26 The Mammals of Colorado 
unmolested their habits through the year were much as 
follows: after spending the winter at the lower altitudes where 
the snow was not too deep, in the spring the herds began to 
move toward the higher elevations, the cows stopping 
somewhat lower down than the bulls, in the aspen growth, 
where in late May and early June the young were born, while 
the bulls went higher up, into the heavier green spruce and 
pine timber, where it was cooler and shadier, and where 
the growth of the antlers was completed. This took place 
in August, and in the next month they began to move about 
seeking the cows, and uttering their love call or challenge, 
" bugling" as it is commonly called. The bulls now gathered 
their harems, and often fought viciously with each other for 
their possession. After the rut was over and the snow began 
to fall the herds gradually drifted down to their winter 
ranges, where there was little or no snow, and here they 
remained, subsisting on grass, and browsing on the brush 
and twigs, until the time came around once more for them 
to return to their summer homes. Nowadays this is much 
changed, at least in Colorado. Here the animals have been 
so much persecuted, and in many places the country has 
become so well settled that the elk no longer dare to come 
to the lower altitudes which they formerly frequented, but 
remain higher up, where the snows are deeper, and food 
harder to obtain. Consequently they are not in as good 
condition in the spring, and it is not at all unlikely that some 
may starve to death during the winter. In the Jackson 
Hole, Wyoming, where the largest bands now winter, a serious 
condition has arisen because of the settling up and fencing 
of the winter range of the elk. The animals still come to 
the region in great numbers for the winter, but finding 
their range much fenced in, are often in serious straits for 
food, and break down and jump over the ranchmen's fences 
and attack their haystacks. The State of Wyoming has done 
