September 28, 2014 Elk Herd Locations
There are now 2 nice rutting herds in Boxley Valley at opposite ends of the valley. At the south end is Godzilla, a traditional herd bull a big-bodied 7x7. At the north end of the valley a small bull has control of a larger harem. There was a fight there last Thursday, there will be more as the largest bulls are starting to arrive. I saw a few tonight moving north and no doubt there will be changes soon. This is prime time to catch a bull fight. If you have been thinking about coming it is time to get here. This is a great venue for elk photography, and most visiting photographers get good results. These maps and reports are designed to guide visitors so they hit the ground running. Buffalo National River is a largely unknown federal park -- elk are only 1 atraction. We have national class smallmouth fishing, outstanding hiking trails, national class horseback riding trails. and outstanding floating. Consistently voted in the top ten parks nobody knows about but must visit. Fall color in 3 weeks. Visit
http://buffaloriverchamber for detailed guides and maps.
September 27 Elk Viewing Report in Boxley Valley, near Ponca, AR
We are getting deep into the elk rut now. Boxley Valley loads up with visitors during the rut and the valley is loading up now with visitors from all over Arkansas and the Adjacent states. There are millions of people within 2 tanks of gas of our largely unknown national park, the Buffalo National River. For more information on the overall area visit
http://BuffaloRiverChamber.com for attraction guides and hiking maps. This is a very affordable vacation destination. Elk viewing is very good now, and there are reliable reports of bull fights. The map below shows the locations of the herds by date. The most activity now is in Zone 1. There is plenty of bugling now. If you visit, please be aware of pedestrians in the viewing areas. Kids will dart out from between cars and now and then people open card doors into the traffic lanes. Watch the road and not the elk when you drive. Mornings are foggy and evenings are sunny. Experienced photographers struggle with the fog, evenings are easier. Remember to respect private property and stay out of the fields. There is a hefty fine for trespassing on private land. If you decide to make the trip feel free to write me at comptonphotographer@gmail.com for advice. I will provide in-depth advice to photographers on places and times to get the best photos. Now is a great time to come. About mid-October our fall color comes while the elk rut continues through the holidays. I can also help you locate lodging and camping facilities. Most places are booked, but there are a few spots with availability.
September 27 Elk Viewing Report in Boxley Valley, near Ponca, AR
We are getting deep into the elk rut now. Boxley Valley loads up with visitors during the rut and the valley is loading up now with visitors from all over Arkansas and the Adjacent states. There are millions of people within 2 tanks of gas of our largely unknown national park, the Buffalo National River. For more information on the overall area visit
http://BuffaloRiverChamber.com for attraction guides and hiking maps. This is a very affordable vacation destination. Elk viewing is very good now, and there are reliable reports of bull fights. The map below shows the locations of the herds by date. The most activity now is in Zone 1. There is plenty of bugling now. If you visit, please be aware of pedestrians in the viewing areas. Kids will dart out from between cars and now and then people open card doors into the traffic lanes. Watch the road and not the elk when you drive. Mornings are foggy and evenings are sunny. Experienced photographers struggle with the fog, evenings are easier. Remember to respect private property and stay out of the fields. There is a hefty fine for trespassing on private land. If you decide to make the trip feel free to write me at comptonphotographer@gmail.com for advice. I will provide in-depth advice to photographers on places and times to get the best photos. Now is a great time to come. About mid-October our fall color comes while the elk rut continues through the holidays. I can also help you locate lodging and camping facilities. Most places are booked, but there are a few spots with availability.
26-SEP-2014
Wading the Buffalo
This photographer is wading the Buffalo National River to get closer to elk and otter. The river is very wadable. Wading the weedy gravel bars is much safer than bare rock, that can be very slippery. I wade the river a lot, I recommend felt-bottomed studded wading shoes to better grip the rock. The river is not very deep in most spots, so hip boots are enough. Many hike with over the calf length boots. Wading in makes very dramatic photos possible.
26-SEP-2014
Herd Bull "Little Forks" Gathering his harem
When you watch a herd of elk, often cow elk seem to stray when grazing. Periodically the herd bull will round them up and compact his harem. This presents an opportunity to see the herd bull up close. In this image Little Forks had just turned the ladies back to where he wanted them and then he bugled. This was at the north end of Boxley Valley near the Ponca, Access.
24-SEP-2014
Satellite Bull Elk Crossing Highway 21 2014 Arkansas Elk Rut
The Arkansas elk rut is heating up now and bulls are arriving from everywhere. October 1 is the traditional peak. This bull elk will not be a herd bull, he is too small. But he will be a satellite bull hanging around the edge of the herd to pick up the occasional stray estrous cow elk. According to biologists, these satellite bulls breed more than the dominant herd bulls who are distracted by defending their harems.