The band of elk brought from Montana a year ago and turned loose between North

Bend and Snoqualmie is doing considerable damage to growing crops and many farmers are

emphatically in favor of proper authorities taking

immediate action to have the animals removed from their present rendezvous — either

driven to the timbered hills or taken out of the country.

The original herd from Yellowstone Park numbered 44 and in 18 months, has

increased in numbers by 100 percent. This increase

will continue annually. The animals are all

healthy, handsome and playful. They are not afraid

of mere man and seem to harbor the WWI notion that the world owes them a living, with

grain fields as playgrounds added for good

measure. They often feed upon grain, green peas and

tender fruit trees, but really do the most damage

to crops while at play in the bottomlands. They usually emerge from their woods retreat

early in the morning and after trekking about the

improved farms for a few hours, retire to the tall timber nearby until evening, when they

again come out in the open for another frolic and

select pasture.

They take one jump and easily and gracefully scale any old fence. When driven out

of the enclosed field, they return as soon as the farmer’s back is turned. There are several

large antlered bucks, many gingery yearlings and quite a few timid calves in the herds.

A representative of the Post visited Charles Weller’s ranch near Snoqualmie last

Saturday afternoon and went through the potato

garden and grain fields. At every turn was the

hoofprints of elk, some as large as that of a big

cow or horse. Every part of the growing crops had been damaged. Last year, Mr. Weller

sustained considerable damage, but not so much as

this year. D. G. Reinig is another farmer who

reports having his crops seriously damaged by some

of the elk at large in the Valley. There are other farmers complaining of the elk depredations.

If the county or state authorities do not take some action to curb the antics of the elk

near Snoqualmie, the farmers interested will reluctantly take the matter into their own hands,

and in the mighty near future, too.