ELK-nU]SrTING I]!^ THE OLYMPIC MOUNTAINS. 49 



Nothing is more interesting than to witness a battle 

 between two okl bull Elks. The challenger, when approach- 

 ing a band, or harem, blows a loud whistle of defiance. (Take 

 a lialf-pint bottle and blow strongly into it, and the sound 

 so produced will be similar to the call of the bull Elk during 

 the rutting-season.) This whistle is at once answered by 

 the ruler of the herd, who steps boldly forth to do battle 

 with the intruder. With heads lowered between their fore 

 feet, the two adversaries walk around • waiting for an 

 opening, and when one is thrown off his guard, the other 

 makes a savage rush; but his opponent instantly regains, 

 counters the charge, and as they rush together, the horns 

 strike each other with such terrific force that the report can 

 be heard for a long distance. Slowly retreating, bellowing, 

 grumbling, and grinding their teeth in a paroxysm of rage, 

 they again circle around, and when an opportunity is 

 afforded, make another charge, which is countered as 

 before. The challenging Elk usually does most of the 

 offensive fighting until he finds (if such be the case) that 

 he is the weaker; then he sullenly retires, bellowing as 

 he goes. These battles are seldom fatal, and during rut- 

 ting-season are an everyday occurrence. Ugly wounds 

 often result from them, and sometimes a prong of an 

 antler is broken in the affray. 



There has been a great deal of controversy in the various 

 sportsmen' s papers concerning the relative size and weight 

 of the Elk. On the Pacific Coast they grow larger than in 

 the Rocky Mountain regions, and will average, for cows, 

 about four hundred pounds; for bulls, about seven hundred. 

 Of course there are exceptions to this. I have seen an Elk 

 that would weigh ,at least eleven hundred pounds; but he 

 was the Jumbo of his species, and would stand at least 

 seventeen hands high, as they measure horses. The Elk is a 

 de(!eiving animal in regard to weight, being short-bodied 

 and having long legs. 



For so kingly an appearing creature, the Elk is a very 

 common feeder. He does not hanker, like his smaller 

 brother, the Black-tailed Deer, for the potato-patch, the 



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