Arkansas Wildlife Blog and Gallery
Buffalo National River and NW Arkansas
Sunday was a pretty good day if unconventional. A typical day of shooting in Boxley Valley would be more predictable. The elk are moving all over the place now in the late rut. Some bachelor bulls have detached from herds and are now just roaming around. Usually you will find at least one herd offering pretty good viewing, but not Sunday. Sunday the elk were scattered all around, but paradoxically, three wandering small bulls were in Lost Valley and furnished one of the best pictures of my shooting year.
I expect things to normalize soon, but it is anyone's guess when. A normal seasonal pattern at this time of year would have one elk herd pretty much in the fields near Ponca just about full time. Bachelor bull herds would also be showing up in the south valley area with a bit more predictability, but they are always a much tougher target. In the last few days I have seen huge bulls detached from herds on distant fields, in one instance, a very nice fight was going on that I could not hope to photograph.
If you go out seeking bachelor bulls, remember they are just about always gone by 8 or 8:30 AM. They are timid, and they are unpredicable. I see them in the south valley just about exclusively. Getting great pictures of them is a lot like deer hunting, you have to be patient.
Sunday's pictures.
I expect things to normalize soon, but it is anyone's guess when. A normal seasonal pattern at this time of year would have one elk herd pretty much in the fields near Ponca just about full time. Bachelor bull herds would also be showing up in the south valley area with a bit more predictability, but they are always a much tougher target. In the last few days I have seen huge bulls detached from herds on distant fields, in one instance, a very nice fight was going on that I could not hope to photograph.
If you go out seeking bachelor bulls, remember they are just about always gone by 8 or 8:30 AM. They are timid, and they are unpredicable. I see them in the south valley just about exclusively. Getting great pictures of them is a lot like deer hunting, you have to be patient.
Sunday's pictures.
Shameless Self-Promotion Department
My framed wildlife prints are on display and for sale at a number of locations:
Jasper
Boardwalk Cafe/Arkansas House
Cliff House Inn
Point of View Restaurant
Jasper Chamber Gift Shop
Ponca
Lost Valley Canoe Store
Villines Store (Boxley Valley)
Low Gap
Low Gap Store
Compton
Compton One Stop
Harrison
Uncommon Grounds Coffee Shop
My framed wildlife prints are on display and for sale at a number of locations:
Jasper
Boardwalk Cafe/Arkansas House
Cliff House Inn
Point of View Restaurant
Jasper Chamber Gift Shop
Ponca
Lost Valley Canoe Store
Villines Store (Boxley Valley)
Low Gap
Low Gap Store
Compton
Compton One Stop
Harrison
Uncommon Grounds Coffee Shop
Boxley Valley Update -- 11/23/08
Checking me out.
Leaving the field
Moving on to bedding area
Peeking around tree
Waking up his buddy
Lazy elk's sparring method
A fond farewell glance
Old barn by cave mountain road