32 BAISING DEER IN THE UNITED STATES. 



have on an average about one old buck a year killed in battle and sometimes 

 another by some casualty, but all appear healthy. Mine grow very large and 

 of all the Cervidse they seem best adapted to domestication. 



With few exceptions former attempts to rear elk were made by 

 men who were wealthy and actuated only by a desire to possess or 

 to preserve the animals. Care of them was left to servants. The 

 bucks remained uncastrated until they became old and unmanageable, 

 when the serious problem of caring for them soon outweighed the 

 novelty of their possession, and the experiments were abandoned. 

 This will account for the failure of many of the herds that were 

 founded a half century or more ago. 



But these breeders of the elk have not been without successors, and 

 at present there are small herds of elk under private ownership in 

 many places in the United States. The Biological Survey has re- 

 cently opened communication with owners of herds of elk and deer, 

 for the purpose of learning their experience in rearing the animals 

 and obtaining their opinions as to the feasibility of making the busi- 

 ness profitable. Extracts from recent correspondence referring to 

 the wapiti, or elk, follow: 



Joshua Hill, of Pontiac, Mich., wrote, October 12, 1907, that he has 

 elk and bison in his preserve of 300 acres. He finds the sale of elk 

 meat slow, but thinks that, if properly pushed, the business of grow- 

 ing it would pay well. In his opinion the elk would be more profitable 

 than deer, since the animals are larger and the venison better. He has 

 heard of elk meat bringing 50 cents to $1 per pound. 



Isaac A. Bonine, of Niles, Mich., wrote, under date of October 14, 

 1907, stating that he had been breeding both the elk and deer for 

 about thirty-five years. He said : " We find that deer are not so hardy 

 as elk and require more care. Elk require less care than the domestic 

 animals, while deer are even more delicate. Deer should have a greater 

 variety of food than elk. Elk winter well on hay and corn fodder 

 with a little grain, and they live and thrive during summer months 

 on blue grass. Deer will live on the foods mentioned here for elk, but 

 they should have vegetables also. They require an open shed or 

 shelter of some sort during winter; an elk requires none. The grow- 

 ing of both elk and deer for park purposes may be made profitable.' 5 



J. W. Gilbert, of Friend, Nebr., states (March 17, 1908) that he has 

 been growing deer and elk for seventeen years. The deer have not 

 always done well, but he now has a healthy herd of about 30 head. 

 The elk have increased and done well all the time. He has never had 

 a barren cow elk. Mr. Gilbert's range of 75 acres is on the open 

 prairie, and contains buffalo, deer, and elk. 



F. J. Wilson, of Lewisburg, Ohio, began raising elk and deer a few 

 years ago, with three head of each at first. He has not succeeded so 



American Naturalist, XIV, 396, April, 1880. 



