Category: Tule Elk

Tule Elk

What’s Wrong With This Bull Elk?

Photo of bull tule elk.
Bull Elk Exhibiting Hair Loss

I was at Point Reyes yesterday afternoon.  It was my first time out there in quite a while.  There’s been enough rain that most ground cover has turned a nice, rich green.  I saw a coyote on the H Ranch which is a fairly common place to spot a coyote, and Handsome Bob, the bobcat I so named because he has such a striking coat of spots, was in his accustomed place just outside the tule elk reserve.  (For a post about Handsome Bob click here.)  There were a number of elk on the D Ranch (by Drake’s Bay).  The bulls were in one group before the ranch complex and the cows and calves were in another group past the ranch complex.  At the elk reserve on the Tomales Peninsula some bulls were with the cows and they were acting like the rut is still on there.

This big bull (7×8 points) was in his accustomed place for late afternoons which is just past the Kehoe Ranch complex in the swale on the right side of the road.  He’s one of about 5 bull elk that somehow got out of the reserve some time in the past several years.  He seems to be alone every time I see him.  The other four seem to stay together.

Yesterday was the first time I noticed that there is something wrong with his coat.  My guess is that he has mange/scabies, but I’m no expert.  I did a quick google search and found that elk do get mange.  For a study done regarding mange at the National Elk Refuge (NER) at Jackson Hole, click here.  Mange is caused by a mite that burrows very deep into the skin.  It can cause death due to hair loss and hypothermia.  The NER report states that bulls die of it at a much higher rate than cows and it was thought that the higher mortality rate was due to the debilitated state bulls are in at the start of winter due to the fall rut.  The report also states that if hair loss extends from the neck to more than one quarter the length of the back the case is considered severe.

Mange is spread by contact. I have no idea to what extent the elk herd at Point Reyes has a mange problem, but since this bull is outside the reserve and doesn’t even seem to spend time with the other four bulls, his case wouldn’t seem to be cause for concern for the rest of the herd.  I also have no idea what his prognosis is or how he got the mange (if that’s what it is)  given his solitary habits.  At least he doesn’t have to deal with cold winters like the elk at the National Elk Refuge.

Tule Elk

Two Young Bulls Debate Who Has the Right of Way on Game Trail, Point Reyes National Seashore

Photo of two tule elk bulls facing each other on a game trail.
“Outta My Way!”  “No, outta my way!”

Yesterday’s photo of the elk calf was taken an hour before sunset.  The light was still pretty strong as you could see.  This photo was taken at sunset and these young tule elk bulls are in the shade.  Much nicer light and color in the shade, especially at sunset.

Each of these young bulls has five points per antler.  Points are an indicator of age in elk.  According to the Park Service, one-year old bulls have a single spike.  Two-year olds usually have slender antlers with four  to five points.  Three year olds have thicker antlers with four to five points and four year old and older bulls usually have  six points on each antler and they get thicker each year.   Yellowstone Resources and Issues 2009 at p. 126.    While the Park Service document was focusing on Rocky Mountain elk, I don’t believe there is any difference with regard to the antlers of these tule elk at Point Reyes National Seashore.

So, are these five-point elk two or three years old?  I’m not sure, but I’m guessing they are three year olds.  Their antlers aren’t that slender and I’ve seen bulls with skinny antlers and four or five points and they’re still hanging out with the cows and yearlings.  These guys in the photo are hanging out with the big six (and seven) point bulls.

Tule Elk

Tule Elk Calf, Point Reyes National Seashore

Photo of tule elk calf.
One of Many Tule Elk Calves, Pierce Point Ranch

At the end of my most recent day out at Point Reyes I did what I usually do, which is to drive out the Tomales Peninsula to the Pierce Point Ranch area to photograph the elk that move to the east side of the road in the last light before sunset.  It’s great that they do that because you can use your car as a blind and be fairly close to them.   That they cross the road then is crucial so you don’t have to shoot into the sun.

Luckily, the cow elk do this most of the time about an hour before sunset.  They were right on schedule that day.   There were about 50 cows and yearlings and another 20 to 30 calves.  I don’t recall nearly as many calves there last year.   If you want to photograph elk calves this is a good time to do it there.

Tule Elk

Spring at Point Reyes National Seashore

It's Spring!
Tule Elk Cow in Mid-April

I was out at Point Reyes a couple of days ago.  Everything is nice and green. It’s been that way for a while, but recent heavy rains will ensure that things stay that way for a while longer.  This cow elk looks to be in good health.  She has shed most of her light gray winter coat and is now mostly showing her darker, reddish summer coat.  I saw one cow which seemed to be suffering from some health problem involving her digestive tract.  I’ve seen other elk with the same apparent problem.  I assume it’s Johne’s disease which causes severe diarrhea, usually (always?) resulting in death.  The disease has been a problem for the Point Reyes elk since the early days of their reintroduction to the Tomales Peninsula.  Virtually all ruminants, including the deer, cattle and goats in the Seashore,  are susceptible to the disease.  Johne’s disease occurs throughout the world.  For more information click here.

Photo of bull tule elk in velvet.
Tule Elk Bull in Velvet

The bulls are sporting new antlers.  This bull is part of the Tomales herd.  The Limantour herd seems to start new antler growth earlier than the Tomales herd.  In fact, it seems to start everything earlier than the Tomales herd.  I’ve heard elk calving has started and I’d bet that it started with the Limantour herd.  Newborn are kept hidden by their mothers for a while after birth, but the early-birth ones should start appearing with their mothers soon if they haven’t already.

Tule Elk

Bull Elk, Point Reyes National Seashore

Photo of big tule elk bull.
7-Point Bull, Tomales Peninsula

This photo was taken on February 22 near Pierce Point Ranch.  The bull is sporting a pretty impressive 7-point rack.  He won’t have those big antlers for long though.  I saw one of the Limantour herd bulls with only one antler that day.  It looks like antler-dropping season has begun.  Last year I posted a photo of a bull on February 15 whose antlers were gone and new antler growth was already quite visible.  To see that post click here.

Collecting antlers is illegal.  That doesn’t stop people though.  Antlers sold on the black market are worth a fair amount of money.  The Park Service goes out and tries to keep ahead of the collectors.  You may wonder what the Park Service does with the antlers.  The answer is that it grinds them up and puts them back in the areas where they found them because they are an important source of calcium and other minerals for rodents and other wildlife.  For a photo of an elk with a deer antler in its mouth click here.

It’s too bad people won’t just leave them where they’ve fallen, but they won’t.  As long as people want animal parts (tusks, horns, paws, teeth, gall bladders etc.), and are willing to pay for them, there will be people who will hunt for those parts even if it means killing the animals (which it usually does).  Unfortunately, this is the way it’s always been.

Tule Elk

Favorite Spot To Photograph Elk; Point Reyes National Seashore

photo of tule elk cow at sunset.
Tule Elk Cow at Sunset; Tomales Point Elk Preserve

I took this photo during the last hour of the day on the side of the road just before the Pierce Point Ranch complex.

The mile or so before the ranch complex is my favorite place in the Seashore for the end of the day.  The reason for that is that I can usually find some elk crossing from the west side of Pierce Point Road to the east side of the road then.  It’s easy then to position your car close to the elk and with the car between the setting sun and the elk.  The backgrounds are usually clean also.  Close-up photos like the above are easy there then.

Badger, Bobcat, Coyote, Hawk, Other Mammal, Owl, Tule Elk

Best Photos of 2011

I learned about Jim Goldstein’s blog project some time in 2011.  To learn more about it click here.  Basically, you do a blog about your best 10 or so photos of the year and Jim will link your blog to his list of blogs that participate.  I recently looked at some of the 2010 participants’ “Best 10” blogs.  It’s a great way to find good nature photographers you weren’t aware of.

I photographed a lot at Point Reyes National Seashore in 2011 so I decided to use Point Reyes wildlife photos that were in my blog in 2011.  I want to say at the outset that I never really photographed much at Point Reyes before 2011 and I was very surprised at how good wildlife photo opportunities are there.  I’m a big fan of Yellowstone, but Point Reyes is almost the equal of it and in some ways it’s better.  For example, I’ve never seen a single bobcat in Yellowstone and hardly ever fail to see one at Point Reyes.

So, without further ado, here are some of my favorite Point Reyes wildlife photos that were in my blog in 2011.

Photo of long-tailed weasel peering out of a burrow.
Long-tailed Weasel, Point Reyes National Seashore

Long-tailed weasels are one of my favorite animal subjects at Point Reyes.  Unfortunately, they are hard to find.  I saw four last year in Point Reyes, but this guy is the only one I was fortunate enough to get close photos of.

Photo of a bobcat daydreaming.
A Bobcat Daydreams, Point Reyes National Seashore

Bobcats are a lot easier to find, especially in the winter. This male lived on one of the ranches along Pierce Point Road.  I saw him a lot last winter, but he disappeared in the early spring.  I’m not sure what happened to him, but I think a pack of coyotes got him.  I saw them pass through the open area he used to hang out on.  I think he could have held his own with one coyote, but I doubt he could do so with two or more.  There were no trees or other means of escape anywhere near where I used to see him.   I photographed him a lot and miss him.

Photo of a coyote looking back at sunset.
Coyote at Sunset

Point Reyes has a healthy population of coyotes.  Like the bobcats, they are easiest to find in the winter when they spend more time out during daylight.

Photo of a badger after it awakens from a sunbath.
American Badger, Point Reyes National Seashore

Point Reyes has a good population of badgers, but they are somewhat hard to find because they are such nocturnal critters.  In 2011 I photographed two single adults plus two females in the spring with two cubs each.  This is one of the single adults.  I found this individual a couple of weeks ago.

Photo of a 7-point bull bugling during the rut.
Tule Elk Bugles During Rut; Point Reyes National Seashore

Of all the wildlife Point Reyes has I think the species people think of first is the tule elk.  They are fairly easy to find and photograph at Point Reyes.  Needless to say, this photo was taken during the rut.  With his angry-looking eyes and wide-open mouth he looks pretty fierce.  Every time I see how big his mouth is I picture four canine teeth in there and wonder what life would be like if elk had canines.

Photo of peregrine falcon eating its prey.
Peregrine Falcon Holding Its Prey

Point Reyes has some resident peregrine falcons.  They are often seen from Chimney Rock to the Point Reyes Lighthouse.   This one decided to dine in ranch country.

Photo of a male california quail.
Overseeing His Covey

California quail are quite common in the Seashore.  When things are slow they can save the day.  I think the peregrine above was feeding on a quail.

Photo of an osprey perched on a dock.
Osprey; Tomales Bay, California

There are several ospreys that live and nest in and around the Seashore.  This one decided to perch on a dock in Inverness which is just over the ridge from the Seashore.

 

Red-tailed Hawk, Point Reyes National Seashore

Photo of a red-tailed hawk.
Red-tailed Hawk, Point Reyes National Seashore

Red-tailed hawks are common at Point Reyes, especially in the winter.  They are probably the raptor seen most often in the Seashore.

Photo of a great horned owl sitting in a barn window.
Great Horned Owl in Barn Window

Great horned owls are also common, although you don’t see them as often as their numbers would suggest because of their nocturnal ways.  Find any good sized clump of trees, though, and odds are good that you will find one or more great horned owls in there.  Pound for pound they are about the most deadly bird in North America.  While they normally prey on mammals and birds smaller than them, they have been know to prey on such things as house cats, canada geese and even bald eagles.  Field Guide to Owls of California and the West, Hans Peeters, at 191.

There are a lot of other wildlife species at Point Reyes , many of which I blogged about, but it’s time to stop.  If you’d like to see some more images from Point Reyes or elsewhere you can continue viewing my blog or you can visit my website, www.jimcoda.com.

Happy New Year to All, and thank you Jim Goldstein.