The Opelousas courier., 1900-01-27
ELK RAISED FOR PARKS.
PROFIT FOUND IN A NEW INDUSTRY
IN COLORADO.

Inc business OF raising Rocky
Mountain elk promises TO become one
of the established industries in Colo
RADIO. In Slater, Routt county, J. L.
Littleield is DEMONSTRATING q herd of
one hundred head. At Laporti, Lati-
mer county, lobe Miller has enclosed
a tract of forty acres with q woven
wire fence, eight feet high, and has
begun to collect young elk, deer, ETC.,
which he proposes to breed for COM
mercial purposes. Those who have
engaged in the business find it quite
profitable, as there appears to be an
increasing demand for these animals
for public and private parks.
Probably the first to embark in elk
farming on an extensive scale was
Captain Marcus Coon, formerly of
Fort Collins. He came to Colorado
thirty years ago from New York state.
About, fifteen years ago he removed to
the White River country in Rio Blanco
county and took up $50 acres of land
sixteen miles east of the town Of
Meeker. It was about eight years
ago that he conceived the idea OF
breeding elk. To begin with, he
fenced eighty acres Of the most hilly
and broken part of his ranch with
good stout posts and six strands Of
barbed wire. About June l he and
his man went out into the hills in
search of elk, with which to stock the
ranch and secured six heller calls and
one bull calf. With these Captain
Coon made his beginning. He fed
them during the early days of their
captivity upon cows milk from the
bottle. They were allowed to run
about the corrals and door yard, and
soon became quite tame and exceed
ingly lively and playful. They
would soon come, in answer to a call,
for their milk and other food. AS
soon as they were old enough to Craze
and browse upon the heritage about
the place tho milk diet was stopped.
During the first winter they had a
feed Of oats daily, and ate the grain
with avidity. They also had some
hay. In the spring they were turned
out into the Enclosed pasture where
they continued to flourish. requiring
little or no care. In that year Cap
tain Coon secured eleven more young
elk, but he made the mistake of feed
ing them upon condensed milk, and
all AVE two died. In three years the
herd increased to thirty head. About
this time two of the COWS got out OF
the pasture and were killed by a party
Of tourists, for which act the hunters
were indicted.
Five years after beginning the ex-
pertinent Captain Coon began to de-
rive some income from his herd. To
the park commissioners OF Denver he
sold q bull and two cows with calves
at their sides. A COW with a calf at
her side brought 5000. To ship these
animals Captain Coon secured them
In crates and hauled them in wagons
sixty miles overland to Ride on the
Denver 6 Rio Grande railroad.
They we're quite gentle and submitted
to being transported with good grace.
In raising these animals a rare OPP
portunity was afforded for studying
their nature. Captain Coon found
them very hardy. The young are
born almost invariably in June. Dur
ing the breeding season the bulls are
very ngly and will allow no one to N
ter the enclosure.
"Old Sullivan the largest bull elk
that Captain Coon aver raised, had to
be killed at the age of three years in
consequence Of his ugly disposition.
Heshad a way Of breaking through the
pasture fence and letting the entire
herd sout and not troubling himself to
bring them back. He would attack q
horse with a man in the saddle or a
team OF horses atteched to a. wagon.
He could tell whether q person was
afraid Of him or not, md would take
immediate advantage Of any sign of
fear on the part oil an adversary. Cap
tain Coon had q partner named Vau-
GIN who was in fear of Old Sullivan,
and more than once was chased by the
animal; while Captain Coon, who
never allowed himself to show the
slightest sign of fear, could go out
alone and bring in the entire herd.
Captain Coon recently sold a bunch
of tame elk to q man at Plattvllle,
Iowa, to stock a private park. The
bunch was SO large that it was imprac-
ticabIe to crate the animals, so they
were driven across country, to the
nearest railroad station. The task
was found much less difficult than ex-
pected. In fact, the docile animals
were driven as easily ais milch cows.
The bunch consisted Of Is head and
were under the leadership of MAUD"
the bell cow. The captain rode in
front with Maud close behind him,
and the others trailed behind her and
were herded by two helpers. If Maud
seemed inclined to halt or turn aside
the captain called to her softly by
name and she quickly came up SO that
the captain could pat her on the head.
1T was thought that some difficulty
would be experienced in getting them
into the stock cars at the railroad sta
tion, but here again Captain Coon was
happily disappointed. When the gang
plank had been properly put in place
be passed into tile car, calling TO Maud
who without hesitancy followed, and
the other elk in turn followed her.
The bull elk usually attains weight
ranging from 500 to 1000 pounds. In
some instances they grow to 1900
pounds. They do not get their fall
growth until SIX years old. On the
whole, they are treacherous animals,
and strangers going among them must