The American Elk 
Measurements. — These are variable, the males being la.ger than 
the females, besides varying much among themselves. Total 
length about no; tail vert., 8 or 9; height at withers from 50 to 68 
(this last being a record) ; weight 600 lbs. or more, there being no 
very satisfactory data on this point, a full grown bull probably 
weighing at least 700 pounds; length of antlers along outside curve 
55 to 60, a record being 66.5 and 64.5 for the right and left beams 
respectively — this was killed in Gallatin County, Montana; circum- 
ference between brow and bez tines 8. 
Description. — A detailed description hardly seems necessary, 
as the size and general appearance of the elk at once distinguish it 
from all other species. The head, neck, and under parts are dark 
brown, sometimes black or nearly so beneath; sides, back, and 
thighs yellowish gray; a white or straw colored patch on rump 
uniting with white between the hind legs, the lower border of this 
being black; legs brown. The color varies in individuals. 
Distribution. — The Elk was formerly spread over the greater 
part of the United States and Canada from western Pennsylvania, 
the Adirondacks in New York State, and eastern Canada (about 
Montreal), to eastern Oregon and Washington, and from nearly 
60° North Latitude in Alberta in the North south to Lat. 35°, this 
last limit being, according to the map on Thompson Seton's article 
in Scribner's Magazine, very irregular, varying from 32° to 38°. It 
has now been exterminated over most of this great extent of 
territory, and only survives in a wild state in the Rocky Mountain 
region from about Lat. 55° in Alberta into Colorado, its centre of 
abundance being in the Yellowstone National Park and in the 
Jackson Hole in Wyoming, where in winter enormous herds may 
still be seen. 
In Colorado the Elk was formerly abundant in the mountainous 
part of the State, and was also found in much of the plains portion, 
but it is now nearly exterminated, there being but a very few left; 
these are scattered in various localities in Larimer, Grand, Routt, 
Rio Blanco, Gunnison, Garfield, Delta, Mesa, Mineral, and the 
adjoining counties. 
Habits. — The Elk or Wapiti is of social and polygamous 
habits, which fact has no doubt been one of the factors 
which led to its destruction. The males are commonly 
known as bulls, and the females as cows, while the fawns are 
called calves, and I will use these terms in my account of 
the habits of the animal. When they were comparatively 
