THE SCANDINAVIAN ELK 133 



plied by sundry shallow scrapings of the ground, the fore- 

 runners of the deeper pits which the bull scoops out when his 

 frenzy is more advanced. When, owing to the purpose for 

 which the elk uses them, these pits begin to be so ammoniacally 

 odoriferous as to become guides to even a human nose, then it 

 may be accepted as a certainty that a bull accompanied by a 

 cow is, if not previously disturbed, somewhere in their vicinity. 

 According to the best authority, the bull only remains with 

 the cow for about three days, after which she will have nothing 

 more to do with him, and beats him off, whereupon he resumes 

 his travels in search of fresh loves. During the whole rutting 

 season, which lasts for about three weeks or a month, and is 

 therefore included to a great extent in the present Norwegian 

 elk season, he eats little or nothing except certain plants of a 

 stimulant character, and becomes, in consequence, reduced to 

 the worst possible condition. At this time he develops a very 

 strong but not particularly disagreeable odour, akin to musk, 

 to such an extent that a hunter might often follow by using his 

 own nose, without the aid of a dog. All the trees and bushes, 

 and even tall grasses against which he brushes during his 

 progress through the wood, are tainted with this peculiar scent. 

 The old bull elks now become very savage and pugnacious, 

 and, not content with attacking each other, will occasionally 

 run at any object they see in motion. My Lapp hunter tells 

 me that when prospecting for elk without a rifle and in the 

 interests of his late employer, he was several times charged by 

 bulls, and had to run for his life and conceal himself in a 

 thicket. But on all these occasions as soon as the elks reached 

 his track and, nosing the ground, recognised the scent of 

 humanity, they in their turn swung round and retreated. It 

 would, however, be foolhardy, if unarmed, to stand their 

 charge, as they might strike the life out of a man with their 

 forefeet, their most dangerous weapon, before their timidity of 

 or respect for the human race generally came into play. An 

 English sportsman of my acquaintance, while returning one 

 evening from an unsuccessful chase, in crossing a small opening 



