San Francisco Chronicle - (Sunday)
Grizzly Island elk thrive with dozens of calves
At the Grizzly Island Wildlife Area, visitors have a rare chance in the next week to see an elk calf being born and then taking its first steps.
It is a sign of one of California’s greatest wildlife success stories — the expansion of a healthy elk population, with 30 calves born and another 10 expected at Grizzly Island.
“We’re expecting about 40 calves for the year,” said Orlando Rocha, wildlife biologist for the area with the California Department of Fish and Wildlife. “There’s still some elk that will be putting some calves on the ground.”
In 1874, the elk population was reduced to a single breeding pair, nearly wiped out by commercial market hunters during the Gold Rush and, after that, loss of elk habitat in the San Joaquin Valley to farming. By 1970, they still only numbered about 500.
In 1977, Fish and Wildlife transplanted seven elk to Grizzly Island to restore the species in its native habitat. Their offspring provided seed stock to transplant and establish herds across California, paid for with money from hunters’ licenses and tags. The state now has 22 herds with roughly 5,700 elk, according to Fish and Wildlife.
“This is a tremendous accomplishment and no small feat in a state that is now approaching 40 million people,” said Joe Hobbs, the wildlife scientist who authored the Statewide Elk Conservation and Management Plan for Fish and Wildlife.
The state’s crown jewel for habitat and public access is Grizzly Island, located south of Suisun City on the edge of the lower Sacramento River Delta. The Wildlife Area spans 12,900 acres and is set within the 88,000acre Suisun Marsh, the largest estuarine marsh in America.
A survey of the elk herd this week counted 220 adults, plus 30 calves so far, Rocha said. The elk are the most prominent among 21 species of mammals here, along with the state’s highest concentration of river otters, plus nine species of raptors, including bald eagles, and 220 verified bird species, according to CDFW.
A driving tour is available that runs 7.5 miles through the heart of the wildlife area, with parking areas and trails where visitors can spot, stalk and photograph the elk and other wildlife. For now, access is free, with the State Lands Pass program currently suspended.
“Everything you see here in the wildlife area is majestic,” said, Larry Wyckoff, senior environmental scientist for Fish and Wildlife. “It’s amazing.”
He noted that Grizzly Island is midway between the Bay Area and Sacramento, within range of more than 10 million people. “Look around,” Wyckoff said. “You’d think you were in the middle of nowhere. You really are in the middle of nowhere, an island surrounded by wildlife habitat. I encourage people to come out and see the area.” When many first arrive, they are surprised at how flat it is. After the required checkin at the entrance gate, you then drive in on Grizzly Island Road and turn left, with uplands habitat on your left, a slough on your right. A series of numbered parking areas provide access for hiking.
Resist the urge to drive faster than a walk. Instead, proceed slowly and scan the slough for any swirls or little brown heads that might poke up. This is the best site in California for the chance to see, photograph or film river otters. Those who drive too fast will miss it.
As you enter deeper into the wildlife area, scan to your left with binoculars for elk. The females and calves often form subherds. With any luck, if you visit in the next week, you might see a calf born.
Another surprise that newcomers find is that the animals are wild, not like the socialized domestics at Pierce Ranch at Point Reyes, where you can often see the elk near parking lots.
You have to keep your distance or they will run off, and you will discover why the Native American word for elk is “wapiti,” which means “white rump,” because that is all you will see.
If you don’t sight elk from the road, the best bet is to park at Station 4A and hike in. Look for game trails and fresh elk droppings, which look like chocolate malt balls, a sign the elk are in the vicinity.
Last October, about half of the uplands fields on the island burned in a wildfire. CDFW has planted vetch and strains of wheat and oat, to provide food for elk and cover for nesting waterfowl.
“Vetch is a climber and provides structure, cover and nesting habitat,” Rocha said. “The birds need vertical structure to hide from predators.” The next step, he said, is to plant native grasses, providing a grant to pay for it comes through.
The nesting season for mallards and other waterfowl is nearly over, with many of the ducklings now learning to fly. At times, raptors will patrol overhead in hopes of a raid.
On a single morning, only Grizzly Island provides a chance to see elk, otters and eagles, and, right now, perhaps to see a calf take its first steps.