed her?

It never ceases to amaze me why so many so called elk language specialist continue to refer to this sound as an estrus sound when in fact, it is a (very anxious) sound to say the least.

Take a good look at the video and draw your own conclusions!

 

[cohunter14]

Tough to know for sure if they bull came in or not since the video ends, but definitely an interesting video for sure. Thanks for sharing!

 

[JohnFitzgerald]

I\'m not sure who coined the term \"Estrus Buzz\" but it\'s misleading to say the least. Many hunters assume that it\'s a sound only heard when the cow is in estrus so it must be a breading sound. In fact, it has nothing to do with the cows breeding cycle. So I call it an Estrus Buzz because nobody has come forth with a suitable name. Maybe Anxious Buzz?

I\'ll expand Bills definition a little and suggest an idea. When making a lip bawl bugle and estrus buzz with your mouth reed, the two are very similar. Is it a far stretch to say that if you elongate the mew it essentially turns into a lip bawl? Does it have the same meaning for cows and bulls?

 

[Swede]

I think a cow making that sound is either lost or looking for her calf. I agree she is not making an estrus sound for the same reason Bill mentioned. Has anyone ever heard that sound, and could tie it to an cow in estrus?

 

[otcWill]

I like John\'s term \"Anxious Buzz\". I\'ve heard them do this as the herd calms down right after being bumped. Cow sounds some whiney bugling and this noise mixed in as they go back to their business. I\'ve never seen a bull get too excited over it. I do use it in calling sequences mixed with herd talk and some bugling and raking. Not sure its been the thing to \"flip the switch\" but I have had success while using it together with other sounds.

 

[elkmtngear]

I always thought that sound was something hyped up by call manufacturers. Sounds more like an angry chimp than an elk. :eh:

I have never tried it. I\'ve had good luck with a series of loud, excited cow mews using external reed calls, but never mixed something like this in with it.

 

[Deertick]

Take an odd/uncommon sound that connotes excitement ...

Add some \"marketing\" ... hmm ... \"Estrous\" sounds about right.

Seriously, who wouldn\'t bite on that lure?

I\'m surprised it didn\'t have a end-aisle display at Cabela\'s and a T.V. show called \"Buzz Wars\". Personally, I think the people who came up with the name were marketing geniuses and I\'d have gladly invested with them ... but I\'m glad I didn\'t because they obviously haven\'t carried-through like they could have.

Honestly, I hadn\'t heard the term for a couple years -- or don\'t remember it being a big deal. It seems to me to be dying out as a \"big deal\".

As a call, though, it may not be all that bad ... to call well, you have to have emotion, right? And \"Lost\", or \"Separated\" or \"Social\" never got us hunters (male and female, I guess) to put the emotion needed into a call.

We had to think we were sounding \"Horny\".

Does that say more about the marketers, or the hunters?

 

[Guest]

I personally feel its just a more demanding call....she is looking for something. Possibly her lost calf or herd !!

I have never heard this in the wild but it sure has nothing to with breeding or we all would have heard this sound during the rut.....That is obvious !! We all are out there hunting the rut and I\'m willing to say very few have heard this sound.

Definitely was not a call manufacturer that made it up to sell calls !! Most guys can\'t even make this sound with there reeds !! LOL

 

[JohnFitzgerald]

I personally feel its just a more demanding call....she is looking for something. Possibly her lost calf or herd !!

I have never heard this in the wild but it sure has nothing to with breeding or we all would have heard this sound during the rut.....That is obvious !! We all are out there hunting the rut and I\'m willing to say very few have heard this sound.

Definitely was not a call manufacturer that made it up to sell calls !! Most guys can\'t even make this sound with there reeds !! LOL

Maybe that\'s all it is......demanding? I\'ve often wondered if Lip Bawls where more of a demanding bugle. But in any case, I don\'t have enough field experience with either. Not sure many hunters do.

 

[Guest]

John is on the correct path I believe and I\'ll explain why.

Last year I was out in the morning and I was trying to locate any vocal elk. I was using regular location bugles for the better part of 45 minutes to an hour ! NOTHING !! Not even a peep.

Well I must have been in a frustrated mood because I decided to LIPBAWL to the elk within ear shot so I let her rip and within 10 seconds I got a very aggressive bugle back !! The answer came from 200 yards out roughly and within 2-3 minutes a 6x6 bull was 30 yards broadside of me as he circle around my position. I never let out any other sounds as he came in and he still had my position pegged to within feet !!

So is a lipbawl just a more demanding bugle and is the elk elk language as simple as emotional calling ? What do you all think ?

 

[cnelk]

Yes.
IMO - Elk emotion in calling is the key.

I often use the estrus whine with a skip in the note, drives the elk nuts

 

[Swede]

I never thought of it that way, but it makes sense. So instead of mimicking the elk, maybe we should do more to set the tone of the encounter or call to convey a sense of urgency and be more demanding.

 

[bowhunter]

I never thought of it that way, but it makes sense. So instead of mimicking the elk, maybe we should do more to set the tone of the encounter or call to convey a sense of urgency and be more demanding.

Think of it this way Swede.... If your wife calls for you to come help her and you don\'t come isn\'t she more DEMANDING with her next call for you?

 

[Swede]

Think of it this way Swede.... If your wife calls for you to come help her and you don\'t come isn\'t she more DEMANDING with her next call for you?

That is a good point, but most of the conventional wisdom I have read goes along the line of, don\'t call like your hair is on fire when the elk are not talking that way. I have tried to sound out with excitement, especially as a cow in estrus, but I am going to try and start with other more demanding calls. Let\'s see how it works. Maybe J.F. will show me a few new tricks. I want to get out with him this year.

 

[Jaquomo]

I believe that inflection in calling is as important as the actual call quality. Maybe more so. If you spend any length of time close to a herd during the rut, or anytime for that matter, you\'ll hear all sorts of attitudes displayed with the vocalizations. A \"demanding\" cow or bull call is as important to recognize and learn as other types, like calming cow calls, non-threatening locator bugles, gentle cow-calf discussions. I\'ve called in whole herds of cows for rifle hunters I guided by carrying on Q&A \"conversations\" with the lead cow.

That\'s why the Hoochie Mama can work in conjunction with other calls, but by itself it has no inflection. It sounds like a woman or child saying, \"Hey you, hey you, hey you, hey you\" over and over again. Sure, it can work sometimes if the bull is in just the right mood, but you never, ever hear that bland sound repeated over and over in normal herd talk.