10/23/14 2 elk herds now visible

In spite of cattle grazing in the north end of Boxley Valley, a second herd has moved north to just south of the elk pullout in the first pasture. This makes 2 herds visible in the North end of Boxley Valley. Heavy morning fog makes evening viewing best. The northernmost elk herd is very close to the Ponca Access. Elk viewing is pretty good and there is occasional bugling when satellite bulls are nearby.

Good Ponca Elk Viewing for Weekend near Ponca

Elk Remain in Ponca fields for now over a week. They show up mornings and evenings. This is a mature herd with a herd bull and many satellite bulls. The river remains up, some are floating from Ponca. Weather is to turn cooler Saturday and Sunday, this will only make elk viewing better.  The NPS Old Mill Tours continue 10 to 1 all weekend down by the Mill Pond. Friday and Saturday is the Ponce Elk Education Center's Color fest from 10 to 4:30 each day. I will be doing free workshops on elk photography at 2PM each day. Please call the center to register, seating is limited. Color Fest Brochure is below the map. 

10/10/14 Elk Herd Location Map

Elk Viewing and bugling this morning was good. This maps shows the elk herd locations this morning. 

10/11/14 Elk Bugling Strong this Morning by Ponca

There are 2 rutting bulls with abou 40 cows total near the Ponca Access at the north end of Boxley Valley. In addition, there were 3 or 4 large satellite  bulls hanging around. All 6 bulls were bugling and fussing over the cow elk. The bugling was over by 10AM. I am certain this evening and tomorrow morning will be good for elk viewing and bugling. With all those bulls there is a good chance for a bull elk fight. The Smith Creek field on the south end was empty this morning. On high river levels sometimes herds seem to be blocked from visiting the fields where they can be seen.  This might be true in the south end of Boxley Valley.

October is kicking off with great elk viewing this year. There are 2 rutting herds in Boxley Valley, one on each end of the valley. Both herds have extra bulls hanging around so there is a lot of bugling. In both locations, there is the possibility of a bull fight. See the map below for the locations as noted by the dates. Tonight and tomorrow the weather is predicted to turn colder. The low Friday night will be 39 degrees or less. This cold snap should really kick the rut into another gear. This weekend viewing should be very good. 

Color Fest 2014

Plan to attend the 10th Annual Ponca Elk Education Center's Color Fest this October 17& 18 at the center. This is a great event and perfect for families. There will be more than 20 artists in attendance and there will be demonsrtations, and a kid's booth on Saturday. I will be doing a free photography workshop each day (@ 2PM) focused on wildlife photography in Boxley Valley and getting the shot. These have been popular in the past. Please call the center to reserve your seat. This helps me plan for the crowd size. Seating is limited. I will share tips based on my 7 years of chasing elk and other wildlife around Boxley Valley and the Buffalo River.  Color Fest is held during the peak fall color period. The elk rut is still going strong on these dates. The best elk viewing times in October are before 10AM and after 4:30PM, so the Color Fest is timed perfectly to mesh with elk viewing.  

Regardless of when you visit, you must visit the Ponca Elk Education Center on the east side of Ponca. It is the recipient of a national award for wildlife education and the highest attended facility of its type in Arkansas. The center has many outstanding displays and free materials for visitors.  The center also has a nice gift shop with nature-themed gifts. It is open 10-4:30 Thursday through Monday.  Open 7 days a week in October.  If you need to locate a place to stay and other things to do, visit buffaloriverchamber.com for cabin and campground listings. 

9/28 Elk and Boxley Valley Report

It feels now like we are entering the customary fall rut. Boxley Valley now has hundreds of viewers of all ages from all over Arkansas and adjoining states. Many rely on these reports to plan their visits. The elk are cooperating with bugling and herd movements especially in the north end of the valley closest to Ponca. Safety is now becoming an issue with so many people milling around the parked cars. Visitors with children need to keep them close, unfortunately drivers continue to speed through the viewing areas. Please drive slowly, watch the road, and never double park. There has never been a fatality but those of us who follow the rut are very aware of the danger. I would say if you are coming to hear bugling you need to visit zone 1 (see map) closest to Ponca morning or evening. Picture taking is easier in the evening when there is no fog. I prefer mornings because the elk are closer to the fences.  We are still in the peak bull fight period. There are reports of fights and evidence of them in slightly wounded bulls. In other wildlife attractions, there is a single trumpeter swan on the mill pond. River otter continue to be very active just downstream from the Ponca Low Water bridge most often in late morning around 10AM. Otter are a bit hard to spot, look for feeding in the weed beds and ripples and wakes. It is a treat to see otter and photograph them. Otter seldom sit still.  The good news is that feeding begins when sunlight hits the pools, so you can set your camera up for a fast shutter speed.  I like to shoot at least at F8 so focusing is easier. 

 This morning elk viewing was pretty good but still not at peak. 1 herd was visible in the Ponca field wiht a nice bull with it. In the south end there was a handful of bulls in the Smith Creek Field, including Godzilla. They were bugling a little, but the best bugling was in the North end by the Ponca Access.

An Otter family was active by the Ponca Low Water bridge this morning just after 10AM. A number of photographers got a good chance to shoot the otter. Recently the otter have been visible near the Ponc Low Water bridge at around 10AM or so. The feed in the tall river weeds. They are fun to see and shoot.

Elk Locations 9/26/14

Bugling begins in Boxley Valley's 2014 elk rut

This morning the herd bull down by Smith Creek began bugling in response to a shag bull that was hanging around. I am sure this has been going on for a few days.  Boxley Valley had about 70 elk between 2 herds and a few stragglers. Be on the lookout for roadside animals in the south valley area.

September 2014 Elk Location Map

groups.  Viewing was good early, and later the herds bedded down in the fields in overcast, cool weather. The peak of the rut is ahead. Usually the biggest bulls arrive around October 1 as more cow elk go into heat.

Calf Elk by Buffalo River 2/24/14

Calf elk by the Buffalo National River in the south end of Boxley Valley.

Calf Elk Near Cave Mountain Road

Bull Elk Herd by 43/21

Bull elk herd at 43/21 field. I chose this image because "Box" was looking at the other elk with the shag grazing. The eye contact between animals that happens now and then matters a lot. Viewers read human emotion into these moments. In the background you can see the mill pond lit up by blue light from the sky.

I had the place to myself. When I left about 9:30 the bulls were still in about this position. To get this compo, I stayed south of the herd so that my shooting angle took in the mill pond. I could have got a lot closer, but then the background would have been a farm field.

All-bull Post Rut Herd by 43/21

Winter Bull Elk Pictures -- Post Rut Bull "Box" at 43/21 Intersection

"Box" is not my favorite bull, he is a second tier bull with square looking antlers. This morning he and 2 buddies were real close to the fence just north of the 43/21 intersection. This picture took me 35 minutes and a tiny fraction of a second. 

I spent some time lining Box up in front of the tree in the background, then spent more time waiting for him to pick up his head. Patience is a big deal if you want to get the best poses. This is a "field shot", but it is at an angle to grab an interesting background. If you want to take better pictures, don't neglect to pose the background. It places the animal in context and is more interesting visually. 

35 Minutes and 1/500th of a Second

12/02/13 Elk Herd Map & Report

Not much going on this morning.  There was an all-cow herd down by Beech Creek and some scattered bulls elsewhere. The herd in the Ponca Access field moved into cover again. Perhaps it will return tonight or tomorrow.

The next couple of days the weather will be very good for outside activities. This morning was very foggy.

Tips for Elk River Shots & Crossings

Setting up for river shots is pretty simple, but one must be mindful that it is roughly like swinging for home runs -- you will strike out a lot, BUT when you connect with a river shot, you are hooked for life.

The photographer below was heading to one such sitting spot. He was hoping to get elk drinking at the river on the opposite bank. The formula for this is simple. Locate the field where the elk are, get behind them (or beside them) and wait. The will come to the river to drink, and they might cross too if it is possible (or not).

Going for an Elk River Shot

Fall color reflections can easily be brought into these photos. The key here is to locate a great river reflection and locate the elk trail that crosses it. Elk trails are easy to find. Good landscape compos are pretty easy to make. Bring the two together, add elk, and you have it.

Elk River Shots With Fall Reflections Can Be Dramatic

The crossing shot below puts an even finer point on the composition. This elk is cross lit by sunrise light cutting right down the trail toward him. This shot kind of looks impossible, but really it is about time of day, pre-visualization, and moving elk. If there are reflecting pools they add a lot.  

TIP: One thing that makes these photos much easier is that the herd bull is nearly always last when herd moves.  This give you plenty of time to think through your composition, exposure and timing.  You set these up with the cows that precede the bull. In this way, this is nothing like a snap shot, it can be very well planned. In the shot below, at least 20 cows that preceded this bull. They made it easy to get this shot and help me plan the final compo.

Think About Painting with Cutting Light -- Get Creative

Morning Sparring in Fog, 12/2/13

2 middle sized bulls spent some time sparring today down by 43/21 intersection in some pretty thick fog.  A lot of people filmed these guys.

I have taken a lot of sparring and fighting pictures.  I think getting at least one set of eyes in the picture matters a lot.  There are exceptions with great movement, meaning big twists and turns.  These guys did a little of that.

Second Tier Bull Elk Sparring in the Morning Fog

Main Herd Bull in the Ponca Fields

This is one nice herd bull.  He is a 7x6. I have shot him for a few years now. He has characteristic tiny forks right at the end of his antlers. I caught him in a fight once. This morning he took the harem of a larger bull with a broken antler. Note the size of his body, that is a key trait of a herd bull -- body mass.

Introducing "Hammers"

Most of the time I don't bother naming lesser bulls, and certainly "Hammers" is one of the least lessers. Hammers is short for "Dumb as a Bag of Hammers", and yes, he is on the dumb end of the elk scale. Having said that, he has also made many visits to Boxley Valley worthwhile for our elk watchers who can see him up close.

Hammers is a shag bull and not very timid, he is often found grazing along the roadsides down by the Buffalo River in the south end. Probably more phone pictures are taken of Hammers than any other bull elk. This is his gift to elk tourism.

Maybe Hammers is the Forrest Gump of elk tourism, and he is ours.  Drive slowly in the south end where he lives.

Hammers the Shag Bull

10/16/13 Elk Herd Locations Map & Report

Last night we got heavy rain (for the second night running) and this usually puts a damper on morning elk activity. This morning there was only one small herd at the 43/21 intersection. The good news is it was a new herd, so maybe they will be moving in to the fields now with seasonably normal weather.

Last night elk viewing was good in the Ponca fields and there was a bull fight.  Little Tine was deposed as the herd bull in the Ponca fields. I did not witness the fight, but I did see Little Tine off by himself this morning licking his wounds figuratively. All of this is absolutely standard rut behavior.

My guess is that the Ponca fields will be good tonight too even though the map does not show it.  I only report what I see.  I did hear some bulls bugling in the Ponca fields area this morning so I feel pretty confident with my guesses.

This morning I did hear bugling in the south end around the upper wilderness trailhead. The Smith Creek field was recently hayed, and with that done, it is poised to become active. This is a very long term pattern across many years. The elk are clearly nearby.  It would be a good idea with any visit to check these far southern fields. One day soon the elk will show up. My guess is that it will be any day now. The ingredients are in place.

No otter today. I had a report of feeding otter at the Ponca low water bridge late morning yesterday. Otter feed at all times of the day so it is still worth checking the low water bridge area when you visit to see the elk.

10/15/13 Elk Herd Locations & Report

Last night's heavy rains pushed the elk herds into cover and there is not much to report today.

I did observe a satellite bull hanging around Big Hollow and that tells me there is a herd back there, but I didn't see it, so I am not reporting it.  Big Hollow is in the middle of the Ponca fields across the river.  My hunch is that the elk pop out of there for evening viewing, but that is only a guess. Weather changes can go either way, and so far the elk remain in cover.

There is a handful of elk around the Buffalo River at the south end of the valley.  If all you want to see are elk, this group is pretty reliable. The point needs to be made that these same elk hang pretty close to the road and present a danger to speeding motorists. Be careful in that area.

The recent otter action seems to have stopped. It is worth checking the Ponca low water bridge when you visit the valley.

Steamer Season -- Cold Weather is Start of Steamer Season

I have been shooting elk for a long time now and "steamers" are one of my favorite photo strategies to add something to kind of ordinary compositions. "Steamers" will be possible on early morning shots beginning this week. The obvious first choice is a bull elk bugling, but there are many other choices as below from my archives. I added the shot locations.

Satellite Bull Looking at Harem (43/21 Area)

Backlit Bull Walking and Bugling (Ponca Field)

Bull Breathing Heavy Over a Cow (Ponca Field)

Shag Elk Just Bounding Around (Lost Valley)

Big Bull Just Breathing in Frost (Lost Valley)