CALIFORNIA FISH AND GAME 49 



tule, mulei'ffi'owtli aiul srass. Mnr-li of the undergrowth is from three to six 

 feet high (see Fig. 8). Most of the area belongs to the City of Los Angeles 

 and is luswl only for watershed and cattle grazing. There are a few private 

 ranches left in the valley, and if the elk take to these ranches, there may be 

 difficulties. However, the ranch neai-est to the place of liberation was 10 miles 

 south. 



Mr. Dow, the Fish and Game officers, and county sheriff seemed to be 

 extremely interested in the welfare of the elk and will do everything they can 

 in the way of care and protection. The animals will be kept in the paddock 

 about a week, until they recover from the trip. 



The preceding excerpts from reports of Park Service employees 

 indicate the successful manner in which the elk transfer was executed. 

 Too much praise can not be given these men for their care and fore- 

 sight in this regard. Dr. Grinnell, writing Superintendent Thomson 

 on November 8, 1933, said: "You can not overestimate my personal 

 satisfaction that the transfer of the elk out of Yosemite Valley was 

 so successfully accomplished. It is evident that a lot of administra- 

 tive thought and skill was necessary to bring the whole undertaking 

 to conclusion. * * *" It is believed that the careful preshipment 

 handling and loading methods used were largely responsible for the 

 ultimate success of the transfer, for, in the ease of the earlier elk 

 plantings, considerable loss seems to have resulted from rough handling 

 of the animals prior to shipping (see Evermann, California Fish and 

 Game, vol. 2, 1916, p. 77). 



It may well be, too, that the modern methods of transportation 

 used in the present transfer (see Fig. 12) and resulting in the animals 

 being confined in their crates for a minimum of time, also influenced 

 the final success of the venture. For transportation by modern auto- 

 mobile trucks presents a strange contrast to the horse-drawn wagons 

 used in the earlier plantings (see Fig. 24, California Fish and Game, 

 vol.1, 1915, p. 92). 



The elk apparently adapted thenxselves quickly to their new sur- 

 roundings in Owens Valley. All, with the exception of an old bull that 

 was injured prior to shipping, seemed to thrive in the holding pen in 

 which they were kept for nine days. The following account of their 

 liberation from this pen on October 20 is quoted from a letter by 

 G. W. Dow to Supt. Thomson. 



We liberated the elk at 9.30 this morning with 100 per cent of the herd in 

 fine condition or in as fine condition as they were when loaded at Yosemite. 

 The old bull that had been hurt previous to the transfer seems to be getting 

 along fairly well and while we have been doctoring him some every day since 

 his arrival here we decided that he would be about as well off turned out of 

 the corral. 



We opened the gate this moniing and aft-^r some time we persuaded them 

 to come out and after they were out in the open they realized there was no 

 fence and they galloped off through the willows and disappeared, with the old 

 bull following along behind calling them. We tried to follow them a short 

 distance but decided they had left and had gone to see if they could find the 

 end of the pasture. After circling around with our cars we made a trip down 

 the river and found that they had not passed so presumed they had not gone 

 very far so we all returned home. About an hour later one of my former 

 employees went down to the corral thinking he would have a chance to see the 

 elk and found that the herd had all returned to the corral. 



While the elk were in the corral we fed them about a ton of hay and I 

 believe they were beginning to put on some flesh. 



4—9030 



