Thomas County cat. [volume] (Colby, Kan.) 1885-1891, 1888-04-19
THE NORWEGIAN ELK.
Remarkable Illustration OF tho o cca
sional BOldness Of the Animal.

Remarkable illustration Of tho o ccs.
siOnsl Boldness OF the Animal.
By all accounts the horns # the
American moose attain greater size
than those Of his European congcnor.
l am not able to sum up the points of
distinction between tho animals. but
there is one. am inclined to believe.
indisputable difference which has
special interest for the hunter. 1t is
we'll known that at certain seas on
both the male and female moose utter
loud call. audible in still weather ut
q great distance. and that the Indian
hunters can initiate it so accurately rs
to entice the animals within shot
Lloyd. on the authority of Ekstrom.
asserts that the Scandinavian elk has
similar call note. as quoted as fol-
lows: lit resembles loud report fol-
lowed by snort like that of a horse
when alarmed. but much louder. and
with note as from trombone" If
this be the case it seems incredible
that it should not be universally known
among those who live and pursue
their daily occupations ut all seasons
amid forests frequen,ed by the elk. or
among those who study its habits
with professional keenness. Yet I
have never met either farmer or
hunter who could testify 10 so strik.
ing call; but have been told moro
than once that the bull elk at certain
times betrays his presence by kind
of grunt, while friend. who is
keen and experienced pursuer. speaks
of having occasionally heard an elk
cough. These noises are possibly
identical, but they are widely re-
moved from the sorfol Gus utterance
described by Elkstron. Nv own prac-
teal experience does not enable me to
give evidence as 10 any sound. ex-
cept it he an expiring gasp. proceed.
ing from the mouth of an elk. ]
have nevertheless for weeks together
passed nine or ten hours a day in the
forest land. when camping out alone
within moderate distance of WELL
known haunts Of the elk. could scarce
ly have failed 10 hear any unusual
sound which broke the complete still
ness. Unjust. however. put on record
this fact. On the last day of the past
season. October IA a young bull elk
was shot near the Norwegian farm
where I was then staying. As the
shooters approached the slain a seq
ond and very much larger bull
charged out of The forest right up to
it. and. according to their account.
this infuriated brute did ccr-
tainly snort and blow and roar or bel
whichever may be the correct
term-in an appalling manner He
was probably in a state of savage ex-
ultation over the corpse of his rival.
but so dangerous did he appear that
the hunters were on the point Of
shooting him also in self-dcfense.
although by the, Norwegin law only
one elk can be killed on each farm.
After time, however, he retreatcd
slowly into the forest This was ut
least a remarkable illustration of the
occasional holiness of the animal
know two or three instances in which
an unwounded bull elk deliberately
charged the hunter. In one case the
man saved himself by dodging round
a large pine tree and diving under the
branches. which swept down to the
ground-no easy thing to do in .
hurry; but it was certainly better to
risk injury from spikes of dead wood
than from the horns or hoofs of au
elk. He managed TO get the muzzIe
of his rifle out between the branc hes
and shot his savage assailant through
the head. 1t is har.l to imagine q
moro awkward customer at close
quarters than an angry bull. He can
use his sharp front hoofs with the
force and rapidity Of a steam ham-
mel. -Fortnighsiy Rev.e