The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1907-08-04

Man Who started II Says EIk Are az Easy
"a Handle as Cattle or Horses.

Man Who started n says Elk Are az Easy
60 Handle as Cattle or Horses.
Co Dicki Co Dicki"
As the lusty lunged Colorado rancher
sends h cry echoing up from the quak-
ing asp bottoms there Is q sudden crashing
in the underbrush. A tinkling bell draws
nearer. and soon there dashes into the open
glade a magnificent cow elk. About her
neck is a bell, but otherwise there 10 nothing
to hint that she has not sprung from the
wilds. The cracking OF the underbrush
grows louder and soon more elk break
through into the open and stand staring
at the human intruders. They make .
magnificent picture against the green
bushes OF the creek bottom. says the Denver
Republican, and soon across the rushing
trout stream outlined against the sky app
pears a row OF antlered heads.
IL il were not for the fact that in tho
early summer most Of the elk remain in
hiding with their young there would he
from 100 TO 200 Of the animals gathered in
the creek bottom or watching proceed
ings from tho opposite blun. for this 10
the great Littlefield elk ranch Of north
western Colorado the most magnificent elk
preserve in the world.
Fourteen years z Barrett LittleHeld.
a veteran cattleman on the Little Snake
River. saw that elk in the Rocky Noun
tains would soon be oxterminated unless
some steps were taken to preserve them.
Mr.. Lttlefeld's ranch 10 an ideal mountain
retreat at the headwsters of the Little
Snake. Here was the natural home of
the elk years ago. There were few ranches
in that part of Colorado at that time. and
great bands OF elk would come down from
the mountains to winter. TO forage at lower
levels where the snow was not 30 deep.
They caused losses among the ranchmen
owing to the fact that the hungry animals
would break through fences to get at the
stacks Of hay.
But as the country grew more settled
the elk were killed OF. To-day. in a land
where one could see bands OF thousands
Of elk bars ago, one can travel for
weeks without seeing one OF the noblest
animals Of the Rocky Mountain game
country. The elk are practically exter-
minated rs far as Colorado 10 concerned.
and il is only a question Of q few years
until they are exterminated In Jsckson's
Hole, Wyo.. their last stand.
Fortunately, however, Mr.. Littletield had
begun TO work out a scheme for a large elk
preserve. From a small beginning four
teen years ago his elk herd has increased
until he has n magnificent herd. The ami
mails thrive here as they will not thrive in q
city park. because they are in their natural
surroundings. The Iittlefeld elk ranch
is in the heart Of their old time feeding
ground. Part of il is in creek bottoms
thiokly covered with the delicate quaking
aspen, on which elk loveto feed. and part OF
il 10 mountainous. Here the elk wandeI
over hill and dale, getting the food they
like best and being molested very little
by man. In the background are the snow
capped peaks of the Sierra Madre range,
and one cannot wander over the elk pre-
serve without getting some pictures OF
SURPRISING beauty when elk are surprised
in their favorite haunts or come at Mr..
Littlefield's call.
The man who carried ont this unique
idea with such surprising results is a
typical Westerner. In early days he was
"a COW man. and old time caitlemen in
Colorado say Barrett Littleteld was one
Of the most daring riders In ROutt county,
bat when his elk herd began to increase
he sold of all his cattle and now devotes
himself entirely to the preservation and
propagation Of those noble creatures OF
the wilds.
Il like to handle elk, said Mr.. Little
field TO a visitor. They are the cleverest
and most knowing OF nimals You can't
handle them the way you would handle
COWS or horses. however. II you clout an
elk over the nose to make him move away,
az you would a horse, he will never forget
IL. He will give you a wide berth forever
after. IL is hard for a stranger to get near
the elk pere except late in the fall or in the
winter, In the spring when the young
have CONF the old elk hide in the creek
bottoms and will not come out. But in the
fall and winter when feed is geitiD. a little
short the elk will come at my call to get hay.
MIR, Littlefeld has been compelled to
resort to many expedients to keep his
herd from growing too large. He has
supplied the markets OF Denver with elk
meat In the holiday season. and he has
sold many live elk to public parks. some
even being sent to Antwerp for the pub
lie gardens there. For his market trade
he keeps a lumber of steer elk. These
all the year round. while the bull elk shed
theirs in the spring. Ii astounds men who
are familiar with elk in their native haunts
when n group Of antlered creatures is seen
in summer
L. il estimated that in the course OF ten
years. il the present rate Of slaughter is
continued. there will be no elk in Colorado
and comparatively few in Wyoming. where
most Of the survivors have fed. Poachers
are even killing elk in Yellowstone National
Park. running down the animals In winter.
when the police protection in the park liz
inadequate. Only a few weeks & several
Of these elk poachers were caught by the
authorities and heavily fined.
But thanks to the foresight OF Mr.. Lit
tlefield the elk are not doomed TO total
extinction. As long as he maintains his
always be safe from total elimination. no
matter how shamelessly the hunters carry
on their work Of destruction.
Something Of . Come on the Way.
Econ, The WesImi1s ser Gosene