Bear Claw, setter77 has a very good question and has hit the nail on the head.Most of the time to be able to hear a cow call/talk you have to be under 100 yards.To hear all of the elk talk including the soft mews, whines, huffs and gruntsthat cows and bulls both make you have to be under 50 yards. Of course they can also make loude whines, barks and the well known and easily heard bugles. I have learned that when people say they are close to elk it can be anywhere from 10 yards out to 200 yards. For me getting in close means under 20yards. I did not kill the bull I was after this past archery season but I did bring him in close, just had the wrong shot angle. No blood on my hands but boy was my blood in myheart was a pumping! Thats the beauty of elk hunting in the rut, and I wouldn't trade it for anything!