7/16/12 Elk Locations in Boxley Valley

Elk are not as plentiful as earlier in the month, but viewing is pretty good. Summer viewing can be pretty thin when the heat sets in and this is one of those weeks.

Having said that though, this morning the big bull herd was very close to the road. So there were not so many elk to see, but the big guys were very close.  This was just north of the mill pond, a place that is often good, but dangerous for parking.

So far this month viewing has been good. Baby elk are a common sight now.

The key to outstanding viewing is getting out early right at daybreak. The light is great and the animals are the closest to the road they will be all day. Get there before 7:30AM to see elk, and get there at 6:00AM for the very best show.

The elk location map for July is below:

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.

5/11/12 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