FIELD BOOK OF MAMMALS 



gray slightly washed with fulvous, to grizzled buffy whit- 

 ish." (Merriam) Found only in Kern County, California. 



****** * 



The Wapiti is the largest of the North American Deer, ex- 

 cept for the Moose. It is closely akin to the Red Deer of 

 Europe, the Stag, and there are Wapiti to be found in Asia. 

 It is unfortunate that the early settlers applied the name of 

 Elk to the American Wapiti which in no way resembles the 

 Old World Elk, a true Moose. "Wapiti" is said to be the 

 name used for our animal by the Shawnee Indians. 



The original range of the Wapiti included the greater part 

 of North America between the parallels of 35° and 50° and 

 almost to 60° along the eastern slopes of the Rockies. From 

 the earliest times, this animal is mentioned in the accounts of 

 the explorers and pioneers to whom it was naturally a note- 

 worthy beast, because of its size and also its importance as a 

 food supply. With the settlement of North America, this 

 large Deer has rapidly disappeared, especially in the eastern 

 section of the continent. Today there are no descendants of 

 the original eastern Wapiti east of about 105°; animals from 

 the West have been brought East to restock certain areas. 



The principal stronghold of the Wapiti at this time is the 

 Yellowstone National Park where the herds are estimated at 

 40,000. Other regions where wild Wapiti occur in fair num- 

 bers are in Montana, Idaho, Washington, and Manitoba, 

 Wapiti feed up into the mountains during summer and 

 scatter out over a wide range. In the winter they come down 

 from such regions of heavy snowfall and seek more sheltered 

 feeding grounds on the lowlands. The restriction of open 

 range, the erection of fences, the competition of domestic 

 stock, and the hunting of the bull Elk for the canine teeth, 

 formerly used as the emblem of a fraternal order, have all 

 operated to limit the numbers of Wapiti. 



Today this animal is well protected by law in most places. 

 Open seasons when it may be shot are short and the National 

 Government is doing much to conserve this great game 

 mammal. 



In behavior the Wapiti is typically deer-like. The bulls 

 are polygamous and, during the fall, call or "bugle" a chal- 

 lenge to one another. The velvet has been rubbed from the 

 antlers by this time and the hard, polished prongs are fomiid- 



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