Alarm, Distress Calls
Elk use a sharp, loud Alarm Bark to warn other elk of possible danger: UHH.
Listen to a Bark.
An elk using this call may be alarmed because it cannot identify the source of a disturbance. Some elk may try to discover what the disturbance is by looking for it with their chin up and their head in a horizontal position. Once the disturbance is discovered, and thought to be dangerous, the animal may issue a final Alarm Bark and flee. Cows and calves may perform a long, drawn out Distress Mew when injured or trapped: MEEUUUW.
These calls are termed "agonistic" because the animal is agonizing over the fact that another animal is too close, or because it is bothered by the presence of another elk. Both cows and bulls may produce a Hissing sound: ssss and use Tooth-Grinding as they approach an opponent. I've heard bulls perform a sound like a squeegee on wet glass (or a rubber tennis shoe on a wet tile floor) when they get close to a smaller bull: squeek ... squeek, to get them to move; I suspect this is a form of Tooth-Grinding. Bulls often use a Dominance Grunt when they want another bull to move; ugh. Bulls may also use a Loud Inhale/Exhale when they herd cows. When bulls spar or fight they often perform a drawn out mew that sounds like the Submissive Cow Mew mentioned below.
Bulls may perform one to four loud exhales referred to as a Cough when they want another elk to move, or after they have chased a cow. If the animal that the Cough is directed at does not move, the bull may show and grind its teeth, and bite or kick the other animal. Bulls may also use a low rumbling Gurgle when threatening another bull; rrrr, that cannot be heard farther than about forty yards. This call may also sound like the bull is blowing air through pinched nostrils, which it may actually doing, although I am not sure, yet. If the bull that the Gurgle is directed at does not move it may be attacked with the bulls antlers.
Cow elk trying to avoid a herding bull often use along drawn out, or series of short, Submissive Cow Mews; meeuw ... or mew-mew-mew-mew. Subordinate bulls use a lower pitched Submissive Bull Mew when avoiding dominant bulls. Cow elk use the loud Fighting Squeal during dominance fights: ME-EE-EE-EE-EE-UUW.
Originally posted by w810i
Ive got a video camera but I would have no clue were to put it at since behind my house is a huge mountain.