| Season | Herd | Motivations | Locations in Boxley Valley |
| Spring | |||
| Cow Elk | Security, Gestation & Childbirth | North Boxley Valley, isolated from herd bulls. | |
| Bull Elk | Security, Isolation from Cow Elk | Upper Wilderness area for biggest bulls, more south end. | |
| Summer | |||
| Cow Elk |
Calving June & July Isolation during calving Security in herds with calves |
Isolated areas during calving -- river cane lines, tree lines, remote fields. Mostly in central to northern fields. |
|
| Bull Elk |
Isolation from cow elk until fall. Growing antlers, in velvet Middle to late August, bulls scrape velvet. |
Mostly in southern fields and the upper wilderness. More timid than cow elk, generally gone from fields a half hour after sunrise. |
|
| Fall | |||
| Bull Elk |
Pre-rut behaviors, some late scraping. Mating season (rut) late September to Mid-November, some later. |
Pre-rut behavior moves bulls into proximity to cow herds. Young bulls often mix in. Rut begins, big elk arrive from upper wilderness around first week in October. Bull fights for mating rights through entire rut. |
|
| Cow Elk | Mating |
Cows become estrous. Start of estrous different for old cows and yearlings (perhaps staggered two weeks). Cows return to estrous in 30 day cycles until successfully bred. |
|
| Winter | |||
| Cow Elk | Security |
Herds move to central and north valley locations. Some herd bulls persist into December. |
|
| Bull Elk | Security |
Bachelor bull herds form after rut. These herds are segregated by size. Bulls move to Upper Wilderness and south valley locations. |