THE GUN AT HOME AND ABROAD 
middle of September the elk are usually found in a family party of three, 
an old male, a female, and the calf of the year, but at this season many 
of the cows go about alone with their calves, whilst old bulls have a knack 
of hiding themselves in the most deserted places. 
About September 20 the adult bulls commence roaming in search of 
wives and undoubtedly travel over great distances. The most observant 
Scandinavian hunters assert that they seldom spend more than a week 
with one cow during the rutting season. 
The female is supposed either to drive the male away after a week’s 
cohabitation, or he voluntarily deserts her in search of a fresh charmer. 
The numerous tracks of “ wandering ” bulls at this season seem to sup- 
port this view. 
During this season the bulls attack trees with their horns, and it is 
common to see quite large birch and rowans stripped of their bark by 
some male who has tested the strength of his antlers. They wallow much 
and when a female is found form “ elk -pits,” which are small dark cavities 
in the ground, where they deposit their urine, which at this season has a 
pungent odour. There is much difference of opinion as to the extent that 
elk “ call ” in Scandinavia, but there is no doubt that both male and female 
utter exactly the same grunts and roars as they do in Canada. They seem, 
however, to be far more silent in Europe, though there is little doubt 
that an experienced “ caller ” from New Brunswick could lure up Scan- 
dinavian bulls within shot. This is, moreover, proved by the fact that elk 
bulls are regularly shot in Russia by means of calling with a bark horn. 
One day I came accidentally between a cow and her calf, and the former 
uttered two loud barks, something like the cry of a red deer hind, only 
much louder. On another occasion I heard a bull make a loud grunt, quite 
the same cry as I have heard in British Columbia. 
Like all the other northern deer the bull elk eats little or nothing during 
the rutting season and so rapidly loses flesh. By the last week in October 
the meat has a disagreeable musky taste, but is not so offensive as reindeer 
and red deer at this season. The horns are usually shed in January and are 
seldom freed from velvet until the middle of September. I have, however, 
seen a head quite clean on September 2, though this must be rare. 
When alarmed elk hold the ears in a very upright position above the 
horns. They often make one big leap as they spring in retreat. If much 
frightened they will gallop for a few yards, but the usual pace is a long 
slinging trot which goes on hour after hour up or down hill to the despair 
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