320 



THE OLD-WORLD ELK 



dog, In such case, will usually be entitled to the 

 major part of the credit. 



Swedish elk hunters generally employ the ''loose 

 dog." The dog is left to range free: when he 

 strikes a trail, if well trained, he follows silently 

 until he brings the elk to bay, then he seeks to 

 hold the quarr}', barking, until the hunter comes up. 

 The chase may lead over the roughest sort of 

 country, and many hunters would find it too 

 exhausting, for the dog should be closely followed, 

 and his zeal may take him many miles before he 

 gives up the pursuit. This system of hunting is 

 subject to the drawback that after a long hard 

 chase the dog may be completely lost to sight and 

 hearing, or the quarr}^ may be found to be merely 

 a cow elk, or a spike-horn.-^ 



The Russians have a kind of dog called ''laika/' 

 with pointed erect ears, thick hair, and wolflike 

 appearance, which when well trained is a valuable 

 aid in hunting elk or bear. These dogs are found 

 throughout northern Russia and Siberia, and are 

 employed to watch the herds of reindeer, and to 

 draw sledges, as well as in hunting. Only certain of 

 the laiki are useful in the sport, however, special 

 training being important. They are kept in 



^ Chapman, ubi supra, p. 127, Pottinger, Big Game Shooting 

 (Lx^ndon, 1894), vol. ii., pp. 136-143. 



