When you chop a tree or hit a rock, etc, even once, you have a 100m sound range around YOU, for the next 60 sec, that slowly dies down by 4m/s. So hitting a tree ONCE, then running to base fast in 10 sec, you will generate noise from that 100m range effect minus 40m and slowly dying. I suck at explaining it but...basically be quieter.

That is why you see an army of dwarfs coming at you after you chopped a few trees, and keep coming. Or trolls see you from a very far distance for no reason.

Imagine you have a MASSIVE BELL around your neck, that rings for 60s every time you HIT something noisy. Might have different ranges etc on mobs and all that.