EAISING DEEE FOE PEOFIT 277 



periods both deer will subsist very well in win- 

 ter, the whitetail on browse, and the elk by 

 pawing away light snow and eating the grass; 

 but even where not required by the severity of 

 the season regular winter feeding is advised. 

 "Hay and cornf odder are excellent winter 

 forage; but alfalfa hay has proved to be the 

 best dry food for both elk and deer. A little 

 oats or corn whole or chopped may be fed 

 each day. Elk are fond of corn, and feeding it 

 affords excellent opportunities for winning 

 their confidence and taming them. The same 

 may be said of salt, which should be furnished 

 liberally to all deer kept in enclosures. Sun- 

 ning water, although not essential, is of great 

 importance in maintaining elk in good condi- 

 tion." If not closely confined elk do not gnaw 

 the bark from trees nor eat evergreen foliage ; 

 but, like goats, they do clear out the thickets. 



The providing of a buck and a few does to 

 start with is not very expensive; but a rather 

 costly item of preparation is the fencing. Or- 

 dinarily a five-foot fence is sufficient, especially 

 in the case of elk, which are less inclined to 

 jump than are other deer. Old bucks, and 



