ELK, WAPITI. 71 



camping' utensfls, an extra, steady-going saddle horse, accustomed 

 to the picket-rope, and not easily frightened by the use of fire-arms 

 The clothing should be of heavy woolen material, and of a pale 

 yellowish- brown. The rifle used should be breech- loading, of small 

 bore, heavy charge and light express, or an explosive ball. Such 

 a rifle is found to have the main elements which make up a good 

 hunting gun. It gives a flat ti ijectory up to three hundred yards, 

 outside hunting range, and is deadly enough for the largest elk. 

 A powerful field glass will be found a most useful accessory. 



Sportsmen who intend to bring back with them the heads of Elk 

 which they may kill, will do well to provide themselves with some 

 preservative to be applied to the skin, especially about the nose, 

 lips and eyes. Dry arsenic is as good as anything, and is besides 

 inexpensive, and easily carried and applied. 



Few sportsmen, we imagine, realize that the days of the Elk 

 as well as of the buffalo are numbered, and that this beautiful and 

 magnificent game will soon live only in the annals of the past. 

 This state of things we owe to the presence in the wilder portions 

 of the country of the skin hunter. What is true of the Elk, is also 

 true to a greater or less extent of all our game animals. 



Good hunting is at present rarely to be found east of the 

 Missouri River.* West of that stream, however, there is a wide 

 extent of territory, in many parts of which large game of all de- 

 scriptions may still be found in considerable abundance by those 

 who are sufficiently acquainted with the country to know where to 

 look for it. There remain on the plains and in the mountains 

 seven species of ruminants that are sufficiently abundant to make 

 it well worth while that the different State and Territorial Govern- 

 ments should attempt, before it is too late, to protect their game 

 by severe laws. Buffalo, elk, white-tailed deer, mule deer, antelope, 

 mountain sheep and moose are still to be found in considerable 

 numbers in various portions of the trans-Missouri States and Terri- 

 tories^ but owing to a savage and indiscriminating warfare which 

 has been inaugui^ted against them within the past few years, their 

 numbers are decreasing more rapidly than ever before. 



Most of us remember the good service done some years ago by 

 General Hazen, in bringing before the public the facts in regard 

 to the wapton destruction of the buffalo along the line of the 



* There are some choice hunting spots remaining in MiDncsota. 



