A SECOND OPINION: Elk watching makes for a great fall outing

Wednesday, November 21, 2012

The air is crisp and the leaves are falling. One of my favorite things about this time of the year is making the trip to Ponca, in the Buffalo River area, to watch the elk.

Ponca is less than a two hour drive from Decatur, so it makes a great day trip and its one of the most beautiful places I’ve ever been in Arkansas.

Many people aren’t aware there are elk living in the wild in Arkansas. Eastern Elk were native to Arkansas but disappeared from the state after 1840, according to the Arkansas Game and Fish website.

Elk were reintroduced in the Buffalo River area between 1981 and 1985. Today, it's estimated there are between 450 and 500 elk in Arkansas and they can now be seen all up and down the river.

Our family has a tradition of watching elk in Boxley Valley along Arkansas Highway 43 and Arkansas Highway 21. Elk can also be observed near the Erbie Campground and along the roads leading east and west from the Arkansas Highway 7 bridge at Pruitt and near the Arkansas Highway 123 bridge at Carver, according to www.Arkansas.com.

The optimum time for elk watching is supposed to be during the rut in September into October, but our family usually has good luck well into November. Elk usually come out into the valley just before dusk. But when we visited last week, they were out near the highway in the bright afternoon sunlight. I suppose it depends a great deal on luck.

We usually arrive in the early afternoon and spend some time at the Ponca Elk Education center, an AGFC nature center. With a charming lodge atmosphere, the elk center offers lots of fascinating displays that are educational for young and old alike.

The Hillary Jones Wildlife Museum and Elk Information Center in Jasper is another great place to visit, although its a little farther up the road. It has a number of educational wildlife displays, including a few wildlife mounts done by local taxidermist Harold Holt.

The Steel Creek campground has breathtaking views of towering bluffs and makes a great place for a hot dog roast. Lost Valley campground, nestled in thewoods, also makes a charming place for a picnic and has a hiking trail leading to Eden Falls.

In addition to elk viewing, the Buffalo River area offers plenty of outdoor adventures, such as camping, hiking,horse riding and canoeing. I’m just thankful it's so close to home.

Janelle Jessen is a reporter for the Westside Eagle Observer. She can be reached by email at [email protected].

Opinion, Pages 7 on 11/21/2012