Now that the topic has arises...I'm wondering. Do elk bugle year round and are just more so active at bugling during the rut? Or do they only bugle to when establishing territory and to locate cows? 
And if they do not bugle year round...do they make mew sounds to communicate such as cows do? I know male calves mew...but do they grow out of of it like when our voice changes?
I'm sure one of you have asked this question before and found an answer!!
Bulls mew and make all the elk sounds, you just hear more about the bugles.
Although it peaks during the rut, a bugle is just another sound in their vocabulary, and do it year 'round,
P.S. cows have even been known to bugle.