Antlers, Coyotes & Wild, Wild Women
September 21, 2015
The elk are in rut, which means it's time for a hike through the Tule Elk Reserve at Point Reyes. This has become something of an annual tradition for me.
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| American Kestrel -- Point Reyes National Seashore, CA |
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| American Kestrel |
This is the one trip I make to Point Reyes without Pongo. He's not allowed out on the reserve and with good reason. The wildlife can sometimes be very close to the trail. I've encountered a coyote within five feet of the trail (he was heading North walking parallel to the foot path as we were heading South). That was pretty cool, and it couldn't have happened if dogs were a normal presence at the reserve. I do feel bad about leaving Pongo at home while I have an adventure at one of his favorite day trip spots, but that's just how it has to be sometimes. Sorry, buddy.
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| A different kind of wildlife -- Point Reyes National Seashore, CA |
It was a hot day for a hike on Sunday. I wasn't at all surprised to see a few people down on the beach, even though I don't think there's an easy way down there. I was a little surprised to note at least one naked person on the beach. That made the hike just a little more fun.
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| Tule Elk -- White Gulch, Point Reyes National Seashore, CA |
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| Tule Elk -- White Gulch, Point Reyes National Seashore, CA |
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| Turkey Vulture |
The elk seem to gather in the same general areas every year. There are one or two harems between the entrance of the elk reserve and the parking lot at Pierce Ranch. The first harem on the hike is generally in White Gulch.They tend to be too far away to get a good look at. This year the harem is quite large. I guess this is the big stud of the reserve, the George Clooney of tule elk. I've seen this harem move off into the hills late in the afternoon, once seeing them on the return right next to the ranch house.
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| Tule Elk -- Point Reyes National Seashore, CA |
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| Tule Elk |
The next group hangs out at the top of the hill maybe a mile or so from the gulch harem. This group is sometimes near or even right on the trail. On Sunday that were hanging out maybe twenty feet from the trail. It's the closest I've ever been to the elk. Talking with the docents at the gulch, the deal seems to be that as long as you stick to the trail you're OK. If the elk are close use caution but sticking to the trail is the way to go. The thing that has always struck me about this particular hike is that people seem to know how to handle themselves. Folks stop to take pictures, but no one approaches the elk in an inappropriate way. It's very different from the Yellowstone experience, where people get as close to the elk and bison with their cell phones as they can. I saw one couple who brought their dog--which troubled me to no end, as you can imagine--but that's the most egregious behavior I've ever seen at Tomales Point. That's one of the reasons I like this hike so much.
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| Point Reyes National Seashore, CA |
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| Tule Elk |
I hiked about a mile farther until I could see the end of the point. There's usually a group of bachelors that hang out near the pond that's about a half mile farther, but I wasn't feeling it so I turned around. I figured I'd have more photos to take on the way back and I'd already taken a lot. The timing worked out well because not only did I get more pictures of the elk at the top of the hill but there was a coyote hanging around the area as well. Not only is this the best hike I know of for seeing elk, it's also the best I've experienced for viewing coyotes.
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| Coyote -- Point Reyes National Seashore, CA |
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| Tule Elk -- Point Reyes National Seashore, CA |
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| Tule Elk -- Point Reyes National Seashore, CA |
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| Tule Elk |
So, what are tule elk? Tule elk are one of three subspecies of elk found in the continental United States. They have only ever been found in California. Two hundred years ago about half a million individuals populated the area but fifty years later they were thought to be extinct. A single pair of tule elk was discovered in 1875 and it's from this pair that all of the 4000 or so tule elk that are alive today have descended. They are spread out across a handful of reserves and wilderness locations in the state. If you follow my blog you'll know that a herd can be found at the San Luis National Wildlife Refuge and another near Highway 101 between the Bay Area and Redwood National Park. There are others but these are the ones I'm familiar with.
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| Coyote -- Point Reyes National Seashore, CA |
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| Tule Elk -- Point Reyes National Seashore, CA |
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| Tule Elk |
Tule elk are smaller than rocky mountain elk found inland and the even larger Roosevelt elk found in along the Northern California-Oregon-Washington coastline. The larger bulls can weight in at nine hundred pounds, which puts them on par with rocky mountain elk and smaller Roosevelt elk bulls. I haven't seen any this large. The large Roosevelt bulls I've seen have left me slack-jawed, I've never had that feeling looking at a tule elk. Anecdotal evidence, I guess, but that's been my experience.
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| Tule Elk -- Point Reyes National Seashore, CA |
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| Tule Elk -- Point Reyes National Seashore, CA |
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| Coyote -- Point Reyes National Seashore, CA |
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| Northern Harrier -- Point Reyes National Seashore, CA |
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| Pierce Ranch, Point Reyes National Seashore, CA |
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