Vilas County news. [volume] (Eagle River, Vilas County, Wis.) 1896-1927, 1915-03-10
HERD OF ELK ARRIVES

Herd Go to the Trout Lake
Preserve-Two Killed in
Shipment.
Speaking of the shipment of a
herd of thirty elk from Yellow
stone National Park country to
the Wisconsin game preserve at
Trout lake in Villas county. the
Wausau Record-Herald of last
Thursday saws:
A herd of twenty-eight elk passed
through Wausau Thursday noon en-
route to the state game park at trout
Lake, Wisconsin, coming from the
Yellowstone National park. The herd
was in charge of Howard Eaton, a
famous hunter and novelist. The
train over the Milwaukee road consist
ed of an engine, caboose and the car
in which the elk were carried.
Mr.. Eaton said that the animals
were captured last Thursday, and
this herd consists Of six males and
twenty-five females. When they left
the Yellowstone park country thirty
elk made up the herd. Near Miles
City, Mont, the air brakes on the
train broke and the train stopped sud-
denly, throwing the elk to one end of
the car in heap. Two of them were
killed Mr.. Eaton was in the car at
the time and he was caught between
the animals and one of his ribs was
fractured.
The herd of elk was brought to Wis
consin on application of the officials
of the state The secretary of the in
terror had issued orders that any
state could have thirty elk, providing
they had suitable protection and
quarters for them. Pennsylvania,
West Virginia and Minnesota have
already received consignments and
after the Wisconsin delivery is made,
herds will be shipped to Michigan,
New York and Louisiana. Mr. Eaton
has charge of the deliveries.
The Yellowstone National park
country has about $4,000 wild elk.
Twenty-Five thousand, he says, are in
the northern part and the remainder
in the southern part. These figures
are given out by the government, but
he believes that the number of wild
elk is considerably larger. He says
that he has done much hunting for
buffalo and elk in that country, apd
bases his estimate on observation.
Mr. Eaton stated that there are
only two of the elk in the herd that
are two years old, the others being
calves. They were born either last
May, June or July. He said that the
animals do not increase very fast. 1t
is very seldom that twins are born.
He believes the elk will not have to be
fed in this northern country as they
are able to find their own food if the
snow is not over two feet deep.
The state game park is located at
Trout Lake and contains about six
hundred acres. At present the state
department has about forty deer in
the reserve The animals in the PARK
are protected and are not allowed to
be killed within the enclosure.
According to Mr.. Eaton the work of
capturing the wild elk is interesting.
There are two corrals in the country,
one in the northern and one in the
southern part of the park. Leading
up to the corrals, which are large en-
closures, are trails OF hay, arranged
in the shape of the spokes of wheel.
The animals follow the hay line, and
when they get inside of the enclosure,
which is filled with hay, attendants
close the gates. In the haul, which
included the thirty intended for the
Wisconsin park, six hundred and fifty
were taken.
At La Crosse Wednesday night a
fire started in the box car and the
lives of the twenty eight animals
were threatened After Mr.. Eaton had
cared for the animals he went to a
restaurant to eat his supper. He
had lust ordered his meal. when a
railroad man ran into the restaurant
and informed him of the fire. They
procured an auto and rode to the
scene. The doors of the ear had been
broken and railroad men had put out
the fire which burned some OF the hay
and straw Sparks from passing
engine had ignited the straw.
Mr. Eaton lives at Wolff, Mont,
and has spent many years hunting in
that country. He has wiHten several
books on elk and buffalo, concerning
their lives and hunting them.
The elk were transported by the
Northern Pacific road TO Miles City,
/ Mont, where they were transferred