A group of male elk at the Tule Elk State Natural Reserve.
Tule Elk State Natural Reserve Safari near Bakersfield gives visitors an up-close look at living California history By Lois Henry
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PHOTO BY LOIS HENRY
or a fun, interesting (and yes, educational ... shhh!) outing, pack a lunch, grab the kids and spend part of a Sunday at the Tule Elk State Natural Reserve. The reserve, which is also a state park, is only a short drive out Stockdale Highway, just past Interstate 5. But with a little imagination, you can get a feel for how the valley looked about 150 years ago when the reserve’s namesake elk roamed freely up and down the state. Make sure to pick the second or fourth Sunday of the month for your trip when the park ranger, Bill Moffat, gives auto safari tours — taking people out to the reserve for a closer look at the elk. Moffat is extremely informative about all of the animals and plant species on the Tule Elk reserve park ranger Bill reserve, and regularly conducts Moffat takes people out into the tours for school kids. Seriously, reserve for a closer look at the elk. 128
Bakersfield Life Magazine
January 2013
PHOTO BY JOHN HARTE
Trip Planner
be prepared to learn a lot. Before heading out onto the reserve’s prairie, though, you have to stop in the visitor center. Moffat can show you some of the artifacts, mostly elk bones, they’ve collected throughout the years. But the coolest (in a “ugh” kind of way) display is the two elk carcasses that rangers found locked together after an unfortunate alpha battle. Seems one male got his horn stuck in the other male’s forehead, killing that guy instantly. But then he couldn’t shake the dead elk off and, apparently, dragged him around for some time before dying himself, possibly of thirst. Rangers found them locked together that way and had the heads redone by a taxidermist and displayed as they were discovered. Gruesome, I know, but it’s a pretty amazing site and really increases the “wild kingdom” feel of the trip for any kids who might think elk gazing is too boring. Tule elk, as I mentioned, used to roam all over the state and are only found in California. They’re smaller than elk found elsewhere in the United State, but they still cut a big enough presence if you get close to them on the reserve. When I went, it was rutting season, so the bachelor males (they’re all bachelors unless it’s the alpha) were off in the northwestern corner of the park. We got close enough to see their massive antlers, but not too close. Moffat doesn’t want them getting too used to humans. As impressive as the bachelor males were, when we came upon the females and the alpha, you could easily see why he was the “big cheese.” Physically, he was noticeably larger, true. But his antlers were unbelievable. I seriously didn’t know how he was lugging that kind of tonnage around. We circled the herd and got as close as we could until one little squeak from the brakes sent them running. They were magnificent to watch! I’m telling you it’s