Blauert on Outdoors: San Luis tule elk herds worth seeing

When driving Highway 152 near the San Luis Dam, we always look for tule elk. We’ve seen them many times on the south side of the highway, sometimes near the base of the dam and sometimes near the top.

The tule elk is a majestic member of the deer family with bulls weighing 450-700 pounds and cows weighing 375-425 pounds.

The bulls shed their antlers annually, growing a larger set each year. The antlers may extend 3 feet or more from each side of the head.

It is estimated 500,000 tule elk roamed the central part of the state from the Sierra foothills to the coast before commercial hunting began in the early 1800s. When Germany-born California rancher Henry Miller – the “founding father” of Los Banos – protected the last remaining elk in 1873, many people had already decided they were extinct.

The have since been reintroduced to several parts of the state. Twenty-two herds now exist, with about 4,300 elk. The San Luis Reservoir Herd is among them, and a second herd can be seen at the San Luis National Wildlife Refuge in Los Banos. They live in a fenced area circled by a 5-mile dirt and gravel road.

You can stop and look through the fence at any point along the route, though the best views are often from the raised viewing platform near the end of the loop. I’ve never made a trip to the refuge without spotting at least a couple, and on most visits I’ve seen five to 10. A couple times, I’ve seen almost the entire herd.

On Oct. 10, the refuge is offering a special opportunity for visitors to view the herd inside the enclosure.

Call 209-826-3508 to reserve a spot for Tule Elk Day, a free event. We signed up for a tour as soon as I heard about it. Tours are offered at 8 a.m., 10:45 a.m. and 12:30 p.m. Many of the 8 a.m. spots are reserved, but there are plenty available for the later tours. Two spots can be reserved by phone, and a few additional spots will be available the day of the event.

There will be a presentation about the elk at the refuge’s excellent new visitor center at 9:45 a.m. Our local refuges are a hidden gem to most people and a great place to revisit , especially during the winter, when millions of migratory birds make the wetlands a temporary home. If you’ve never seen the elk or visited the refuges to see the winter residents, consider doing it this year. You’ll learn more about some of the unique and beautiful ecological features of our region.

Tule elk are native only to California. There are between 50 and 70 at the San Luis Refuge. The nearby San Luis Reservoir Herd, sometimes visible from Highway 152 or the Romero Visitor Center, numbers about 390, with about 100 regularly using the area around the dam.

The people at the refuge are friendly and helpful, and I’ve learned something every time I’ve visited. My special thanks go to Jack Sparks and Madeline Yancey of the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service and Cristen Langner of the California Department of Fish and Wildlife for providing up-to-date information this week about our two local herds.

Bring binoculars in case the elk aren’t close to the fence. Although they may not be visible at first, you may spot them with careful looking. I’ve had the best viewing in the mornings and evenings, but they can usually be spotted throughout the day.

The refuge is located at 7376 S. Wolfsen Road, a right turn off Highway 165 (Mercy Springs Road) if you are heading north from Los Banos. The gates are open from a half-hour before sunrise to a half-hour after sunset. The visitor center is open daily from 8 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. except federal holidays. Expect mosquitos until after we have freezing temperatures. Roads in the refuge units are well-maintained gravel.

This story was originally published September 29, 2015 at 7:33 PM with the headline "Blauert on Outdoors: San Luis tule elk herds worth seeing."