A second opinion: : A family outing I highly recommend
Posted on Wednesday, November 19, 2008
If you havenít gone to see the elk at Ponca, Ark., itís a fall trip I would highly recommend.
Making the trip to Ponca has become a fall tradition that our family ñ from grandparents to young children ñ starts to anticipate as soon as the air begins to turn cooler.
Most people donít think of elk as a native animal in Arkansas, but according to the Arkansas Game and Fish Commission Web site, eastern elk lived in Arkansas until 1840.
Between 1981 and 1985 elk were reintroduced into the Buffalo River area, and they can now be seen ranging in their natural habitat along Arkansas Highways 43 and 21 in the Boxley Valley. There are an estimated 450 elk in the area.
October is rutting season and is usually the best time to see the elk, although weíve seen them throughout November. Cars line up along the side of the highway in Boxley Valley in the late afternoon, and the elk begin to appear in the clearing just before dusk.
It seems we have better luck with our elk watching when the night-time temperatures are lower. We went to see the elk in October but only saw one cow.
We made the trip to Ponca again Nov. 8. It was cold and blustery, but we were rewarded with seeing a larger number of elk. Several elk were already out in the Valley when we arrived around 2 p. m. They were fairly laid back during the day ó laying under trees or grazing.
Toward sundown things began to liven up. Four cows were out in the open area with a large bull. As we were watching, we began to hear bugling coming from the woods in several different directions. The bull in the clearing began to respond and another large bull emerged from the trees.
Two younger bulls also emerged, and all of them were vying for the attention of the four cows. We didnít get to see any antler-crashing fights, but it was pretty interesting to watch the dynamics of the herd. The two younger bulls chased after each other, playfully bucking and frolicking, while the two older bulls acted more dignified, striding around and bugling at each other.
In years past, we have seen several large herds and have even seen bulls clash antlers.
Itís a two hour and 45 minute trip to Ponca from Decatur, following Arkansas Highway 412 east from Springdale through Hindsville and Marble and then turning south on Arkansas Highway 21 through Kingston. Turn east on Highway 43 and follow the road through Boxley Valley to Ponca.
We usually leave in the late morning and visit the Ponca Elk center in the afternoon. The elk center is in a beautiful loglodge-style building and itís a wonderful place for children. There is a room filled with mounted animals and touchand-feel displays of things like antlers, turtle shells and fossils. The center has lots of educational and fun materials for kids.
The center even has a fawn mounted by Decatur taxidermist Harold Holt. There is also an aquarium, a gift shop, large decks and beautiful native gardens around the center.
After touring the elk center, we usually head back up Highway 21 to Lost Valley campground where we have a picnic around a campfire, and then itís back out to the highway to look for elk. We also frequently see deer, and this year there are some wild swans in the valley.
The mountains are truly beautiful, and I really enjoy looking out from the ridge-tops on the way home and seeing vast amounts of land with only one or two lights as far as the eye can see.
The Buffalo River area has a lot more to offer, although my family wonít be able to enjoy many of the opportunities like horseback riding, hiking and canoeing until our children are a little older.
For more information on the area, visit the National Park Service at www. nps. gov / buff / or the Ponca Elk Education Center Web site at www. poncaeec. com.
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