ELK -HUNTING IN THE OLYMPIC MOUNTAINS. . 47 



secluded thicket, and rubs his horns against a small tree 

 until they drop off, when he at once rejoins the herd. The 

 top of the pedicel, from which the antlers have been 

 dropped, will sometimes show sores as large in circumfer- 

 ence as a silver dollar. These spots, however, soon heal 

 over, and the antlers sprout anew in March or April. About 

 the middle of July they are in the velvet, when the bull 

 again leaves the herd, and seeks an open meadow on some 

 lonely mountain-peak, where there are plenty of bushes. 

 He then devotes much of his time in the morning to thrash- 

 ing and rubbing the bushes with his antlers, there evi- 

 dently being some microbe or insect in the velvet that 

 irritates the animal. There is always plenty of blood to 

 be found on such thrashing-grounds. 



In the afternoon, when the sun is shining fiercely, the 

 Elk will lie down in the open, exposing his antlers to its 

 rays. Hunters call this hardening the horns. By the 

 middle of August the horns are hardened and polished; 

 then his Elkship leaves the higher ranges of the mountains, 

 declares war against all other bull Elk, strides up and 

 down the canons and mountain-sides, and collects a harem 

 of cows, over which he rules with Turk-like severity, unless 

 deposed by some stronger and more formidable beast of his 

 kind. If so deposed, he loses no time, but starts at once in 

 search of another harem, that is, perhaps, ruled over by a 

 weaker Elk than himself. A battle royal now takes place, 

 and if victorious, the roamer is ruler once more; if not, he 

 continues his search for a weaker potentate whom he can 

 dethrone. 



In May, the Elk leave the foot-hills, and seek the higher 

 ranges of mountains, going as near the snow-line as pos- 

 sible, and yet not so high as to be beyond the timber-line. 

 The cows leave the herd, and seek tangled thickets, where 

 the calves are dropped. The cow is a tender and affec- 

 tionate mother, and is immense^ proud of her graceful, 

 spotted infant. She will fight for it to the death if need 

 be. Should a Cougar or Bear appear, or a Wolf come 

 prowling near, she will at once utter a loud call, stamp her 



