. Our big game; a book for sportsmen and nature lovers . o hima few years ago on account of his tameness, but he hasovercome that. His great size, handsome form, andsplendid, symmetrical antlers delight the eye of thesportsman, who loves to follow him in the vast forestsand picturesque mountains where he dwells. He hasoften been called the king of the deer. His flesh istender and delicious and wonderfully nutritious, muchmore so than beef. Grinnell says the bull elk is about the size of a horseand measures about five feet high at the withers. Thefemales are somewhat smaller. Full-grown bulls w
. Our big game; a book for sportsmen and nature lovers . o hima few years ago on account of his tameness, but he hasovercome that. His great size, handsome form, andsplendid, symmetrical antlers delight the eye of thesportsman, who loves to follow him in the vast forestsand picturesque mountains where he dwells. He hasoften been called the king of the deer. His flesh istender and delicious and wonderfully nutritious, muchmore so than beef. Grinnell says the bull elk is about the size of a horseand measures about five feet high at the withers. Thefemales are somewhat smaller. Full-grown bulls willweigh more than 600 pounds. Judge Caton, whoraised many of these animals in his park in Illinois, hadone which weighed 650 pounds when three years old,and which, he says, probably weighed 900 poundswhen he was unfortunately killed. He stood oversixteen hands at the withers. Mr. Hornaday gives theweight of one which died in the New York ZoologicalPark as 706 pounds. The elk grows until he is eightor nine years old. He is not quite so large as the 4j6. •ji. u M o THE WAPITI OR ELK 47 largest moose, but is far handsomer. He has, in fact,all the grace and beauty of the common deer, whilethe moose is positively ugly, excepting possibly to thosewho see more beauty in the pug and bull-dog than inthe thoroughbred setters and pointers. The horns ofthe elk are round, wide-branching, and symmetrical, likethose of the deer. They are the most magnificenttrophy of the chase. The color of the elk is yellowishbrown. The head, neck, legs, and under parts are arich burnt umber. The rump is yellowish white,bordered by dark brown. The dark brown hair onthe neck is coarse and very long. The elk has a valuable hide, which, as Grinnell says,has a commercial value which makes it sousfht afterby those butchers of the plains called Indians prized the teeth of the elk and used themas ornaments. Like the common Virginia deer, the elk occupied awide range throughout the United States
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