Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1905-12-05
IAsSoING HERD OF WILD ELK
Success of Experiment to Transfer
Animals From Range to National Park

From the San Francisco Call.
Scenes that man never again may witness
in the western hemisphere are now being
enacted on the great mesa along the coast
range. where the only surviving elk outside
OF parks in the United States, the remnant
OF the great bands of the antlered herd
that once roamed the western plains py
thousands, are being temporarily taken into
captivity to be again liberated within a 1av
or two in an immense Enclosure In the Sc
quota National Park near the Yosemite
Valley, some 100 miles to the north of The
present roundup.
Stirring scenes are those connected with
the capture of this antlered band Men
whose lifetime training has been among the
cattle herds Of the west are engaged in the
work. Fifty of these picturesque vaqueros.
the pick Of the men who attend to countless
herds on the great cattle ranches, are lead
ing in the work of rounding up the elk, and
these animals. though swift of limb. ap-
pear not to be able to escape the moose
thrown by the practiced hand of their pur-
SuerS.
A year ago an effort was made to take
the elk into captivity to transfer them TO
the Sequoia National Park but ii was
doomed to failure. An attempt was made
TO drive the animals. On that occasion
two bands of elk were headed northward
by Vaqueros. When the animals found they
were being driven they scattered out over
the vast territory that is practically des-
ert. adjacent to the coast range and er-
forts to stop their fight resulted in the
death from exhaustion OF about thirty
large elk. Now the new method of lasso-
Ing and tying the elk individually Is in ope-
ration and has proven successful. After
Two days work thirty-two elk have been
placed In captivity In a strong stock cor
raj. and their transmission to the park VIII
be easy.
the last of their kind had disappeared from
mountains, plains and valleys throughout
the west and when it was presumed that SO
lar as California was concerned there were
no elk in existence it was discovered that
there were few survivors running loose
on the great ranges of Miller and Lux. In
the neighborhood of Button Willow TWEEN
ty-flye miles southwest of Bakersfield Oc-
casionally the vaqueros spied an antiered
head among the long horns in some lonely
canon. and at times an elk would be driven
with band of cattle into one of the great
inclosed fields.
And here on this great cattle farm the
remnant of all that Ia left of the elk kind
In California increased from year to year
until now there are between go and 3O0
fuli-grown elk in the bands that roam over
the cattle ranges across the mesa lands and
in the foothills of the coast range They
have lost most of their timidity for man,
and it is not uncommon for them to break
into inclosed fields and play havoc with
the Egyptian corn and other crops. For
some years past the ranch has been anx-
ious to have the government remove the
elk to the National Park. and the plan now
being adopted to move the elk Is the sug-
gestlon from the Interior Department at
Washington.
One elk was killed by exhaustion. another
died in the corral and a third died from
injuries. when the riders closed In the
powerful bulls became Infatuated ana
charged the vaqueros. Here again great
skin was displayed by the cowmen
Az -x,vE rtxf - sic, fae xn-nx~ fnn
horns other riders caught the elk from the
rear. The animals were thrown to the
ground and tied. While this contest lasted
three ponies died from exhaustion and ex-
citefnent.
At nsghtfali FIVE stock cars' containing
thirsy-two elk, left L1okern for Exeter.
They will be landed on Monday and moved
overland distance of thirty miles to the
government reservation. The roundup Will
be continued from time TO time until the
entire herd has been captured.