Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1905-10-21
ON THE ELKS' TRAIL
HUNT FOR THE NOBLE ANIMAL
IN BLUE MOUNTAIN FOREST.
Stalking the Quarry Through the
Woods-Death Of the King
Of the Herd.
Written for The Star.

Written for The Star
Personally, never hunt; my sympathies
are all with the hunted, and prefer to put
my energies into the protection of game
rather than into the destruction Of 1t. New
ertheless, that I may be able to speak in
teiilsently on this subject, and as much
from personal experience as possible, I fire.
auently accompany hunters in their trips
afield. Thus 1t was that yesterday accept
ed an invitation from hunting party to
witness an elk hunt in the Blue mountain
forest.
bull elk in October is one of the grand
est sights of which an American forest can
boast AS large as horse. and crowned
with glorious antlers, he stalks the earth
Ike a king, and large as he is. he treads
the ground with a springy step, which
speaks of power and health and vigor. And
lis voice is in keeping with his form and
carriage; clear as a bugle note 1t sounds
from the hills in the early morning. and
again at evening as the setting sun lights
the autumn foliage on the western slopes.
Such was the animal / had for weeks been
watching as he followed his band of twenty
cows from the cover of the woodland, just
before sundown, and which had thrilled me
with his long-drawn challenge in the gray
light of the dawn; such was the prize the
SOuSHl 10 VIII WHeH at 4 o CLOCK
yesterday afternoon 1 met them in the
shadow of a hunting camp on the side of
Croydon mountain.
Betrayed by His Faint Call.
After the first greetings we sat in silence.
None knew where the king might be; 1t was
known only that he had selected the terri
tory hereabouts as his domain, and that If
we were quiet his shrill bugle note might
he i'm md n for On,
the hills came the call, so faint that but one
member of the party heard it. The hunters
took their rifles and. following the guide,
filed down into the valley, from the oppo-
site side of which the faint whistle had
come.
At the bottom of the valley there was
long. level stretch OF grass land, and across
this the guide had figured that the elk would
come. From time to time the great stag
called, and each time the sound grew louder
as the distance between us grew shorter.
The guide thought he knew the point at
which the band would cross the open, and
near this point we hid low among the dark
spruces. We had not waited long when a
COW elk stepped out from the woodland and
moved across the grass. but at point much
farther away from us than the guide had
figured on. Evidently the band had changed
it's direction while still in the woods, and
the distance was considered too great to
risk a shot at the stag when he should ap-
pear 1t would be necessary to wait for
better chance.
One by one the does filed across the
stretch of grass, and then, when the last
had gone, we heard the challenge of the bull
and Immediately he STROBE into the open. e.
What a wonderful creature he was! There
was a suppressed "Ahr' from every member
of the hunting party. for they were watch
ing him through their field glasses. and,
prepared as they were for his grandeur, he
surprised them.
Through the Woods.
When they had gone, we arose, and the
guide led US back into the woods with
rapid. noiseless steps. He knew the par
ticular feeding ground the elk would be
most likely to visit first, and, making a
wide detour, we followed him toward an
other stretch of grass land, we'll up on
much higher ground, and perhaps two miles
to the southwark. The wind was in our
favor, the work of approaching the
herd would have been much more difficult.
AS it was, we hurried along just keeping
a bright lookout for a possible stray cow
elk. who. If she should see us or get our
wind, would bark and thus give the
alarm, and send every living creature
within hearing to the tall timber at its
fastest pace.
Twice we came upon white deer. but they
did not snort-simply threw up their flags
and sprang away to the woods. AS we
neared the feeding ground mentioned above
we slowed down and approached with
great CaullOn. Inc open space was OOrOer-
ed by a mixed growth, spruce and white
pine, NAPLES and white birches, and peer
ing between them we could get occasional
glimpses of COW elk, showing that the herd
was already on the ground. The bull was
not in sight and any attempt to get bet
ter view would probably have resulted in
some OF the band catching sight of us.
So the guide halted us until the next bug4e
note should reveal the whereabouts of that
which he sought. 1t was sounded at some
distance to the east, and perhaps quarter
of q mile to the southwark of where we
stood, and at once the guide took up his
work of stalking, with the hunters follow
ing close behind.
Stalking the Elk.
This was by far the most interesting part
of the game and was really exciting, know
ing, as we did, that the snap OF a twig,
change in the direction of the wind, or a
failure to keep under cover, would result
in an immediate stampede of the elk. Once
we had to cross an open place. and 1t was
necessary to lie fiat and wriggle along
through the grass Again the guide stop
ped and peered warily through the fringe
of trees, and again he waited for the call
of the bull elk, to guide him in his search.
Like the blast of a trumpet it came from
behind a elump of trees to the east, and
triumphant and defiant as it was, I felt
that the noble beast was sounding his knell
that his hour had come. The guide crept
ed to take the first shot, while the rest of
US drew back to watch the end without
disturbing the game.
Crash" the wind had changed, and like
a charge of cavalry the herd of elk broke
away across the open and plunged through
the fringe of trees and underbrush by
which they were surrounded. Now, I
thought, the bull will get away, but crouch
ing low, 1 saw him standing near a spruce
tree, calmly watching the departure of the
cows. One by one they passed him, but
not a step would he take until the last of
his band had gone.
Passing of the Bull Elk.
Crack went the gun of the hunter, and
I Rugged myself as I saw that he had
missed 1t clean. The great stag wheeled
half around, as IL he would have faced
his skulking foe, and as he turned he swung
those glorious antlers which in open fight
would have brought hm victory over a
score of such puny foes as men. Then.
with head erect, and striding with a dig
nifty which no man could approach, he
started to follow his band.
Crack! crack! crack!' from as many
high-power rifles, and one of the bullets
severing the great brute's spine, he fell as
If his legs had been mown from under him.
For % moment those wondrOus anf1ers