While archery elk hunting on the Flattops one year, I watched a group of 8 elk on the N side of Deep Creek, moving to the East.
There are a series of drainages on that South facing slope. The herd would stand in the bottom of the drainage while the (presumed) lead cow walked up the side, taking one step, stop for several moments, then another step, and so on.
When she determined the next basin was safe, she trotted over the top with the herd right behind her. She repeated this behavior on every drainage, until they went out of sight.
Another time, while deer hunting NW Colorado, I was still hunting through some Pinion Junipers and spotted the rear leg of a resting Elk, at about 50yds. As I am looking through the branches, I make eye contact and the Elk explodes out of there along with 20+ of his buddies.
The herd runs across a plateau, and stops about 150yds out, in knee high Sagebrush. All the Elk are looking around, except for the spike that saw me, he had me pegged. After several minutes of looking around, the (presumed) lead cow starts walking to the E, about 20-30yds, and the herd shifted with her, except the spike. He did not take his eyes, or ears, off me.
Another several minutes, and the lead cow shifts to the W, along with the herd. Except for the spike, who was still staring at me.
After several more minutes, the lead cow starts to trot to the S, and the herd falls into single file behind her, except for the spike. He is still glued to me. When the herd was maybe 100-150yds away from the spike, he finally turned and raced after them.
My conclusion from these, and other, encounters with elk, is that the lead cow controls nearly everything her herd does. The spike knew I was there, but he could not 'tell' the lead cow "hey, there's a human. Let's get out of here." The herd waited until the lead cow made the decision.
Fascinating animals to watch, and hunt
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Those old cows are something else!
