come hardened, which usually requires about five months. This 

 velvet is then removed by rubbing against trees until it is entire- 

 ly gone. They are getting to be very rare east of the Rockies 

 and are usually found in small herds of a dozen or more or per- 

 haps only a pair. After the breeding season they congregate in 

 large herds, sometimes in favorable localities to the number of 

 several hundred. They do most of their feeding in the early morn- 

 ing and evening, remaining quiet during the greater part of the 

 day. Their food consists largely of the leaves and tender twigs 

 of a large variety of trees, or of grass and weeds. If disturbed 

 the bull elk will give out a sharp whistle of warning to the others 

 of the herd, and from that instant they are all on the lookout for 

 any danger. During the winter months they feed out in the open 

 more on grass and moss which shows above the snow. 



In the hottest weather they have the same habits as the moose 

 of resorting to the ponds and rivers in which they will stand with 



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