New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1897-01-23
CAPTAIN COON'S ELK FARM.
n, Tho 81 Louis Globe Democrat

"
One Of the strangest enterprises In the country Is
an elk farm in Colorado Few peop.e have ever heard
The man who took 1t into ms mead 70 STAR ms
oldest of all odd farms apparently undertook me
work more for the love OF doing something that no
one else would 10 attempt tnan for money-mah-
ing purposes He has carried on, his plans In auie
conservative manner. having some Tear al hrst as 10
any question OF failure and Captain Marcus Coon
has farm with herd on 1t that people VIII go thou
sands OF miles he has decided TO let those who
cannot make a personal visit know about H. This
ne has done in the statement which follow:
Il elk farm As far AS know there Is not
another such farm in the world Ihsre may possibly
be who hold elk in CAPTIVITY ana VINO Keep them
a regular farm where there are nothing but elk.
where they looked after kept in condition. and
when 10 not believe any one has done before me-
My farm is in one Of the most picturesque parts Of
Il is 1853 acres in extent. and through the length of
II runs a splendid trout stream well known through
out the surrounding States under the name Of the
White River country a tract which is not excelled in
the rnited States for the variety of its big game. In
deed ii often called the paradise OF the sportsman
may be gained from the fact that each year raise
for my elk alone enough hay TO bale up 40 tons ana
garner from 800 to 800 bushels OF grain
On this farm. which is $500 feet above the level Of
the sea. the elk roam through The timber land and
across the rolling meadows just though they
not captive But they safe enough. nevertheless.
for have them fenced In with fivc-sirand baro wire
fence.
In my time have followed many lines of work
and farned in different parts Of the country. but
passing through. The elk is such a strange animal:
but In time they get 10 be just as gentle mich
III has been four years now since I first took the
notion OF tanning the elk and raising them just
other people raise cattle. Ii took me year 10 get
the farm In order. 10 capture the six animals with
which ! started. and 10 place them In the nclosed
ranch. Up to that time did not know whether the
idea feasible ] was afraid that should have
great deal Of trouble In DEMONSTRATING them.
To he sure the worst worry Of my life began from
the moment caught the first Elk for the herd. IL
not that they were wild and unruly. on the con-
trary they tame. Although the farm IL
large enough the animals seemed to know by instinct
that they prisoners. They have 10 be petted
like children In the matter OF feeding. too. | have
10 the utmost care. In the summer 1t Is easy
enough they may wander at will and pick up
suitable food from stubbe field and timber land But
during the winter their food must be especially pre-
parcd-chopped and sometimes sweetened when they
do not readily take TO II. But from the first year
everything seemed favor my project The num-
bers Increased rapidly and augmented from the
neghboring forests from time 10 dime. my men
were able to secure the finer specimens
While wandering AT VIII on their native tracts, tho
elk OF all sizes and ages be perfectly able 10
once they get on farm they seem to forget all this.
The young steers. especially, get into end OF
trouble. and break their horns In the most distressing
manner: As these broken horns and badly spreading
prongs in)urc the general appearance Of the herd.
have contrved a means OF regulating and controlling
the horns growth. This Is done by means OF box
like woode9 frame. light and easily carried by the
elk The horns are guided I'm their growth by this
bad places In the timber belt Then too when the
horns are stu In the milk. they very soft and
easily damaged. They have to he watched with the
greatest caution, and Iron rust must be mixed with
thelr FOOD as It has strengthening quality
But although under usual condll Ions elk need no
more care than cows there a time when this
Is changed After the second year OF their life on the
YARNS me males sometimes get ugly during the