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. 

10/15/14 After Storms, Elk Returning to more normal Pattern

This morning the elk were in the Ponca Fields. Last night a good sized herd bedded down near the access road to the Ponca Access. I saw them about 7AM when I went through the area. If you like to float we now have a rare fall opportunity in the upper river, contact one of the outfitters listed at buffaloriverchamber.com for more information. Elk viewing in the Ponca Fields should be good all weekend. There are 2 bulls with that herd, they are close in size so they could fight anytime. The weather is ideal, after a couple of warmer days temperatures are turning down to the 60's beginning Sunday through Friday the 24th. 

This weekend the 17th and 18th  from 10AM to 4:30 each day is theColor Fest at the Ponca Elk Education Center. After taking a year off, I am doing a free photography workshop at 2PM both days. Please call the Center to reserve your seat. See the flyer below. The timing for Color Fest is ideal, 10AM is about the time that elk viewing ends most days. 870-861-2432. 

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. 

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. 

Ponca Elk Education Center's Color Fest This Weekend

If you are going to visit to Friday or Saturday you will want to stop in at the Color Fest at the Ponca Elk Education Center. This year there are 18 artists participating in the show. There are art demonstrations.

Be sure also to visit the Ponca Elk Education Center. They have many exhibits and a gift shop. There are also free educational materials. The center is recipient of national awards and is the largest education center in Arkansas on the basis of attendance.

The Color Fest is from 10 to 4:30 each day. The event compliments peak elk viewing hours perfectly that are before and after the event.

10/2/13 Elk Herd Locations & Report

Elk viewing conditions have improved steadily now for 3 days, but there is room for more improvement.  I expect a herd to return to the Ponca field by the weekend.

This morning there were 3 herds visible in the valley starting from just north of the mill pond and south to around the Buffalo River.  The herd at the 43/21 intersection was back at the edge of the field.  North of the mill pond, and down by the river at the south end were the best viewing.

The closing of the Buffalo National River park does not affect elk viewing.  This morning there were at least 15 cars of elk watchers.  If you were planning to combine a hike with your visit, the Whitaker Point (Hawksbill Crag) trail is open, as is the Smith Creek Preserve trail (http://smithcreekpreserve.com).

Predicted much cooler weather should improve the elk viewing by the weekend.

Weekend Outlook For Elk Watching & Restroom Facilities in Ponca

If the weather forecast holds, Friday night there will be a frontal change and Saturday will mark the beginning of significantly cooler weather with a high of 64.  With nighttime lows in the 40's starting Saturday night we should start seeing significantly longer viewing times and more elk in the fields.

This could be the weather change that will ignite the rut.  It is right on time, breaking the back of the summer weather we have had recently

The governmental shutdown has no impact on elk viewing at all. There are public bathrooms in Ponca at the Ponca Elk Education Center -- it is an AGFC facility, not federal. Check out the displays and gift shop at the Center.  It won a national award for excellence in elk interpretation by the Rocky Mountain Elk Foundation.

The campgrounds are closed, but there are private campgrounds near Ponca as well as very affordable cabins.  For information and prices http://buffaloriverchamber.com .

The Center is also popular with bull elk looking to perfect their rutting skills.

This Old 2008 Bull Commuting to School in Ponca

2013 Color Fest & Fall Color Update

Fall color is finally starting.  Some species of trees turn first.  Dogwood trees are now showing some red, but they are far from peak. Yesterday driving around we saw some hickories that were turning.

If you are a fall color fan it is time to plan your visit. I would say the timing for peak color this year will be mid-October or so. Color change is never uniform. Fall color will vary according to location around here so we have a fairly long color season.

I like both early fall color in mid-transition green to full color, and late fall color when some leaves fall and tree trunks become visible adding "lines" to the colorful leaves.  My favorite shots are river landscapes with reflecting pools and rock.  Landscape photography is the perfect complement to elk photography when you visit.

Buffalo National River Landscape Near Ponca

You will want to visit the 2013 Color Fest in Ponca on October 18-19 put on by the Ponca Elk Education Center.  This is a great event with an art fair and demonstrations.  Peak fall color should coincide with the 2013 event. See the brochure below, click it to enlarge.

10/25/12 Elk Herd Locations in Boxley Valley

The elk left the fields by 8 AM today, in keeping with the summer pattern of recent days. This will likely change today if the weather forecasts can be believed. The best place to see the elk has been the Ponca fields in the north end. Today there was one pretty good sized herd in there.

Don't forget the Color Fest this weekend at the Ponca Elk Education Center and my free photo workshop. Call 870-861-2432 to reserve your seat. 2:00 PM each day the 26th & 27th, rain or shine, the workshop will be held.

Required Reading for the Color Fest Workshops

Creative Voice is About Answering Your 
Own Questions About Composition

Friday and Saturday at 2 PM I will be doing free elk photography workshops at the Ponca Elk Education Center. Call 870-861-2432 to reserve your seat.

Contrary to popular opinion, good photography is thoughtful, and the best results come from thinking carefully about what you do. We will be talking about the questioning process, and how to figure out what to do. And how to think about what equipment to buy.

The link below takes you to a blog entry I did early this year. My goal is to get you to learn how to ask effective questions about your photography so you can get to the next level on your own. A new camera is not the key, a new way of thinking is. The blog entry below is a good start. Please read it before the workshops this weekend.

http://arkansaswildlifephotography.blogspot.com/2012/01/learning-composition-questioning.html?showComment=1336878959578#c3206271887804983012

Today's Picture -- 10/23/12 River Crossing

I have shot 8 river crossings so far this year, and it is by far my best year for them. Crossings are about Buffalo River Elk. You really have to work hard to get these pictures. Hiking the river on stone is tiring, much like walking in sand. It can be dangerous, and probably is not for most people. I carry an emergency beacon. Today was one of those days when I got what I was seeking. Yesterday I did not seen a single elk in the same spot.

This picture shows a "slow crossing" where the elk stream out of the pastures and then casually graze their way to their bedding areas. There still are bits of fall color to spice up the images. Off camera is a satellite bull that is hanging around the herd hoping to catch a stray.

My workshops at the Ponca Elk Education Center on Friday and Saturday will touch on getting these shots.

Elk River Crossing, Buffalo National River 10/23/12

Free Photo Workshops at Color Fest Oct 26 & 27

I will be doing my free elk photography workshops both scheduled days at 2pm at the Ponca Elk Education Center even if the Color Fest art show is rained out.

So if you want to attend the workshop, but you are unsure about weather, go ahead and come. If it turns out to be rainy, elk photography and viewing will still be very good. Elk love rain as long as it is not thunderstorms.

Know this, weather forecasts around here are lousy. Not sure why, but my guess is that it is the mountains and the way fronts flow around them. Forecasts even 2 days ahead cannot be depended on around here.

Hope to see you there. Please call ahead and reserve your seat at 870-861-2432 so we can plan.

Free Elk Photography Workshop at Color Fest October 26 & 27

I will be doing a free elk photography workshop at Color Fest at 2 PM each day of October 26th and 27th. You should call the Ponca Elk Education Center and reserve your seat at 870-861-2432.

This workshop will be every bit as useful as any you would pay for. I like to teach, and I do share secrets of how I get elk photos that often are "wall hangers". The reason I get them is my approach, composition, elk location strategies, and understanding of elk movements.

Boxley Beast, RIP Old Buddy

One of my participants last year said "you told us everything, nobody expected that". Well you can expect that. You will get the benefit of my 7 year obsession about elk photography.

The truth is I care as much about you getting a great photo as I do about getting my own. There are basic strategies to kicking your photography "up a notch" and you will learn them at this workshop.

I like to interact with my attendees. For a period of my life I was a professional trainer for one of the big 6 training companies so speaking and teaching is second nature for me. Your questions on anything about wildlife photography will be welcome.

If it interests anyone, I will do a follow-on section on post processing -- what to do after you get the picture of your elk. My emphasis will be on workflow I like a lot. This is not an advertisement though, it is about methods and issues and solutions. I don't do teasers and play bait-and-switch games.

If there are enough attendees, I may have to schedule a second session each day. I need you to sign up so we can manage demand. This workshop draws from a few states, so sign up early.

See you there. Bring your camera, you might need it to understand settings and so on, but nothing is set in stone. I will adapt my workshop to fit those who attend.

2012 Color Fest, Ponca Elk Education Center

Elk watchers will want to visit the Ponca Elk Education Center's annual Color Fest. Color Fest is an art show with demonstrations held each fall during fall color season. Each day at 2 PM there will be a free elk photography workshop by wildlife photographer Michael Dougherty.  Call the center at 870-861-2432 to reserve your seat for the workshop.

2012 Color Fest Flyer

9/1/12 September is Here -- Elk Rut 2 Weeks Off

September ushers in a new herd map. This morning there were elk scattered across Boxley Valley, with the concentration in the south end, just like the end of August. There is a small herd in the north end. Viewing was outstanding and extended in cloudy and cool weather.

Elk Herd Locations in Boxley Valley near Ponca, AR  9/1/12

10/30/11 Ponca Field, Smith Creek Field -- Elk At Both Ends

Elk are at the opposite ends of Boxley Valley now. There is a herd in the very first Ponca field, and a second at the south end in the field north of Smith Creek.

Absolutely wonderful weather and peak fall color.

Bald eagles have started arriving a few weeks early due to cold blast in the north.  The customary eagle viewing season is from Thanksgiving until Valentine's Day. A good place to see the eagles when they arrive is the Mill Pond area.

Thanks to those who came to my workshops and visited us in the annual Color Fest.

10/27/11 Weather Change, Delayed Map Today

Since it is Thursday and we are in the grip of a rain storm that could last most of the day, I am delaying my entry to later today. I will be checking on the elk herds later this afternoon.

It is much colder today and that bodes well for elk movements back to the fields of Boxley Valley. The question is 1) will there be thunderstorms sufficiently violent to keep the elk under cover, and 2) how long will it take them to move back to the fields. My guess is 1) NO, and 2) not long at all, tonight or tomorrow morning.

The elk weather forecast could not be better. The highest daily temperature going forward through the weekend is 61. Today the predicted high is 49 and the radar looks like rain all day.


This weekend is perfect elk weather, with rain ending today and transitioning to clear, cool weather all weekend. All this, and peak fall color too.

Remember the Color Fest starts tomorrow. I will be doing a free photography workshop both days at 2:00PM.

2011 Color Fest Friday and Saturday at the Elk Education Center -- Free Photo Workshops

No visit to the Boxley Valley in Ponca area is complete without visiting the award-winning Ponca elk education Center. The center features displays and hands-on demonstrations of various aspects of wildlife in the Buffalo River region. It has a very complete gift shop that includes nature guides, free posters, and publications from the AGFC. Staff at the Center provide information about area elk and wildlife viewing opportunities. Call 870-861-2432 for information and the latest information on elk and wildlife watching opportunities.

Even Elk Visit the Education Center for Guidance

Each October Ponca Elk Education Center holds its annual Color Fest scheduled to coincide with peak fall color. This year the Color Fest will be held on October 28 and 29th from 10 AM to 4:30 PM each day. There will be live demonstrations by area artists as well as a small art fair. I will be there with my wife Mandy selling photography, Christmas cards, and postcards.

Each day at 2PM I will be conducting a free photography workshop in the downstairs conference room at the center. This informal workshop focuses on elk photography and other photographic opportunities in the Boxley Valley area. Plenty of time is provided for questions and answers after the workshop -- bring your questions. I look forward to meeting you and talking about photography and elk in our area. This year I will show many different photos and discuss what I had to do to get them. I will also discuss wildlife photo composition. Call 870-861-2432 to reserve your spot. If there are enough attendees, I will schedule a second session following the first. 

Ponca elk education Center is located just north of the intersection of highways 43 and 74 in Ponca. There is ample parking, picnic tables and a pavilion, and restrooms inside the facility. The Elk Education Center is a short drive from the primary wildlife viewing areas in Boxley Valley.