The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1892-01-31
HUy11NG THE Elk.
The La-res. American Deer Furnishes
Grand sport for the ltuater.


The Largest American Deer Furnishes
Grand Sport for the nuater.
To my mind one OF the most attractive
sports OF the West Ia elk hunting. The elk
used 20 be found over almost the entire United
States. but II now exists. In any numbers
only in the great mountain chains OF the
Rockies and the coast ranges in Oregon and
Washington II Is without exception the lord
lest OF the deer kind. and in size is second
only to the moose. Nothing can surrass tho
grand beauty OF an old bull elk bearing
his twelve-tined antlers aloft with easy grace
us he roars out his challenge to all rivals
In some parts OF the West afar from the
settlements the elk is still plentiful He
offers to the hunter not only the grandest OF
trophies In the shape OF his magnificent head
and horns. but also an abundant supply Of the
best possible meat. There IL no venison upon
which one can live so long without firing as elk
meat. the only drawback being that 1t must
be eaten hot, as the fat turns into regular
tallow rs soon as 1t caos. During the SUM
mer. while their horns are In tho velvet. no
true sportsman will shoot the elk. nor will he
shoot cows and calves at any time save
when absolutely in need OF meat: but In
September the velvet drops of his horns.
and then each OF the master bulls begins
TO collect q harem OF cows. from five or
six to twenty or thirty In number He keeps
all The small bulls afar from this herd. and
wages furious war against every rival OF the
same szo and antler growth himself. At
this season the bull has very extraordinary
and peculiar note. The frontiersmen call II
whistlnS but it is not like whistle at all 1t 10
more like a bugle. consisting OF bar or two Of
music on rising scale and then another bar
or two on a falling scale. followed sometimes
by three or four flute-ike notes. lis most
exciting to creep up to q bull when he is whis-
Ting in this way.
The first elk shot in the season Of 1891 was
obtained in this manner. I was travelling
with pack train In the mountains. riding at
the head. 1t was dark. lowering rainy morn.
ing. and we were going up small valley with
steep. densely wooded hills on either hand.
Suddenly. as came out into little Gladewe
heard. half mile to our right. the challenge
Of bull elk. speedily answered by more dis
tant note of defiance. evidently from rival
further up the mountain. / and my compan-
ion. a tall. silent old mountain hunter. Instant
ly slipped of our horses and began to steal
through the woods toward the sound. 1t was
a great tamarack forest. and the ground as
our feet was covered with water-logged moss.
so that it was easy to walk without ma king q
noise. AS silently as possible We crept, on
from tree to tree In the Dom OF the mighty
evergreen forest. every minute or two stop
was evidently very much excited by tho
presence of his rival on the distant noun
short s ntersa Vent into the
woods and heard it from afar it sounded most
sh hs is
but nevertheless sent thrill through
booming down through the woods louder than
before. Then we got near enough TO hear the
thrashed the young trees and saplings. Still
nearer We esept and from a particularly
sSar came 50 near as 10 make i sound
Ike the he, cry o. some ierocious s, wild beast
raced silently forward toward the .clpmp. In
| another moment saw the tops OF the great
IN m En9
that it is difficult for even the sharpcst eye to
| distinguish il. For moment or two evidently
ping to one side o. the tree he walked COUPLE
grace ace q his Kind: his shaeeIy head and iordiy
apters borne aiot5 by the great swelling neck
in the chest, Hound he wheeled and started
~ and With h,. the SECOND GO. bullet hit him in
ihe s s EaS ssa : asa
gered; stopped. fell over on his side. and was In
Old hunter asa
standing admiTing hts huge body and beauti-
fully formed sho clean tMa b E0s sSs tnsv
gagged in deadly eombat with each other,
bese iaE out in hSh ane sale
l
which we had slept by the side Of the IRE ali
our way through the cool: dim. archways q
the pine forest and lust at sunrise we heard.
and the savage sdueaing which marks an elk
, fight. Stealing up softly; We were soon within
.S sa sseay tine sa f tSs eSsI,
By charging each other ike rams, the shock
the great beasts With
| horns. crashed together. Once the antlers
Were in;erlocked each strove 10y sheer strength
they stood for minutes s stTinine '' with t their
launches gathered under them, sauealine
retire some little distance. fronting each other
With glaring eyes and again come together.
Ths saS@ MI fs'Gn he ?ssE
aud shoulders OF the wapiti as the elk is
9S5o sa sailed the o sp Is s9tsr D5 me
flank and launches. and almost tho only
ser ,s,n dapFass that Is eyer done IN fight
weaker animal in the flank as he turns.
or overtake. and punish him about the
to 60, through the hide around the neck, al
though after conflict the flesh will show
particular instance. however. | INTERRUPTED
the conflict long before it had time to come to
one BY shot in the shoulder, as, they wrestled
together. and the other by bullet Ia the flank
an9 ,b We had had tina, nf
strip of steak from alongside the loins build Q
| IRE. ana roast on willow twigs little EaboDs or
luscious meat.
Ii taken In the open. elk can be run down
by good horse | have never Myself tried the
| experiment. hut three years ago, near my
| rincn. u cowboy with whom ] have often
| worked on round-ups performed the feat. He
! was on the round up and was driving some
cattle out VI a brush patch at the bottom Of a
plee;when an eik Sprtns up directly ahead
acteri-tlc of the species. Atr,tting elk can go
All day. but If it should he forced 70 gallon
! rods. il speedily tires. The cowboy on his
| speedy. wry little pony instantly dashed at
tho elk, forced il to gallpp. and kept Il on the
| run for nearly IA mile then it began to flag.
H. then came alongside and threw his rope
! over the horns. With the utmost exertions.
however he was unable to master it until ans
| other cpw-puncher rode up and shot it with Q
/ revolver. THEODORE ROOSEVELT.