2015 Elk Rut is just 3 Weeks Off

First Rutting Bull in 2009 (Twin Forks)

September is the start of the Boxley Valley Elk rut. Last year by the end of the month big bulls had arrived to join the cow herds that arrived earlier in the month.

The horrible heat of August broke late in the month. Morning temps in the 50's and 60's brought the elk back to the valley. If you want to see elk you have to get out of bed. I would get to Boxley Valley at dawn, roughly about 6:30 AM. My last visit to the valley much earlier showed 3 herds, one in the north end close to Ponca, a second in the mid-valley area, and a third, in the deep south end and stragglers were elsewhere. By 7AM the elk were moving back to cover near the river. They really don't like heat or bright light.

It now feels like we are getting into a fall weather pattern. The extended forecast is good for elk viewing with cool nights and daytime highs in the low 80's.  Rain is also forecast for many days. Elk do love the rain, and it often extends viewing.  Thunderstorms are a different matter, elk seek shelter then.  The most reliable time to see elk is in early morning. They do come out in the evenings too, but the times vary depending on weather.   Later in the season, all day viewing is possible as temperatures drop.

Bull Elk are still in Velvet.  Photo 2009

So far this year I have not seen a big bull. Most years there are bulls that start rutting early.  These are not the real big bulls, they are quickly ousted by the biggest bull elk that show up around October 1.   This seems to happen overnight.  This is also the beginning of bull fight season as the big guys vie for control of cow herds. You will be lucky ever to see a real fight. I have seen maybe a dozen fights over many years, and hundreds of visits to Boxley Valley. I can hear the buildup to a bull fight a half mile away. I will be writing on this in this blog over the next couple months. My goal is to cover the rut from the start through the holidays.  It is usually over by the new year.

Elk Viewing Improved by Cold Weather and Hunting Pressure

The evening of the 9th was very good for elk viewing and bugling. Today, Monday should be less so because of high winds and warm temperatures. Bugling was strongest in the Smith Creek field in the south end of the valley. That bull was being followed around by a second smaller bull that really irritated him. He bugled all evening. Strong winds today signal the frontal change to much colder weather as winter storm Alex contols the weather going forward. These cold temperatures should improve elk viewing all the way through next weekend. 

Remember to respect private property. Last night elk watchers were running all over private property, in some cases jumping on bales of hay. This is not acceptable behavior and can result in a fat ticket from the NPS that patrols the valley. This really upsets the residents of the valley. 

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.

10/21/14 Elk Herd Location Map

Elk viewing remains best near the Ponca Access due to cattle grazing in the other fields on the north end of Boxley Valley. This morning there were quite a few elk watchers and photographers from many states. Relatively heavy fog made photography difficult. 

10/19/20 Elk Remain in the North End of Boxley Valley

Elk viewing was not good this morning in the heavy fog. The best prospects for viewing remain in the Ponca Fields, espeiially closest to the Ponca Access. Evenings will be best for photographers. It will take a couple of days for the elk to re-establish normal movements since the cattle entered the Ponca fields. Until then things remain pretty unpredictable. Fall color is a couple of weeks off to peak, if it can be predicted. This is the sweetspot of the year for hikers and horsemen due to moderate temperatures for as far out as it forecast. The trail-heads are very busy now.

Cows moved to Ponca Fields, Elk Will Move

Grazing cattle are now in the Ponca Fields, so the elk herd will move elsewhere. Possible destinations could be the northernmost Ponca field, and possibly Lost Valley fields, or some other place up river. Steel Creek could be in play. I will have a look tomorrow morning and report back. Elk hate cattle, this will change their pattern.

Elk Viewing Good in the Morning by Ponca before 10AM

Cold weather and no rain has the elk moving again. I think elk viewing will be good tomorrow morning until about 10AM in the Ponca Fields. There was evidence this afternoon that the elk were holed up behind the Bible Camp. They probably moved down this evening, or will tonight.

10/13/14 Elk by Ponca Access Road after Storm, River High

Mandy and I got back from LR late this afternoon and drove through Boxley Valley. The main Ponca Elk herd was just coming out when we arrived at 3PM.  No doubt they holed up during the big rain storm. Not sure how much rain fell, but the river is running quite hard now.  All the waterfalls will be running well for days. Another half inch of rain is predicted for today and perhaps a half inch tomorrow. Our land is saturated I assume it is about the same everywhere. Shooting should be good tomorrow.  The elk will be out if there are no thunderstorms.

When I don't Post

I think some imagine if I don't post a new map every day they would be flying blind visiting Boxley Valley and could come up empty. Let me say just this, the elk during the rut settle into pretty stable patterns that you can rely on. Right now the Ponca fields north of the elk pullout are quite good. On the south end of the valley the field North of Smith Creek is reliable. These two fields have been best for almost 2 weeks now. Will the elk ever leave them?  Sure, but they don't go far as a rule. Why is this so reliable?  Habitat.  Both areas have outstanding habitat with food, water and large bedding areas nearby. They are an elk paradise. This pattern will hold until it doesn't. When you visit, drive the whole length of the valley and check the fields. Percentages favor the elk being in one of these 2 areas. If they are not, look nearby. Typically elk don't move very far, but they might. Drive carefully, the bulls are still running everywhere. T'is the season.

10/4/14 Elk Herd Locaoins & Report

The rutting bulls in Boxley Valley have established the herd positions for late September and Early October. The most interesting of these are the 2 herds in the Ponca fields. The bulls for these 2 herds are very well matched up, and should fight often. This size match-up is one of the key factors that increases the likelihood of fights, Little bulls don't fight bigger bulls,  Big diffeences in size is enough to intimidate them. The 2 bulls in question are probably the same age. It was clear last night that a fight was coming. It was setup when a handful of cows wandered off between the two herds.  Bulls work to keep their herds compact, so when a few cows drift off, it is like bait to a competing bull who will run to meet them and this gets him close to the original herd bull. Once the 2 bulls get close together it fires off the instinct to fight. The bulls will walk along beside one another sizing each other up before squaring up to fight. It is very interesting to observe. The fight was of short duration last night. I think these 2 have already fought many times this year. In this cool weather conditions are perfect for the herds to be in the pastures most of the day. Viewing will be best at the ends of the day. Remember that elk don't like heat and sunlight very much. Maverick bulls near the fence seem more common in the morning. There are still a number of these big guys coming into the rut.

Saturday Evening 10/4 Report

Elk viewing this evening was  outstanding.  I witnessed my first bull fight of 2014 in the Ponca Field just north of the pullout. It was brief, but one I had predicted. These 2 bulls are about equally matched and will fight again. Their herds are fairly close together so that guarantees there will be more fights. The valley was full of cars and some bikers.  They heard a lot of bugling and had great opportunities for photos. NPS rangers ticketed people for illegal parking. I have a video of the fight that I will post, I don't think it lasted a minute, but it was the real deal. Sunday morning should be great end-to-end in Boxley Valley. Best in the Ponca Fields.  Got a reliable report on an otter shoot at the Low Water Bridge today.  Be there at 10AM to have good chances to see them.

Herd Bull "Son of the Beast"

This big bull is down by the Buffalo River at the South end of Boxley Valley. He reminds me of the Boxley Beast, a bull I photographed for many years. His antlers are quite similar and he seems to not be too timid and has a gentle nature. The Beast was always easy to ID because he had tall Tines just like this big guy. I got within 30 yards of him this morning. In full size I can see the pores on his nose. Note his irregular eye guards with extra points and a double point on one.

Otter Active Yesterday at Ponca Low Water Bridge

River Otter have been active a lot in the last month just below the Ponca Low Water Bridge (downstream) and yesterday was no exception. Looking downstream from the bridge there is a den on the left bank. The most reliable time is about 10AM.  River otter are a bit hard to spot, but look for wakes and unexpected ripples in the river. Usually as they feed they will work their way up river feeding along the bluffs.  Photographing river otter is an athletic event requiring fast reactions and a fast shutter speed. Expect them to stop and look back at you as in the photo below. There are at least 2 families of otter one with much smaller juveniles. Altogether there are 8 otter I think. Many photographers have shot them recently as a result of my postings about them and conversations.

River Otter by Ponca Low Water Bridge

As October kicks off, there are more elk in Boxley Valley, and many more bulls showing up. 3 herds were visible this morning, but the 2 main herds are at opposite ends of Boxley Valley.  If you want to hear bugling I would rate the north herd the best, if you hope to catch a bull fight, I would say both herds offer great prospect for a fight as new bulls arrive. This weekend the NPS has the old mill open for tours, it is a worthwhile visit. The Boxley Mill is a turbine mill rather than a water wheel. It is an interesting tour. It is located just north of the mill pond and is open 10AM to 1PM each Friday, Saturday and Sunday in October. The mill dates from the 1870s. 

Free Wildlife Photography Workshop During Color Fest

This year I will resume doing free wildlife photography workshops at Color Fest on the 17th and 18th of October. This year the topic will be about how to think like a wildlife photographer. This workshop will cover the thought process a wildlife photographer uses to figure out how to photograph a certain species. Elk will be used to illustrate the thought process of working with any species.  This free workshop should be useful to everyone who wants to take better wildlife photos. I will illustrate the talk with pictures and mind maps. There will be a powerpoint that eventually will be posted online. We need to manage demand for this free 2PM workshop, so if you plan to attend, please call the Ponca Elk Education Center ASAP to reserve your seat at (870) 861-2432. If the class  
gets too large I will do a second session. Be sure to leave your phone number so 
we can contact you if necessary about an overflow session. 

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. 

Bulls Arriving in Force, 9/30 Viewing Very Good

Visitors had a great view of a bull and his harem this morning and last night. Apparently there have been more fights and the contol of valley herds has changed the last couple of days. It is pretty standard for the first rutting bulls to be pushed off by the later arriving bulls that are much larger. The Ponca Bull bugled a few times this morning. I did not hear bugling in the south end. There is now a very strong North and South Pattern in the valley now. Morning visitors will want to visit at daybreak -- the elk move out of the fields to bedding areas along the river when the fog lifts and the sun hits them. October 1 is the traditional peak for the arrival of the biggest bulls and that has been evident the last few days. Bull fights are likely now -- I have heard reports of a few both morning and evening this week. There will be more. 

9/28/14 Elk Herd Map

Tonight there were 2 good herds in the valley and a nice crowd. They were at opposite ends of the valley. Godzilla had his harem out tonight in the south end. At the other end of the valley a bigger cow herd was in the Ponca Fields.  I would say the Ponca Fields will be where the next bull fight will take place. That bull is kind of small. I saw quite a few bulls headed to the north end of the valley.  A couple of them were quite large and right on time. The only question about the fights is will they be in the daytime. Elk do fight at night and in very low light. 

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.