I worked my way up a steeeeep drainage last year and over the course of the couple days before that, worked elk about 2/3 of the way up it before busting out some cows. I got up to the top 1/3 of it and stopped to cow call on the edge of a patchy stretch of meadows. It was opening day of muzzle loader season near a popular CO wilderness area and after I called, a squealy, whiny, fluty bugle answered within 200 yards. Out of frustration and sheer stupidity, I just turned around and began walking away swearing it was an old timer who was packed in on horses blowing a 30 year old bugle tube with dry rotted reeds.
I often think about how I probably walked away from an elk that I most likely would have killed.....