The midland journal. (Rising Sun, Md.) 1885-1947, 1908-01-03
FloHT RETWEEN ELks.
Struggle to the Death OF TWO 5uIls
for Leadership of the Herd.

Struggle to the Death OF Two 5ulle
for Leadership Of the Herd.
Yesterday afternoon my cousin and
were on our way back from the but.
falo range when as we were riding
along the road we saw a man stand
ing near the fence looking through It
into the enclosure for the moose and
elk and evidently very much inter
ested in what he saw. We stopped
to see what he was looking at, and
when we reached the point where
we could see there, not six feet from
the fence, was huge bull elk. Not
far from the bull, but partly hidden
by the bushes were several cows.
The bull was walking up and down
whistling, screaming and making
number of very extraordinary noises.
He was greatly excited and his eyes
were staring and bloodshot. Present.
ly we noticed that every time he
whistled another whistle answered in
the distance and that this whistle
kept growing louder. 1t came nearer
and nearer, until we could hear Ea3me
animal crashing through the push
es, and moment later another huge
bull elk walked out into the little
opening.
The one near. the fence rushed
toward the newcomer, which at first
had no courage to await the charge.
The first bull did not follow him
far but came back and continued to
walk up and down whistling, and
presently the other bull returned
when he was again charged and again
ran away. This happened three
times, and then the newcomer SEEM
ed to screw his courage to the
fighting point, and the two charged
each other and came together at
run, their ,antlers clashing loudly
as they met. The man who had
been watching them took out his
watch and timed them, and for thirty
Ave minutes they fought with great
fury They seemed very evenly mat
ched and for the most part sim
ply pushed head to head, though once
or twice one pushed the other back
little way or twisted him about
in the effort to reach a point from
which he could thrust his horns in.
to the others side. When this hap.
pened the one that was being turn.
ed would jump nimbly back and get
fresh grip with his horns.
Not long after the fight began an
interested spectator appeared on thu
scene in the shape Of a young bull
He came out of the bushes and stood
watching the battle, but every time
the fighting pair worked over toward
him the young bull turned and trot'
ted of.
The fight was the most thrilling
thing ever saw, and it seemed hard.
ly five minutes before one Of the
two was tired out. He jumped back,
turned and tried to run away. but
slipped little, and in second the
other had knocked him down with
his horns. saw the conqueror jump
on the victim, and we started for
the keeper. When we returned with
him, we found that the victor had
gone away and the other was dying.
A point of the antler had passed
through his windpipe.
We rode on a little further and
saw the victorious elk standing in
an open space with the cows. He
was painting hard, his antlers were
covered with blood, and the prong OF
one of them was broken. His mouth
was open, his tongue hanging out
and his eyes were bloodshot. He
presented quite horrible appear
ance. He was wild with rage, and
Ias soon as he saw us he rushed
toward us but brought up agains.
the fence. Then he would retire and
charge the fence again and again.
Once. when the young bull put his
head out of the bushes, the big bull
dashed after him and chased him
away. Alberta correspondence Forest
and Stream.