No Way, Elk Heard in San Jose, Ca. are you Kidding!

[THE ROMAN ARCHER]

so yesterday afternoon as i was cruzing through Silver Creek Valley Blvd. in the Evergreen community on my motorcycle i am looking on the hillside and swear i spotted a heard of Elk ( and i have never seen a real Elk in my life yet), so i thought i was seeing things and had to do a uturn and look agian, and low and behold their they were about 8 of them on the side of this mountian range about 3k feet elev., i always bring my digital and binocs but yesterday i didn't. i have lived in that area for many years and for Elk to be in that area is unheard of, anyways i am going back out their this aternoon, this time with my digital and hope i can see them grazzing again and get the proof! i have no idea where they would have even migrated from, but this is like the first caveman discovering fire to me!..............tra

 

[Speckmisser]

They're definitely there, TRA. There's another thread here somewhere with pix of the herd.

Very cool to watch, even if you'll never get to hunt them.

 

[path]

I think they are from the San Felipe Ranch.

 

[THE ROMAN ARCHER]

so do you think their imported, or did they migrate there? i will check out the other thread later Speck, me and my wife are getting ready to do the coyote trail within the hour, hope to get more wild animal photos there and have a good outing, then i am jumping on my bike later( camoed out) and try to get some elk photos in those hills!...........tra

 

[tmoniz]

Last time I was up there I saw them East of the 101 on a side hill just off the Coyote Golf Course.

 

[BrandonA]

I didn't know they were there, but it doesn't suprise me... I bet with half the chance they could spread around California

 

[THE ROMAN ARCHER]

i went back to the spot i saw them Monday to see if by chance they would be grazing, i stood there for 90 minutes glassing and observing but they never came through. i will just have to keep my eyes open in the future when passing through that area and hope to get some nice photo's someday!...............tra

 

[jvle95]

Yes they are there and in other places around SJ as well. I've been on a ranch off Mt. Hamilton Rd. east of Grant Ranch and have seen a nice herd of elk as well as some antelope. From what I remember the Packard Ranch (Hewlett/Packard) had elk put on their ranch years ago and a number of those elk have migrated off that property north toward SJ borders. I have some pics of both the elk and antelope but everytime I try to post on pics on here I screw it up.

 

[Franklin3]

Our secrets out. This awesome herd spent a l;ot of time crossing on and around our place this year. Led by a majestic 5X5 Bull. I managed to get 100's of pictures and spent a lot of time so close I could smell them. There were 3 young calves 11 cows and the Bull. Recently we noticed the herd had two small bulls and the big guy was nowhere to be found. I just heard today that some low life scum sucker who lives on Metcalf road poached the Bull. As the story goes he also poached a calf from a nearby ranch and was being investigated by Sherriffs office for this when he was apparently caught red handed in the act of butchering the big Elk in his barn he and a buddy who rumour has it tried to flee the scene in a pickup truck with the antlers have been apprehewnded and charged.
Id like to find out who to talk to so I can raise a bit of hell to help insure the two of them get the maximum penalty.
This splinter herd broke off from the san felipe ranch herd and has been growing for a few years now.

 

[Franklin3]

I took this picture during the summer the herd is fifty feet off our property. This is the bull that was poached.

 

[Franklin3]

Heres a better pic

 

[tmoniz]

You know. It's people like that (poachers) who make it really hard for animals to thrive. They need to be dragged down the street naked.

 

[CrossTimbers]

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE (Franklin3 @ Nov 23 2007, 11:43 AM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}></div>

Heres a better pic[/b]

nice pics- looks like you are up in a tree or something? too bad about the poaching, glad they got caught

 

[Franklin3]

Not in a tree.
On the ground shooting from a ridge behind them and a bit higher.

 

[THE ROMAN ARCHER]

see i am not krazy, thanks for sharing the info and photos Franklin3! they are huge, they were at least a mile in from the road when i spotted them with those big puffy white butts! i was tempted to throw some camo on grab my hiking poles and camera and hit the Silver Creek hills looking for them, and your only fifty feet away, sounds like a short cut to me! now i have never seen an antelope yet in the area, but that would be cool to see! maybe black bears will migrate into the area soon too, that would be nice!.......tra

 

[bigworm]

There has been another herd started south of highway 152 as well. There is a current program in place to get the population up and thriving. The fact that the general population is starting to see them is great. Maybe my children will be able to hunt for them locally some day.

 

[Franklin3]

In the mean time while we wait for the herds to get established enough to have a viable hunting population they are an absolute ball to sneak up on photograph. Granted a goodm lens makes me feel a lot closer but we have to keep an eye out for those folks who just cant seem to resist killing them off.
i dont know what the punishment is going to be for those two yahoos that killed the bull and russtled the neighbors calves but when I find out Im gonna post their names here so everyone knows what they did.
Is that ok with you jess?

 

[barel74]

If your real lucky, while fishing at San Luis Res., you can spot some grazing on the southern hills. There is also a big herd just outside Patterson, just passed The Junction. Watched two 5 pts fight for about an hour. Sounded like 2 cars ramming each other.