An account in El Paso County, Colorado

Last year during archery season my 12year old son and I were elk hunting off Rampart Range road between forest rd 322 and Mt Herman rd and herd strange noises. I am an avid archery hunter and have hunted all typs of animals all my life and what we herd that night still sends shivers down my spine. I do alot of calling for myself and friends for elk so I am familiar with alot of noises in the woods, we had seen elk in the aera the week prior to this incident. We drove in to the end of a trail off 322 and parked the car it was getting late and having my son with me I decided to just go to the end of the trail that overlooked 3 beaver ponds and try calling. We got to where we could see the ponds and sat down to wait a few minutes and listen for bugling elk. After hearing nothing for a few minutes I decided to call, when I bugeled from the ridge opposit us we herd what seemed like part elk, part cat, whining, but it sounded like there was 20 or 30 animals on the ridge across from us all making this moening/whining type noise. It lasted about 15 seconds. I wasent sure what I had just heard so I bugeled again we heard the same noise again. I didn't recignize the noise and the hair on the back of my neck was standing up so I decided to leave. I also heard water splashing, it was getting dark and I looked all over the beaver pond through binos and could see nothing moving so we left. There is very few animal noises in the forrest that I do not recignize much less make me nervous but those noises we heard that night I will never forget.