ARKANSAS -- It's that time of year again when elk can be seen in the valley along Arkansas Highway 43 from Boxley to Ponca. The best times to see the elk are early in the morning and late in the day toward evening, but one never knows.
A trip there early on Thursday morning with Terry Stanfill, local photographer and conservationist, revealed elk in several pastures between the highway and the Buffalo River shortly after sunrise. Because of morning fog in the valley, photographing the animals yielded somewhat shadowy images of the creatures grazing in the pastures or chewing their cud.
The bigger bulls guarded their harem of cows and a few other smaller males grazed alone a safe distance away. When males entered the territory of another, the bugling calls could be heard to turn away any would-be challengers.
And, by the time the fog had cleared, so had the elk -- apparently crossing the low waters of the Buffalo River to bed down in wooded areas for the day.
Though Ponca and the Buffalo River are a considerable distance outside the Eagle Observer coverage area, it's close enough for a day trip there (about two hours) just to see the elk -- not to mention the beautiful scenery along the Buffalo. And, by the end of the month, the fall colors should add to the beauty of the place.
Sports on 10/14/2015