Okolona messenger. (Okolona, Miss.) 1900-current, 1906-01-31
LASSOING WILD ELK.
TRANSFERRING ANIMALS FROM
RANGE TO NATIONAL PARK.
Stirring Scenes Enacted While Cap
4 turing Antlered Band fer
the National Pre-
serve.

oSSHeS 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 antlercd herd that once
roamed the western plains by thou
sands, are being temporarily taken
into captivity to be again liberated
within day Of two IN an immense in
closure in the sequoja 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,
says the San Francisco Call. 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 leading in
the work of rounding up the elk, and
these animals though swift of limb,
appear not to be able to escape the
moose thrown by the practised hand Of
their pursuers.
A year ago an effort was made to
take the elk into captivity to transfer
them to the Sequoia national park, but
1t was doomed to failure. An attempt
was made to drive the animals. On
that occasion two bands of elk were
AIDED northward by vaqueros. When
the animals found they were being
driven they scattered out over, the vast
territory that is practically a desert,
adjacent to the coast range. and efforts
to stop their fight resulted in the
death from exhaustion of about 80
large elk. Now the new method Of
lassoing and tying tho elk individually
is in operation and has proved success.
full. After two days work 80 elk have
been placed in captivity in a strong
stock corral, and their transmission to
the park will be easy.
The history Of this band is unique.
When the last Of their kind had disap-
peared from mountain, plains and val
leys throughout the west and when It
was presumed that SO far as California
was concerned there were no elk in ex-
istence 1t was discovered that there
were q few survivors running loose on
the great ranges Of Miller and Lux. in
the neighborhood Of Button Willow, Is
miles southwest Of Bakersfield. Occa-
sionally the vaqueros spied an antlered
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 enclosed fields.
And here on this great cattle farm
the remnant Of all that Is left Of the
elk kind An California increased from
year to year until now there are be-
tween $50 and 900 full grown elk in the
bands that roam over the cattle ranges
across the mesa lands and In the foot
hills OF the coast range. They have
lost most of their timidity for man,
and it Is not uncommon for them to
break into enclosed fields and play
havoc with the Egyptian corn and 9TH
or crops, For some years past the
ranch has been anxious to have the
government remove the elk to the ma
tional park, and the plan now being
adopted to move the elk is the sugges-
ton from the interior department at
Washington.
One elk was killed BY exhaustion,
another died in the corral, and third
died from injuries. When the riders
closed in the powerful bulls became in
furiated and charged the vaqueros.
Here again great skill was displayed
By the cowmen.
AS quickly as the riatas were over
the 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 excitement.
At nightfall ave stock cars, contain
ing 80 elk, left Lokern for Exeter.
they win be landed on Monday and
move overland distance Of 80 miles to
the government reservation. The
roundup win be continued from time
20 time until the entire herd has been
nartvrad