Wapiti

the North American stag or elk. The name is Indian. The wapiti is related to the European red deer. It is not considered a true elk. The adult stands about sixty-four inches high at the shoulder. The general color is yellowish, the sides are gray. Long, coarse hair drapes the neck like a dewlap, and the antlers attain a length of four or five feet. When this country was colonized the wapiti ranged from the Carolinas to the Rocky Mountains, but it is now confined to sections of Labrador and the northern half of the Rocky Mountains. During the breeding season the does scatter, but in winter the wapiti gather together in large herds and feed in the parks and on the open hills. The custom of migrating southward for winter feed has exposed the bands to destruction. It is thought that the wapiti may soon become extinct. See Elk