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.

10/18/14 Elk in Ponca Field Closest to the Ponca Access

Cattle grazing in north Boxley Valley have pushed the elk herd to the very north end of the valley closest to the Ponca Access. Heavy fog this morning made viewing difficult. They are bedding down on the north end and should return to the same field tonight. Until the cattle move, this will likely be their location.

10/10/14 Elk Herd Location Map

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

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. 

2014 Elk Rut Starts Anytime

If past experience means anything, the elk rut will be in full gear in 2 weeks. Current activity in Boxley Valley shows only the smallest hints of the rut. 2

herds of cow elk are awaiting the bulls. Elk are concentrated from the 43/21 intersection and south, especially south of the Buffalo and Cave Mountain Road. I have been down in the valley a few times in the last few days and that is what I see. I parked for a half hour listening for a bugle and heard none. The boys should arrive any time.  The Smith Creek field is most active.

10/25/13 Elk Herd Location Map & Report

Absolutely beautiful morning in Boxley Valley.  As the fog lifted there were photographers all over the valley shooting elk, trumpeter swans, and landscapes of the old barns.  Very nice crowds all week as elk and fall color brought them in.

This morning very early the Ponca field was vacated and the elk moved up behind the bible camp on private property. They will be back, maybe tonight.

The best shows this morning was near the highway 43/21 intersection, and down at the deep south end by the upper wilderness trailhead.  The small bull herd was at 43/21 and did some posing by the old barn there then moved all around the field to the delight of a nice crowd.

In the south end Junk Yard Dog (big 7x7 bull) and his harem showed up in the field, then moved north to the river later in the morning. It is quite possible they will show up in the Smith Creek field this evening.  You definitely will want to see this big bull.

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

10/13/13 Elk Herd Location Map & Report

Elk viewing was pretty much unchanged today.  The one herd visible in the valley is in the Ponca fields and moving around some.  That will be the best location for evening viewing tonight.

The cold weather begins tomorrow.  Cold and clear with even the possibility of 39 degrees late in the week overnight, with highs in the 60's.  That is perfect weather for elk viewing, and for fall color that is coming on fast.

Overnight Pretty Boy lost his harem.  Not sure of his successor, but this is the 3rd year running. He is just not quite large enough yet to be a prime time herd bull.

The injured bull I reported last night seems to be healing OK.  He has a long cut on his right side, but it closed up and he is getting around OK through limping.

Unknown Photographer Shooting Hooks in the Fog

Unknown photographer in the fog shooting Hooks just south of the Buffalo on the south end of Boxley Valley.  You won't get closer to a good bull than this.  Morning fog is challenging, but it lifts.  In the afternoon shoots, light is usually ample, and in some cases it is very interesting. 

Unknown Photographer Shooting Hooks

Hooks in Pasture 10/10 AM

I don't take too many pasture shots, but this morning Hooks was right there offering 2 road crossings and plenty of poses on both sides of the road. After sorting through my images, I ended up with about 100 that I liked.  This is the first one I processed.

This is a fine bull and he is very photo-cooperative, now for almost 2 weeks. He is down by the Buffalo River at the south end. This opportunity will not last forever, so if you are collecting photos of big elk, Hooks should be on your 2013 list.

A couple of small points about field shots of bulls. It is better if they are facing you just slightly angled off like this picture.  Sharp focus on the eyes is important. Ears forward is perhaps best and slightly up like this. Note his front legs are crossed showing some movement.  He is coming right for you.  All these small things add up.

Hooks in Pasture by the Buffalo River

10/7/13 Elk Herd Locations & Report

Today's viewing confirms the cool weather has ramped the elk rut up to normal levels after the warm weather period.  This morning there was a a lot of rut activity, bugling and the bulls were more active.

4 herds today, the largest remains in the Ponca fields. There were a few bulls bugling in the Ponca field area. It is the likely spot for a bull fight.  Elsewhere in the valley there is a mid-valley herd, another at the 43/21 intersection, and a 4th in the south end by the Buffalo River.  The largest herd bull is with this south end herd.

This morning viewing ended between 8:30 and 9:00 AM.  With this cool weather longer viewing times are possible, but it is most reliable to be in the valley at sunrise when the elk are closest to the road.

10/5/13 Frontal Change Late, 10 Degree Drop

The frontal change this morning came 10 hours later than predicted, but now has passed dropping temperatures 10 degrees in a couple of hours.  Elk like cool, wet weather so viewing should improve significantly today and certainly tomorrow.  This is the beginning of  the true fall weather we have been waiting for after a period of unseasonably warm weather.

This morning elk viewing was not so good as elk head for cover in advance of a storm.  I expect it to improved steadily over the next few days.

The herd bull "Little Tine" appeared with his harem down by the 43/21 intersection.  The diffused group down by the Buffalo on the south end was visible.  The bull did make a brief appearance if you got lucky.  Stragglers elsewhere.

10/4/13 Elk Herd Map -- Poor Viewing this Morning

Other than the small bulls at mid-valley, viewing this morning was poor.  There are some straggler elk elsewhere.

This weekend will mark the weather change.  Sunday's conditions will be on the cold side of normal and it could be exceptional.  We are in a waiting game for the herds to move back.  Only they know for sure, but this can and will often change quite suddenly.

10/3/13 Elk Herd Locations & Report

Elk viewing improved a lot today as Pretty Boy returned to the Ponca fields with his harem of about 30. According to others that witnessed it, there was a fight in the river at Ponca this morning. It was evident from counter-bugling that there could be a fight in the Ponca fields any day now.  This is the best viewing by far now in the valley.

Other viewing opportunities were just north of the mill pond where there were some small bulls, and down by the Buffalo on the south end, a location that has been pretty stable for some time.  The south end herd is at most about 10 with a pretty good 5x5.

Cold, wet weather is predicted for the weekend clearing on Sunday. Very cool weather should kick the rut into another gear.

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

Understanding the Cycles Elk Rut Season

The curve below represents the elk rut as a bell shaped curve basically reflecting the number of cow elk in heat.  The very peak of the curve is roughly in mid-October. This will vary a bit from year to year, but as you can see the best of the 2013 elk rut is just ahead and it will continue through November and even extends into the holidays.  The bull elk of course respond to this cycle.

Arkansas Elk Rut Bell Shaped Curve

Like all things natural, the timing of the breeding is spread out as a hedge against calamity. Some cow elk are bred in September, others as late as December, but in both cases they are uncommon.

The very biggest bulls show up when a lot of cow elk are in heat.  We are there now, and it will increase for a few weeks.  Cow elk return to estrous in 30 day cycles until they are successfully bred. The different sized calves you see in Boxley Valley reflect these cycles, with some born from 3rd estrous cycle.

This 3rd Cycle Calf Was Born in August 2010

Taking Good Elk Bull Fight Pictures -- 7 Examples and Notes

I love to take bull fight pictures. The following pictures are samples from the many I have photographed with some ideas for you to think about when you photograph your first bull fight or even just vigorous sparring.

Remember that you will not see a lot of bull fights, you will see a lot of sparring and good sparring photos are worthwhile -- the same tips below apply. The photos below are from 2007 to 2012 -- 6 years.  I usually see 2 or 3 fights a year in dozens of visits to Boxley Valley.  I see sparring all the time extending as late as January, well after the rut.

The first tip in effective bull fight photography is that the you must anticipate the photo you want to get or you will never get it.  Your reflexes lag at least 1/2 second behind your decision to shoot a photo. You need to understand what movements precede the picture you want.

Spend some time looking at elk fight videos and you will understand the sequence of movements during a bull fight. In a real fight, bulls drive each other back, there is a lot of twisting, there are resets when they disengage and re-engage. All these key moments are better pictures than just straight ahead lock ups.

Note the Leg Drive and Body Strain

The picture above shows a bull driving on the left, and the bull on the right attempting to hold his ground. The neck twisting is pretty standard and I think more visually interesting than straight ahead in line shots.  (This was in the Ponca field.)

Just Before the Elk Reset -- Must Be Anticipated 

 This picture is a moment before the elk disengaged. The power and twisting of the elk is interesting visually. If I were a sculptor, this would be what I would go for. There is a lot of movement in this still photo. This happens many times in most fights, but it is very fast and you need to anticipate it. (This was in the Smith Creek field.)

The Moment of Truth, Look at the Eye Contact

 This is one of those "moments of truth" photos. Here the winning bull on the right has pinned down his opponent. They have great eye contact, and the bottom bull seems to be aware he is losing. This is one of my favorites because of the eyes.  Eyes matter a lot in fight photos.  (This was in the Ponca field.)

Twisting Bodies Make Interesting Photos

This picture shows a pleasing twist of the bodies as the two bull wrestle. Again this is only a moment and it has to be anticipated.  (This was in the Ponca field.)

Straight Ahead and OK, But Pretty Standard Pose

This picture is the Boxley Beast vs. Godzilla fight that my wife videoed so well.  This is a decent photo of two magnificent bulls, but it is not as visually interesting as all the photos above. (This was in the Smith Creek field.)

Loser Flees After Defeat

Ultimately there is a winner and a loser. Here you see the herd bull after a 25 minute fight finally drive off the challenger.  This was perhaps the best fight I have ever seen and this picture might be the best bull fight picture at the moment of truth.  Note the satellite bull n the background stealing the harem.  This is a rare shot. (This was in the 43/21 field.)

Before They Fight They Square Off

When a bull fight is setting up the two bulls often separate, paw the ground and tilt their antlers from side to side as though they were connected by magnets. This was taken just moments before they charged and began fighting in earnest.  (This was in the 21/43 field.)

These photos should get your thought process going. Spend some time with visualization. Make sure your camera is setup for high speed action.  I will shoot a high ISO (2000 or more) and try to be at least at F8 and 1/1000 of a second.  I don't use a tripod for fights because I miss too much.  Remember you will be very excited when you photograph an elk fight.  Do your preps, think about the issues, and pre-visualize to get the best results.  You won't have time to figure out details at the last minute.

9/29/13 Elk Herd Location Map -- Rain Hurts Morning Viewing

Elk viewing this morning was surprisingly poor.  Rain seems to work one way or the other with elk and apparently last night there were some thunderstorms.  These storms push elk back in the woods a bit in most cases. My guess is that viewing will return to normal this evening or tomorrow morning.

The only visible elk this morning were down by Cave Mountain Road in the south end. They were gone by just after 8 am.

9/27/13 2013 Elk Rut Weekend Elk Watching Outlook -- Bull Fights Anytime

With every passing day we are heading into the peak rut period. Bugling is picking up, and this morning there was some counter-bugling, one of the indications that bull elk fights will become more common. I got a report of a bull fight this morning that was heard but not seen.  Also, someone saw a bull breed a cow.

Both Saturday and Sunday have 30-40% predictions of rain.  This is actually a good thing.  Those conditions could well cut down on the morning fog. It is also true that elk love rain. Rain will extend viewing times as well.

Bull fights anytime now.  They are never common, but now is the time when they happen most often.  Remember to check the entire Boxley Valley before settling on a place to watch elk. Often the first field is not the best, you won't know if you don't check all of them first.

If I had to pick a field where a bull fight might occur, it would be in the field nearest the Ponca Access in the north end.  There are a few bulls kicking around in that zone. This morning the current herd bull, Pretty Boy was nervous and checking the cane line.  He also counter-bugled a bit.  This is the one setup in Boxley Valley right now for a bull fight.  Any day now.  We have all the ingredients.  In my many years of chasing bull fights this is the #1 field.

Time to Rumble!   Ponca Field in 2008

9/22/13 Elk Herd Map -- First Reported Fight AM

Elk viewing was about as good as it gets this morning with 3 herds in Boxley Valley.  2 were down at the south end on opposite sides of the Buffalo River, fairly close together.  The 2 herd bulls, JYD and Hooks are likely to fight unless they space themselves some.  I would favor JYD in that fight, he is bigger and he is one of older herd bulls. Hooks is a relative newcomer as a herd bull, too small last year, not likely to survive the first round of fights, but we shall see.

There is a pretty large herd just north of the pullout.  There appeared to be 2 pretty good sized bulls with this one herd.  They spilled over into the pullout field.  Could be a fight there anytime as well.

First fight reported this morning at daybreak in the field just north of Smith Creek.  According to the observer, it was 2 5x5's hanging around JYD's harem.  Good news.

The big dance is beginning.  If you have traditionally gone to Estes Park, floods have wiped it out this year.  Time to try Arkansas.  We have arguably got the best elk viewing and photography in our multi-state region.  We are nearby and our lodging is cheap.  Visit http://buffaloriverchamber.com for area information and places to stay.  Buffalo National River is the best kept secret in the US.