Maverick Bull Elk 

I took this picture in thin fog. 1/20th of a second wide open at ISO 2000. This is a maverick bull hanging out near the rutting herd by the 43/21 intersection. It is just a matter of time before he joins that group and challenges for the harem. In the meantime he is hanging out in the woods.  I am told that evening viewing is good. Would be nice to have better light. This shot is more or less impossible.

11/20/13 Elk Herd Locations & Report

Nothing to report this morning. No elk herds, and I only saw one elk the length of Boxley Valley. Gun season is still on and things are dynamic. Possible rain tonight and tomorrow could change things. This weekend's weather is predicted to be quite cold and sunny. This could change the viewing significantly.

11/13/13 Elk Herd Locations & Report

A pretty good morning today for elk watching and photography. With the colder weather there were few photographers and watchers.  The best shooting and viewing was early when the elk were closer to the fence.  JYD put on a pretty good show romping around close to the fence.

Good landscape weather too. Water-based compositions now have morning fog as an element. There are still plenty of colored leaves as well.

Final Wildflower Photo for 2013

I live in a photographers paradise. There is no shortage of subjects all along the way from home to Boxley Valley. While it might seem I only care about elk, the truth is I often get pictures along the way. 

This wildflower, a black eyed susan, is very late.  In the next 2 days it will be killed by a predicted hard frost. It has managed to bloom and complete its life cycle. Just a month ago there were many similar flowers, now there is just this one. 

For many reasons this year was challenging and I had to set aside the camera during wildflower season. I missed a couple of months for very good reasons, but I really missed the amazing wildflowers around here. This flower was a very nice final gift. I would have been pretty happy with this flower in season, now so late I was very happy to get the picture in crossing morning light. 

The Final Flower for 2013

Think About Landscape Elk Shots, Tell a Story

I think the best wildlife photos seem to express the emotion of animals.  This bull elk is crossing the Hailstone after a night of grazing.  He is in no hurry and seems to be reflecting.  My point is that bull photos can be more than just muscular, they can express a broad range of emotions.  

Maybe expressing this is best done in more of a landscape approach like the photo below.  This perspective places the bull in a broader context, and in that context we interpret his gaze and posture differently. We see what he is focused on, and that he is alone.  A more conventional tight shot would not give us the rest of the story.  This is more of a painting.  

Shoot Elk in Landscape Compositions to Tell a Story 

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)

Otter Hunting in Buffalo Sequence

I am still digging through otter photos from my recent shoot.  They are pretty hard to post process because you have brilliant water with highlights and a very dark subject often coated in water.  It was difficult to match up the light to present the photos as a set.

These 2 pictures are in sequence, first showing the otter swimming out from the bank, then all beginning their dives to rake through gravel on the bottom of the pool.  The mother is completely upside down, the juveniles are scoping out their dive.

Otter Swimming Out to Hunt in the Pool -- Mother Leading

The Mother is Diving to the Bottom, the Juveniles are Scoping Out Their Dive

This sequence is pretty typical if you ever get to see an otter family feed.  It is repeated as they feed and relocate. I was lucky to get the mother upside down while the little guys were still looking down. All of this can happen very fast so the timing is impossible. This is in 2 frames maybe 1 second apart.

Another tip.  This is a long subject. I cropped these images to a 12x4 (3:1) format to focus in on the subject.  In both images the bodies of the otter for a soft curve, especially the second photo.  The curve is accentuated by the long narrow image format.

Satellite Bull by the Buffalo River, South End

While Ed Porter and I were talking after shooting Hooks for a couple of hours, a big satellite bull popped into Hook's field, perhaps in front of the herd after it sought out some water.  This nice bull has a heavy rack and is reasonably good as a subject.  Big bulls like this one are one step away from being herd bulls.  One will often see them running a harem in the early and late rut, but generally speaking they are not quite large enough yet to be dominant bulls. 

One of the signs of the rut is that bulls run along the river to find herds of cow elk. This is the basis of challenges and fights.  Seeing this bull when we did confirms that the rut is in top gear now.  We witnessed the same thing last evening in Ponca.  

Satellite Bull by Buffalo South End

Hooks in the Fog by the Buffalo River -- 10/9/13

Getting out there is the key to getting the best shots. There is no substitute for determination. Today when I got down to the valley it was really socked in with dense fog.  At the north end I thought it could be a total loss, and I really didn't have time anyway.  As I drove south, the fog was not so dense, and Hooks was right at the roadside ready to pose. 

Thin fog can provide really interesting light.  Hooks provided the pose with a slight head tilt showing some expression, always a key. Partial natural frame, slight up angle, and the background is fogged out of focus.  Something a little different.  Maybe more engaging.  These small things add up. 

Hooks in the Fog by the Buffalo River

Picture of the Day -- Shag Elk by Beech Creek

This was taken down on the south end by Beech Creek.  That area often has shag elk grazing along the roadside. They are a real hazard to speeders, all drivers really. These guys can be seen from Beech Creek all the way past the Buffalo, sometimes very close to the road.

This is one of those "day in the life of" pictures.

9/28/13 Elk Herd Location Map

Elk viewing conditions and locations remain about the same.  Things are dynamic now with herd bulls switching in the 3 main viewing areas.  This morning viewing was very good in the Ponca field.

This morning Pretty Boy lost his harem to a bull bugling from behind the cane line. My bet is that the new bull is Junk Yard Dog, the same bull who has robbed Pretty Boy now for 2 years.  JYD is a beautiful 7x7, check out the post I did on him. Photographers, you will want a good pic of JYD.

Rain is coming and with it some uncertainty about viewing.  The last forecast I saw said it was 80% chance this evening for rain and possibly thunderstorms.  Elk do love rain, they don't like thunderstorms. Depending on which way it goes viewing could be bad or good.

9/24/13 Picture -- Bull Elk by Boxley Valley Barn

This 5x5 bull elk was grazing near the 43/21 intersection.  I like to use this barn as a prop for elk landscapes.  The light was challenging this morning and took my camera to the limits of its dynamic range -- glad I was shooting in RAW. 

Mixed crossing light like this morning's can selectively light up a bull's antlers as it does in this picture. 

This bull is actually a bit small and he will not be a final contender in the 2013 rut.  His antlers have a pleasing shape so he is a good subject.  I expect him to be one of the many satellite bulls when the first round of fights are completed.  He is a couple of years away from being a contender.

Get Up Early to Capture Light Like This

Picture of the Day

I got my first elk crossing the river in the fall season today.  He was surprised to see me, but gave me some great poses. This is one.  I got so close to him I had to dial back with my 100-400 zoom, my "go to" lens.

Shag Bull Crossing the Hailstone

I shot this in RAW and overexposed slightly.  I like mixed light and I seek it. Light was crossing from my right.

Pictures of the Day 1/26/13

This morning in Lost Valley was enchanting. I have the place to myself. I am sure that has changed now, but I want to share the sunrise experience in Lost Valley. It is magic even in January. The picture below was taken just east of the natural bridge. Today I saw the first signs of wildflowers -- I think they will be quite early this year.

January Sunrise at Lost Valley Hiking Trail

Of course in Boxley Valley there is always more for wildlife watchers. The elk did not disappoint today. I get there quite early and today one of my favorite bulls "Twinforks" was posing in front of an old barn. In 2012 he was the bull that seemed to be jumping in front of my camera all year.

Twinforks at Sunrise, Boxley Valley

12/12/12 Picture of the Day

Prince by the Old Boxley Mill taken today.  Late season bull photography is far from done.

11/20/12 Picture of the Day #2

When you are given great cross light you know it. It is definitely something given. This little guy was part of the herd moving south today. The RAW image was so sharp it could hardly be improved on, a pretty rare event. This little guy is from the 2012 crop of calves.

9/9/12 Elk Rut Begins -- Herd Locations Map

Elk viewing was very good this morning. We were treated to the first sighting of a rutting bull in the south end of Boxley Valley near Smith Creek. At least 20 cars of visitors stopped and enjoyed the show, many were photographers. At mid-morning the south elk herd was moving to cover in the Upper Wilderness still farther south of the trailhead.

The other main attraction was a field full of bull elk near Moore Creek on the west side of Highway 21.

Straggler elk were other places in the valley, with a small herd near the Ponca Access along the cane line.

Boxley Valley Elk Locations 9/9/12

Elk Photographers & Watchers, Buffalo National River,
Upper Wilderness Trailhead

Revised Elk Viewing Map for 2012 Rut

Small Bull Elk Shedding Velvet in 2009

I have revised the elk viewing map for the 2012 Arkansas Elk Rut to reflect the current patterns a bit more. There is another zone -- now there are 5.

There are other additions. The route to nearby hiking trails are identified to assist first time visitors with locating nearby trails. The Ponca Elk Education Center is added to the map. Visitors will want to visit this award-winning center as part of their elk viewing experience.

The new map is shown below. It incorporates the latest August observations. This year is shaping up as an outstanding elk viewing year. The rut is now just a few weeks off.

Bull elk are now beginning to scrape off their velvet, completing the antler growth cycle in preparation for the 2012 rut.

5/4/12 Elk Watching Very Good -- Before 7:30AM

Morning Light, Fog & Clouds in Boxley Valley

Elk watching has shifted solidly to a summer viewing pattern. Before 7AM today I saw 4 herds grazing in Boxley Valley fields. By 7:45 they were starting to migrate to their bedding areas. This is the summer elk viewing experience.

Is it worth it to get up so early to see elk?  Absolutely yes. The elk are grazing in foggy fields. You can get photos of elk in the fog, around the edges of it, and fully emerged in the same photo. This makes ordinary field shots special if conditions are right. 

Besides seeing the elk, Boxley Valley on foggy mornings is just stunning.  If you are a photographer it is a great time to take moody landscape photos that exploit the fog as it lifts and animates the fields and buildings. Speaking personally, these are the summer landscapes that interest me besides the pooled-up river. This weather is wall-hanger weather if you can get your exposure correct. Perhaps it is a good time to learn HDR techniques to incorporate in your images. 

Hummingbird Moth at Ponca Elk Education Center

Roadside wildflowers are now blooming heavily. These are great places to get pictures of butterflies too. Make sure you pull off the road and be alert to traffic. There are many places you can prospect for roadside flowers along country roads. This is all day shooting. Butterflies like heat so you can shoot elk and landscapes early, then look for butterflies and roadside wildflowers later.

A great place for butterflies is the grounds of the Ponca Elk Education Center. There you park and be safe out of traffic. Any of the river access points are a good bet too. Remember that butterflies like to "puddle" along the edges of the river and creeks. 

The elk today were in southern pattern. Most of the elk are from the Highway 43/21 intersection and points south. There was one herd near Ponca.  I did see bulls in early velvet in another group. See the  brand new May map below. 

I have edited the wildflower list, although it is possible in some hollers a random specimen might show up of the early species, most are done. 

4/26/12 Good Elk Viewing, Summer Pattern Now

Box Turtles are migrating now -- This one on Erbie Road

Summer heat is back and the elk have pulled back from Boxley Valley a bit. Today there was one cow herd visible down by Smith Creek. A small bull herd was present near Beech Creek. Some bulls already have antlers in velvet about 6 inches long.

Warm weather and direct sunlight now has compressed the viewing times. This morning the elk were all gone by 8:30AM.

I got my first Buffalo River crossing of the year with the bull elk herd.

Box turtles are migrating now. Every year during mating season you will see them dotting area roads. Please don't pick them up and take them home. If you move them off the road, do it in the direction they are pointed. These turtles are returning to specific areas to mate. If you move them to where they came from, they will simply cross the road again.

I moved 5 of them today. It makes me sick to see them hit by cars. Most people cut them a lot of room. The soulless deranged target them -- surely they will reap what they sew. The ornate box turtles are a threatened species. Here is a link for further information:

http://www.naturalheritage.com/citizen-science/past_projects/box_turtle/turtlebasics.aspx

Help protect and preserve box turtles in Arkansas.

April 26 Elk Herd Locations near Ponca, AR