Glendale is a unique place where residential living, industrial activity, agriculture, and elk all share a portion of the lower Mad River valley, Humboldt County, California. It's a diverse and beautiful place with rocks, trees, and water.
This Roosevelt Elk herd has grown to 79 with half a dozen perimeter bachelors. September is the driest month and they have become predictable as they come down from the hills for water, willow, alder, grass and just about anything juicy. They love apples and routinely make nightly raids on neighborhood trees.
Trucks and bulldozers and people in their cars don't discourage their presence, they are not fond of people on foot and they don't like to be approached but they are getting used to visitors. The bull is in the prime of his life but his walk appears a bit stiff (is it injury or muscle mass from carrying that 6/7 rack?). He's won the herd for now.
Trucks and bulldozers and people in their cars don't discourage their presence, they are not fond of people on foot and they don't like to be approached but they are getting used to visitors. The bull is in the prime of his life but his walk appears a bit stiff (is it injury or muscle mass from carrying that 6/7 rack?). He's won the herd for now.
A highway separates these elk from the Mad River. It's rare for them to cross - some have and some have died trying. The bull has yet to lead the heard there. Perhaps it's the greenery and the water in Mill Creek, and apples too, that keep them from risking a walk to the river.
October 2018 Update: a bull elk was killed while crossing highway 299 and the dominant male has a limp, the bachelors are back in. 10/24/18.
August 2019 Update: the herd has a minimum of 103 members including a dozen or so calves. It's that time of year the animals abound, elk, bear, mountain lions, oh my!... all here at the Mad River.
