Woman mistakes elk's call for a fight, calls cops

[September 18, 2008]  PHOENIX (AP) -- It's a haunting, high-pitched scream that is commonly misunderstood by newcomers to Arizona's high country and the state's city dwellers. It's called bugling, and male elk do it to attract females and scare off other males so they can mate. The season just began and usually runs through the beginning of October.

Those who've never heard an elk bugle often get confused and call authorities. A woman who lives in Mesa Del, a subdivision just northeast of Payson, called the Gila County Sheriff's Office early Monday morning to report a fight, saying she heard a lot of screaming.

Lt. Tim Scott said responding deputies quickly realized the woman was really hearing elk.

Scott said he's heard bugling at his home just south of Payson for the past five nights.

[Associated Press]

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