12/26/13 Herd Locations -- Elk Viewing Very Good

2 elk herds today, one in the first Ponca Field, a second down by Beech Creek. Yesterdays all-bull herds took this morning off, but they could not be too far away. The 2013 elk rut continues at the absolute bitter end. There seems to be at least one bull that hangs on this late. Any calves bred now will be born August or even September. If you pay attention, you will see very tiny calves during the rut now and then.

Bald eagle this morning at the mill pond.

Weekend Outlook for Elk Viewing

Rain is predicted for this weekend and temperatures will remain in the 70's until they downshift to the 60's starting Monday with nighttime lows in the 40's.  Most predicted rain will be for Saturday AM and it tapers off to the evening and the chance is only 20% for Sunday. 

Here is my call.  First, elk like rain and if you follow them over the years like I have you will see them play in the rain and even splash one another in puddles.  They don't like thunderstorms and will head for cover, often well ahead of the storm.  Thunderstorms are possible late tonight and Saturday morning. After that the weather should be OK for Saturday night viewing, and all day Sunday if this forecast holds.  That is what I expect.  

This weather could knock down the morning fog we have been having. There is some wind predicted too and that will help. 

Next week we are back into prime elk weather -- 60's daytime, 40's nighttime.  This year the cool weather has always been a plus.  We are in the peak period of the rut now, next week looks pretty good if the forecast holds. 

Real Bull Fights vs. Sparring Tutorial

Visitors to Boxley Valley often confuse bull fights with sparring. This slide show and narrative lays out the differences.  Sparring elk are common, bull elk fights are relatively rare.  This shows the stages of a fight and it explains the difference.

2/24/13 Elk Crowd Boxley Valley After Storm, Wildflowers Rebound

Elk Viewing is Outstanding

The recent ice storm has focused elk in into Boxley Valley.  Elk viewing is arguably the best so far in 2013 with 6 herds in view and straggler elk, mostly bulls, here and there elsewhere. With so many elk in the valley they probably will move around quite a bit to compete for grazing fields. Remember the bull elk will have their antlers at least another month. 

Early Wildflowers Weathered the Ice Storm

The ice storm did little to damper the wildflower bloom in Boxley Valley's Lost Valley hiking trail. White trout lilies are the star of this early bloom. Yesterday there were at least 5 times as many lilies blooming compared to just a few days prior. If I had to project a peak for the white trout lilies in Lost Valley, it would be the first two weekends of March. There may be another snow storm coming Tuesday, but these tough wildflowers will bounce back quickly.  

It is time to get here if you want to see or photograph white trout lilies. The very best place I know of is just across the bridge at Lost Valley hiking trail and to the left. There is a rock field in the woods just past the fire pit. Stay on the trail, but look carefully and you will see these flowers among the moss covered rocks. They will be gone in 2-3 weeks. If you miss them at Lost Valley, Smith Creek Preserve also has a bloom and it runs roughly 1 or 2 weeks later. http://smithcreekpreserve.com  for directions, maps and more information.

6/1/12 Elk Calving Month Has Arrived

4 Day Old Calf in Rare Roadside Picture

June is the peak month for elk calving. Calving will continue for at least two months, and there will be calves born quite late, but June is considered the peak.

This morning the elk pattern was clearly from the mid-valley and points south, but there were stragglers elsewhere. As I mentioned in my previous post, the seasonal cow herds are now broken into smaller groups for the most part, and there are many cow elk that are isolating themselves in preparation to give birth. Typically they will rejoin the herds a few weeks after calving when their newborns are mobile.

Should you run into a cow elk with a newborn calf, give her a lot of room. She can and will stomp you if she thinks you are a threat to her baby. This happens every so often as tourists don't heed threatening gestures that are clear to experienced wildlife watchers. Remember these are wild animals, and never so wild as when they are protecting their young.

The bull elk are in velvet and this morning were right along Highway 43. These were the big guys. As is true this time of year, you have to get out early to be assured of seeing them. The bull elk were gone today by 7AM.

If you get to the valley at sunrise, watch for elk along the roadsides. Many fields have been hayed and the roadsides offer the best forage.

New month, new map. See the locations of elk below on June 1, 2012:

6/1/2012 Elk Herd Locations -- Stragglers Elsewhere 

5/18/12 Elk Viewing Great, Haying for Great Photos

Yellow Swallowtail on Horsemint

Elk viewing was outstanding this morning, continuing a pattern now in place for some time.  Elk calving is now just around the corner. Here and there are bull elk in early velvet, a picture that many have on their "bucket list".

Delicate ground-hugging morning fog and hay bales now offer great morning landscape photo opportunities. This won't last long as farmers will move the bales to storage, but it could run through the weekend.

If you want to see the elk, get to the Boxley Valley early, just after sunrise. Cool weather extends viewing times, but remember that very early morning viewing will get you real close to the animals. Keep in mind you should drive slowly. At first light, many elk are between the road and fences, and there will be some leisurely crossings. It is a great time to be out there.

Butterflying is now very good. Roadsides are lighting up with blooms and when the elk viewing is done, the butterflies are beginning to get active. It is a great way to combine two subjects that compliment one another perfectly during the morning hours.

5/13/12 Elk Viewing Great for Mothers Day

Great elk viewing this Mothers Day morning with many small herds of elk spread across Boxley Valley.

Cow elk are widely disbursed in small groups, with many scattered single cow elk. Typically cow elk isolate themselves before giving birth. This small herd and single cow elk looks like the pre-calving formation.

Happy Mothers Day.

The elk herd location map follows:

May 13, 2012 Elk Herd Locations 

5/11/12 Elk Viewing Excellent Today

Newborn Calf Elk 

Elk viewing is outstanding in the valley now, but you must get up to see them. Viewing in most seasons is an "ends of the day affair", never more than the "summer pattern" we are in now. I saw elk in all zones this morning, and stragglers elsewhere. To see them all you must get up early and be out there at daybreak.

Early summer mornings are great viewing, evenings are good viewing.

There is an amazing amount of forage now until haying is completed over the next few weeks. For ranchers, this means there will be 3 cuttings of hay, an outstanding year.

Calving is the theme for the next few months. Some cow elk breed early in the rut, and others late.  They return to estrous on 30 day cycles until successfully bred. This process extends across months from early September (early) to even January (very late). The peak for calving is in June, but early calves could begin arriving now and extends to late summer. The peak for calving is just weeks ahead.

Haying in Boxley Valley -- A great photo
opportunity in morning fog

Remember this. You will not likely see a newborn calf elk, but if you do, give the cow and calf room. A cow elk with a calf is a dangerous animal and she will attack and stomp you. I will be reporting more on calving in the next entry.

Sometimes I get asked to guide. I don't. I will not tell anyone where elk nurseries are, don't ask. We need to respect these animals and not harass them. This is especially true during calving season.

See updated elk herd location map below:

May 7, 2012 Elk Herd Location Map & Wildflower List

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. 

4/19/12 New Wildflowers, Mobile Website for Floaters

Shooting Stars Blooming Now in the
Buffalo National River Region

Hot weather early this year pushed the blooming date of all the wildflowers earlier in the year. As a result, the spring wildflower season is already post peak and tailing off for many species at least 3 weeks early.

Mountain azaleas, shooting stars, and lady slippers are now in bloom. If you want to get pictures, you will need to visit this weekend. the blooming window is narrow for these species, although there will be differences in blooming dates across the Buffalo National River region.

Bull elk have dropped their antlers.  The next big event is the elk calving season, beginning just about a month off. It peaks in early June. More on this later.

Floating has been pretty good this year so far. Early rains and warm weather made early floating possible for average folks. The river is down a bit now, but this weekend promises to recharge the river if the weather forecast holds. Weather forecasts are kind of lousy around here so it will be important to pay attention to the actual weather. The good news is the main rain events are set for Friday. It will be a cool weekend if the weather holds.

Floaters will want to check out the revised river gauge pages at http://buffaloriverchamber.com and http://buffaloriverchamber.mobi.

Mountain Azaleas and Hummingbird Moth

The Buffalo River Chamber's mobile website has been completely revamped and is still being expanded. There are about 120 pages of information on the Buffalo National River. The mobile site serves real-time USGS river gauge information for the entire river, much the same as the regular chamber website. The mobile site is formatted at 320 pixels wide to accommodate smart phones, but the river gauges are also served in wide format. Serious floaters will want to bookmark these gauges on their phones and tablets for up-to-date information. Links to the river outfitters serving the length of the river are integrated into the gauge pages. Information on lodging, places to eat and other services are covered as well.

Remember that floating opportunities exist all along the river. "Shop" the river for good floating conditions. There are expert outfitters to assist you in each area of the river.

This weekend will be great hiking and camping weather and it continues at least through the middle of next week. Serious hikers love the extra stamina that cool weather provides.

Elk report tomorrow and an update on wildflower conditions.

4/5/12 A Perfect Weekend to Visit

Woodland Snail Lost Valley

This morning I had Boxley Valley and Lost Valley Hiking trail to myself. This is absolutely prime time. The weather is perfect for hiking, riding and floating. Wildflowers are blooming stronger this year than in many years. In Lost Valley I am seeing species in new locations, and the number of blooming plants is just amazing. If I had to estimate, I would say the number of wildflowers is at least 2x recent years.

The dogwoods will be at peak this weekend. If you want to see the display you better get here. Dogwoods line the roadsides, creeks, and rivers. The earliest blooming dogwoods are now shedding their petals. Two weeks out there will be few dogwoods left. As I write this, the number of dogwoods in our woods would be difficult to estimate, I would hazard a guess at 100 trees on our land. The locust trees are in bloom too now.

The wildflower bloom is just amazing this year. Lost Valley and other trails are full of dwarf larkspur plants. We are in the middle of the season now. If you visit Lost Valley for wildflowers, hiking to the Natural Bridge is probably enough. Just below the bridge the columbines are peaking, and nearby wild geraniums are putting on quite a show.

Elk viewing is very good. Now we are past the antler drop so the bulls just look like huge cow elk with "stumps". Next up in the elk cycle is calving. Around June 1 is considered the peak for elk calving, but it continues for at least a couple of months. The herds are now located at both ends of the valley and in the middle. See the map below for exact locations.

Remember the best place to get in-depth information about the Buffalo National River is http://buffaloriverchamber.com. Chamber members are the businesses that serve the river and know the river. The Buffalo National River experience is in the rural counties along the river.

2/17/12 One Elk Herd in Valley

Harbinger of Spring

This morning there was only one elk herd in Boxley Valley. It is located up by the Ponca Access. The herd that was at the south end has moved off to a back field.  I think it is still in the same zone so it could show up any day.

Perfect wildflower weather is really stimulating the growth of foliage. The Harbinger of Spring flowers are in bloom. These tiny flowers are always early in the lineup. A good bloom of them is located at the Ponca Elk Education Center's wildlife trail. You will also find them near creeks and the river.

The latest elk herd map is below:

1/29/12 Elk Viewing, First Wildflower for 2012

This morning after surveying the elk herd locations, on a hunch I walked a part of Lost Valley hiking trail looking for wildflowers. Our weather is now abnormal, I worry that is it permanent, and the daffodils are up and not blooming, but everything seems to be ahead of schedule. This poor flower bloomed in the recent warm weather and was drooped over in the morning frost. This is VERY early. I do have a witness too. I believe the plant is a toothwort, it is pretty tiny.

Don't forget frost blossoms in the early mornings. They are a great photographic subject and will fine tune your exposure control.

I will be doing a special entry on wildflowers this week.

The elk were following the recent patterns pretty well. There is one herd in zone 1 that is rotating between the woods, vacant Ponca fields, and the woods to the west of 43 behind the Ponca Bible Camp (private land). The second herd is down by the 43/21 intersection and they were close to the road this morning, actually on both sides of the road.

Frost Blossom Lost Valley 1/29/12

Remember bull elk keep their antlers until about April 1. The two herds have been viewable now in about the same locations for about two weeks. They are bothering no farmer since they avoid cattle. The herd down by 43/21 is grazing in fields that were planted as a food plot to attract elk. Certainly there is no complaint there.

This is just outstanding weather to hike. I recommend taking a hike in Lost Valley. The falls are running hard and the forest floor is now coming to life. There is something to be said for the beautiful cutting light that animates forest trails during leaf off.  As my attention gradually turns to wildflowers, I like to hike there often to see the entire wildflower cycle from the first sprouts through the climax of the season.

If I were homeschooling a child or just teaching kids about nature, the unfolding from now through the spring offers many lessons not only about plant species, but the dynamics of micro environments in the valley. It is also a great time to teach geology.

Learning Composition -- Questioning & Visualization

This Picture is an Elk Painting Animated by Angular Light
Elk Photos are Elk in Context -- That is the next level

I got a note the other day I have not answered, mostly because I don't have a simple answer. The questioner wanted to know how I get the elk pictures I get, what advice I could offer. I have been thinking about it from two perspectives. First, how do I take elk pictures. Second, how did I teach myself to take elk pictures (or anything else for that matter).

Anyone who reads what I write knows that in my mind, composition is the point of photography. Everything else is secondary. Good composition transcends equipment, bad composition is indifferent to great equipment. Composition is the key. It is composition that communicates.

So, how do you take pictures of a new subject? I know my basic approach is to deconstruct the subject, then look at composition of the "chunks", then reconstruct the subject combining the chunks. I break the subject into parts that move, and parts that don't move. I also look at context, the setting, the time of day.

I spend a lot of time practicing composition through visualization away from the camera. Careful thought can equip you with "virtual experience" that you can draw on when opportunities arise.  Research supports visualization as real practice.

Sounds pretty simple eh? Let's look at elk composition as an example:

Driving Legs and Counterpointing Antlers Make This Post-Rut
Sparring Pretty Good -- Better Than Statues Tapping Antlers

Deconstructing the Animal For many years now when I see a subject I see a collection of shapes that combine to make the whole animal. The head looks like a triangle, the body like a rough rectangle, the legs like sticks, straight, crossing or bent, the neck like a strip, the haunches like ovals superimposed over the body, antlers like hoops, unique shadows, and so on. Static shapes.

Movement moves these shapes in relation to one another. Is the elk twisting, or head up or down, or is the head folded over the body? Is the body straight on or angled? Are its lines resonating with other lines in the composition? Is its movement counterpointed with another elk? And how? How do they counterpoint? Dynamic movements.

There is a larger message in this madness (if you haven't walked away). Good composition hinges on great questions. It is the quality of your questions that will drive your understanding. Tip: When you are stuck, try to dig out the question you are answering. You probably need to ask a better question to get to the next level. This applies to just about everything I have learned in life. Experts ask great questions. Figure out the questions and you will learn very fast. Do not shop answers. Questions matter most.

Deconstructing the Context  Animal photography occurs in a natural setting. That context includes light of all sorts and angles, contour, geology, fence lines, tree lines, tree trunks, curves like streams and swails, buildings, roads, etc.  And so on. It seems impossible, you need a great combination of the animal and its context to get a killer photo.

Putting it Back Together -- Reconstruction and Synthesis
Now we return to visualization. This is where what seems hopelessly complex comes together. In your mind's eye, assemble your subject, elk in this case, into a context you know. Visualize what you consider to be ideal images based on these elements. Because you are visualizing, words fall away and reconstruction now becomes easier.

Trust the Unconventional, Juxtapose the Unexpected
I Chased this Photo for Years After Pre-visulalizing It

I have used this analogy a few times, but it fits. Athletes deconstruct their movements, learn new ones, then drill incessantly until they instinctively do the right thing. This discipline never ends.

When you take your photography to another level, you need to take apart what you do, take apart your subject and the context, ask great questions about combinations, then, and only then, visualize what you seek away from the camera. This visualization will inform your compositional voice. It will also sharpen your anticipation in the field.

Creative expression is a blissful, but focused practice. The pathway to an unending stairway of improvement is focus, questioning, deconstruction, reconstruction, and visualization. You need to do this for every new subject. While much is the same about different subjects, much is different. You will never get the final picture of any subject,  but you will be on an unfolding path to deeper engagement and mastery of your subjects and art.

My gift to any student is to help them become excellent questioners and self-learners.  A great philosopher Exupery said education is not a forcing in (answers), but rather a leading out (questions). I hold to this.  Ask me a question, and I will ask you to question. You have gifts that I can see in you that you need to trust. You don't need my answers.

1/19/12 Great Elk Viewing, Beautiful Weather

Prince in Bachelor Bull Herd

This morning there were two herds in the valley. One near Ponca, the second around the 43/21 intersection. Neither herd was in a field that competed with livestock. This is pretty standard.

I got a nice picture of Prince, a few actually. He has put on some weight since the rut. His focus is now on eating and recovering from the rut.

Absolutely perfect elk viewing weather for this weekend. Photographers will want to consider landscapes as well.

More later.

1/15/12 Elk Viewing Outstanding

Winter Dawn in Boxley Valley 

This morning there were 3 photographers in Boxley Valley besides me. I knew one of them and he came from Ft. Smith to do one thing, photograph elk. I don't know about the others, but I did not recognize them, I suspect they came from other areas if not other states.

Big Bull at Sunrise by 43/21

Mind you this is the dead season for tourism. People come to this area to do two things in winter. Hike and watch the elk. This is a needed income injection for our area, one that should not be dismissed. Looked at correctly, everyone in positions of authority should understand how fundamentally important elk viewing is in Boxley Valley. It is not about just the valley, it is about the region and the state.

Any consideration of hunting elk in Boxley Valley is absolute economic suicide. Game and Fish must walk away from this hunt idea. There are plenty of places to hunt elk. With a tiny herd, there is no reason to hunt in Boxley Valley. We cannot afford to take the tourism loss.

There were two herds in the valley this morning. One in the south Ponca fields and a second around the 43/21 intersection. It was just beautiful to see the elk in the frosty fields. There were some strays other places in the valley.

Below is the map for today's elk herds.

New Year's Elk Viewing & Locations

Today there were three herds in Boxley Valley -- two of them were large.

For many days now there has been one herd in the Ponca fields north of the observation pullout near Lost Valley. Other days it has been up closer to the launch in the northern most field. When we went past there this morning the elk were still in plain view at 9AM.

The second large herd has been around the 43/21 intersection now for a few days.

The third herd is an all bull herd in the first field north of the Buffalo River down by Cave Mountain Road. This is just a few animals, but they are large. Most people will not see them because they are quite far from the road -- Highway 21.

Remember to check Lost Valley when you visit. Today that Ponca herd was quite close to Lost Valley and could well rotate into those fields tonight.

Be safe. Elk viewing will be great for months yet.

12/3/11 The Beast Returns in the South Valley

This morning I was pleasantly surprised to see the Boxley Beast with a big harem down by the Buffalo River in the south end.

In other areas of the valley viewing is much the same. Two bulls are still rutting. There are all bull herds by the intersection of Highway 43 and 21.

True to history, this morning I had the valley to myself. I got a picture of elk in the river, a nice close up or two of the Boxley Beast along the woods. Great opportunities and nobody is taking advantage of them.

This weekend will be cold and perhaps icy weather will make driving difficult, but if the trees ice, the photography can be amazing. Elk will love the icy weather.

Today's herd map is below:

11/24/11 Thanksgiving Weekend Viewing

Late Season Bull Elk Surveys Cows in Mid-Valley

Happy Thanksgiving. Weather has turned cool, perhaps the dominant pattern now for the season. Elk viewing will be good in these cold months. I am making fewer trips to Boxley Valley, but I will update this blog a few times a week. Visits to Boxley Valley will be successful on most days now because of the cooler weather. Elk love this weather.

Visitors should follow these guidelines for late fall viewing:

•  Be sure to check all of Boxley Valley from Ponca to the South Trailhead to the Upper Wilderness with each visit. There are many different elk herds in and around the valley on back fields, they will move in and out of viewing areas.
• While all day elk viewing is more likely now, morning and evening remain the best chance to see elk up close. Seeing big bull elk up close is still often best at daybreak.
• Do not assume because you saw elk in a location last week, or last year, that you will see them in the same location today. This almost never works.
• ALWAYS check Lost Valley for a herd. The fields along the entrance road to Lost Valley are outstanding viewing locations when elk are there. From now until the end of the year is when Lost Valley elk viewing is most likely. Photographers will not want to miss that opportunity.
• If you see cattle in a field, the likelihood of seeing elk in the same field is just about zero.
• There are 4 zones (see map) now with active elk herds as follows:
     1. Ponca Zone -- There are a few fields near the Ponca Access that elk rotate through.
     2. Mid-Valley -- North of the Mill Pond, south of Lost Valley.
     3. 43/21 Zone -- The all-bull herds seems to favor these fields, often by the mill pond.
     4. South End Zone -- Around Smith Creek & the Upper Wilderness Trailhead.
• Don't waste your time with the elk viewing pullout, it is lousy, a 0% viewing area. 

The mix of herds now includes an all-bull herd at 43/21, rutting bulls and herds in late rut, and the first small post rut all-cow herds. This is absolutely the best time to get pictures of bull elk in groups and will remain so until around April 1.

See new map with 4 zones below:

11/18/11 3 Herds Today, Weekend Outlook Good

Hot, Steamy Love

Two rutting herds this morning and one all bull herd in Boxley Valley.

Today a herd showed up in the Ponca field near the launch. This rutting herd, and a second near the mid-valley, are working a set of fields that include Lost Valley. Percentages favor one of these herds showing up in Lost Valley as they move between fields.

Cool weather means steamy breath shots, always dramatic, and outstanding if you get a bull elk bugling. As long as there are rutting herds, there are bugling bulls. These shots are in play for sure.

I would still check the entire Boxley Valley with any visit. There have not been any herds in the deep south end recently, but I am sure there are two down there in the back fields somewhere. One of these herds was headed by Prince, the magnificent 8x8 bull. Pictures of him are always worthwhile.

The weather will be warming some, but there should be cloud cover as well. These offset one another to some extent. I believe the best shots will be around daybreak. Get up and your chances of seeing the elk up close are very good.