288 THE DEER OF AMEPdCA. 



stimulated, no doubt, during the rutting season, and was as 

 wicked as he need be towards the younger bucks ; nor did I con- 

 sider it safe for a stranger to go into the park, but my own men 

 went through it at all times in security. One fall, I sent my 

 teams in to haul stone from the Elk Park during the rutting sea- 

 sou. It was manifest he did not like it, but he made no attack 

 upon them, though he would frequently place himself in the road 

 and face them, but woidd allow them to quietly turn out and 

 drive around him. Of course, they were prepared for emergen- 

 cies, and were ordered to diminish the number by one if he of- 

 fered to attack. The other bucks — and there were at least a 

 dozen about as large as he was — never showed the least vicious- 

 ness at any season, and so it was with the second one during the 

 reign of the first as above described, and yet as soon as he suc- 

 ceeded to the rule his whole disposition seemed changed at once, 

 and he immediately became as bad as the other. As we shall 

 hereafter see, this was the last of my very vicious Elk. 



I think that the very wicked bucks are exceptional, probably, 

 as much so as vicious bulls among our common stock. We all 

 know that occasionally a bull is met with which will attack any 

 person on sight, still they are generally docile. Perhaps with 

 some limitations, I think the same law governs the Elk, and that 

 w^e shall rarely find specimens as vicious as those described. The 

 first and finest male Elk I ever had was brought up by hand, 

 was well halter broken, had been constantly handled, and yet he 

 was not vicious in disposition, although he would often make 

 demonstrations towards strangers during the rut. While they 

 seem to have no individual attachments, and no affection for each 

 other, and are very selfish, they are still social in their nature, 

 and so are gregarious in their habits. It is rare to find a soli- 

 tary individual, and then I think it is the result of accident rather 

 than choice. They are easily alarmed, and when one shows 

 signs of fear it instantly communicates itself to the whole band. 

 The first to take alarm is most likely a buck. If they see the 

 keeper coming towards them, and a single one fails to recognize 

 him, and dashes away on that long trot, and with a high head 

 indicating alarm, the chances are that all will take fright and 

 dash away into the woods, or onto the next side-hill, and there 

 stop and turn around to see what frightened them. A few calls 

 and his well known voice is recognized, when they will come 

 towards him. Since the band has got large and they have been 

 more confined to the secluded East Park, those does which were 



