American Big-Game Hunting 



I thought they were going to proceed from 

 curiosity to more offensive operations, so close 

 did they come to us. Even my caterwauling, 

 as my friend unfeelingly characterized my 

 attempt to imitate their challenges, did not 

 seem to alarm them, and not until a full half- 

 hour had elapsed did this pair of inquisitive 

 worthies at length jog off. 



Elk are vigorous fighters, and while it seems 

 that their combats seldom terminate fatally, 

 the broken points of their antlers, and their 

 scarred and bruised bodies, bear testimony 

 to the severity of their encounters. A full- 

 grown elk stands about sixteen hands high, 

 is about eight feet two inches long from nose 

 to tip of tail, and with a girth around the 

 chest of about six feet. 



It was on the head of Wind River that I 

 secured my largest head. The regularity of 

 the points was somewhat marred, as the bull 

 had evidently been fighting only a short time 

 before I killed him. These horns were not 

 very massive, but the length, measured along 

 the outside curve, is sixty-three and seven 

 eighths inches. The circumference between 

 bay and tray is from seven and one half to 



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