The Tule Elk State Natural Reserve, formerly the Tupman Reserve, is a protected area operated by California State Parks for the benefit of the general public and the at-risk tule elk subspecies of indigenous Cervus canadensis. There are usually about 30 to 35 tule elk in the conservation herd on the 953-acre (386 ha) reserve in Kern County, California, United States.
Once upon a time, tule elk were to California's Central Valley what American bison was to the Great Plains. As a Modesto Bee staff writer explained in 1976, "In less populated times grizzly bears roamed the Central Valley and tule elk and pronghorn antelope grazed on the perennial bunch grasses."[1] Under hunting and habitat pressure, the population of indigenous tule elk (Cervus canadensis nannodes) in California collapsed to double digits by the late 1800s.[2] Rancher Henry Miller of the Miller and Lux Ranch, however, made a project out of sheltering the surviving individuals that lingered in the wetlands surrounding Kern County's Buena Vista Lake.[3][2] By 1914, the Kern County herd protected by Miller had grown to about 400 head.[2] The Tupman Reserve was established in 1932 with about 175 tule elk from the Miller and Lux Ranch herd.[4][5] The state of California took over the site in 1953.[5][4] Tule Elk State Reserve has constructed ponds, and supplemental food is provided for the animals,[6] without which the population could not survive.[7] The ponds are necessary since local rivers no longer flood the land each winter, which historically created the tule bog habitats preferred by the elk.[8] Native plant species found at the reserve include tule and goldfields.[9]
Other herds in the state, such as those in the Owens Valley and near San Luis Obispo, were established using individuals from the Tule Elk State Reserve.[2] The Owens Valley herd was established in 1972 with two males and three females from Tule Elk.[10] Five bulls and 23 cows from the reserve founded the SLO herd in 1989.[11] As of 2023, there were approximately 5,700 tule elk in the state.[4]
Accessedit
Access to the site is off Stockdale Road.[5] Admission is $8 per car.[12] Amenities include a visitor center,[13] a walk-up platform,[12] and a "small viewing and picnicking section".[13] The site has some limitations on accessibility for the disabled.[5]
Most of the reserve's 953 acres are considered ecologically sensitive and are closed to the public.[13] Ranger-led tours are typically offered the fourth Sunday of the month, except in December; call ahead to confirm.[12][14]
^Neher, Nancy (October 10, 1976). "Valley farms, industry take heavy toll on nature". The Modesto Bee. p. 8. Retrieved 2023-09-23.
^ abcdThomas, Pete (February 23, 1994). "No Horns of a Dilemma". The Los Angeles Times. p. 44. Retrieved 2023-09-23.
^Historic spots in California. Stanford University Press. 1990. p. 131. ISBN978-0-8047-1734-2.
^ abc"Tule Elk SNR". CA State Parks. Retrieved 2023-09-23.
^ abcdOff the Beaten Path: A Travel Guide to More Than 1,000 Scenic and Interesting Places Still Uncrowded and Inviting. Readers Digest. 2003. p. 44. ISBN978-0-7621-0424-6.
^National Audubon Society (1998). National Audubon Society Field Guide to California: Regional Guide: Birds, Animals, Trees, Wildflowers, Insects, Weather, Nature Pre serves, and More. Knopf Doubleday Publishing Group. p. 416. ISBN978-0-679-44678-1.
^Environment, United States Congress House Committee on Merchant Marine and Fisheries Subcommittee on Fisheries and Wildlife Conservation and the (1974). Tule Elk Refuge: Hearings, Ninety-third Congress, First Session. U.S. Government Printing Office. p. 233.
^Perry, Charles (July 3, 1988). "Back to the Gold Rush In Which the Author Retraces the Steps of His Great-Grandfather in 1849, When Things Looked Mighty Different in California". Los Angeles Times Magazine. Los Angeles Times. p. 14. Retrieved 2023-09-23 – via Newspapers.com.
^Castleman, Terry (April 10, 2023). "SoCal's Superbloom". The Los Angeles Times. pp. B2. Retrieved 2023-09-23.
^"Near Lone Pine and Independence". Times-Press-Recorder. April 20, 1972. p. 34. Retrieved 2023-09-23.
^"Herd of tule elk is transplanted here". The Tribune. October 4, 1989. p. 5. Retrieved 2023-09-23.
^ abcStienstra, Tom; Brown, Ann Marie (April 21, 2020). Moon California Hiking: The Complete Guide to 1,000 of the Best Hikes in the Golden State. Avalon Publishing. ISBN978-1-64049-896-9.
^"Tule Elk State Natural Reserve Auto Safari". The Sentinel. February 19, 2020. pp. A4. Retrieved 2023-09-23.
^"Trip of the Week". Anaheim Bulletin. March 6, 1970. p. 51. Retrieved 2023-09-23.
^"State parks beckon along I-5". The News and Observer. December 14, 2008. p. 76. Retrieved 2023-09-23.
November 16, 2023
tule, state, natural, reserve, formerly, tupman, reserve, protected, area, operated, california, state, parks, benefit, general, public, risk, tule, subspecies, indigenous, cervus, canadensis, there, usually, about, tule, conservation, herd, acre, reserve, ker. The Tule Elk State Natural Reserve formerly the Tupman Reserve is a protected area operated by California State Parks for the benefit of the general public and the at risk tule elk subspecies of indigenous Cervus canadensis There are usually about 30 to 35 tule elk in the conservation herd on the 953 acre 386 ha reserve in Kern County California United States Tule Elk State Natural ReserveLocation8653 Station Road Buttonwillow CA 93206Nearest cityTupman CaliforniaCoordinates35 19 17 N 119 21 51 W 35 3214 N 119 3642 W 35 3214 119 3642Created1932OperatorCalifornia State Parkswww wbr parks wbr ca wbr gov page wbr id 584 Contents 1 History and ecology 2 Access 3 See also 4 ReferencesHistory and ecology editOnce upon a time tule elk were to California s Central Valley what American bison was to the Great Plains As a Modesto Bee staff writer explained in 1976 In less populated times grizzly bears roamed the Central Valley and tule elk and pronghorn antelope grazed on the perennial bunch grasses 1 Under hunting and habitat pressure the population of indigenous tule elk Cervus canadensis nannodes in California collapsed to double digits by the late 1800s 2 Rancher Henry Miller of the Miller and Lux Ranch however made a project out of sheltering the surviving individuals that lingered in the wetlands surrounding Kern County s Buena Vista Lake 3 2 By 1914 the Kern County herd protected by Miller had grown to about 400 head 2 The Tupman Reserve was established in 1932 with about 175 tule elk from the Miller and Lux Ranch herd 4 5 The state of California took over the site in 1953 5 4 Tule Elk State Reserve has constructed ponds and supplemental food is provided for the animals 6 without which the population could not survive 7 The ponds are necessary since local rivers no longer flood the land each winter which historically created the tule bog habitats preferred by the elk 8 Native plant species found at the reserve include tule and goldfields 9 Other herds in the state such as those in the Owens Valley and near San Luis Obispo were established using individuals from the Tule Elk State Reserve 2 The Owens Valley herd was established in 1972 with two males and three females from Tule Elk 10 Five bulls and 23 cows from the reserve founded the SLO herd in 1989 11 As of 2023 there were approximately 5 700 tule elk in the state 4 Access editAccess to the site is off Stockdale Road 5 Admission is 8 per car 12 Amenities include a visitor center 13 a walk up platform 12 and a small viewing and picnicking section 13 The site has some limitations on accessibility for the disabled 5 Most of the reserve s 953 acres are considered ecologically sensitive and are closed to the public 13 Ranger led tours are typically offered the fourth Sunday of the month except in December call ahead to confirm 12 14 Circa 1993 about 30 000 people visited the park annually 13 The reserve abuts the Elk Hills Oil Field formerly the Naval Petroleum Reserve 15 Nearby protected areas include Kern National Wildlife Refuge and Fort Tejon State Historic Park 16 See also editList of California state parks Antelope Valley California Poppy Reserve Fauna of California List of mammals of California Even toed ungulates Interstate 5 in CaliforniaReferences edit Neher Nancy October 10 1976 Valley farms industry take heavy toll on nature The Modesto Bee p 8 Retrieved 2023 09 23 a b c d Thomas Pete February 23 1994 No Horns of a Dilemma The Los Angeles Times p 44 Retrieved 2023 09 23 Historic spots in California Stanford University Press 1990 p 131 ISBN 978 0 8047 1734 2 a b c Tule Elk SNR CA State Parks Retrieved 2023 09 23 a b c d Off the Beaten Path A Travel Guide to More Than 1 000 Scenic and Interesting Places Still Uncrowded and Inviting Readers Digest 2003 p 44 ISBN 978 0 7621 0424 6 National Audubon Society 1998 National Audubon Society Field Guide to California Regional Guide Birds Animals Trees Wildflowers Insects Weather Nature Pre serves and More Knopf Doubleday Publishing Group p 416 ISBN 978 0 679 44678 1 Environment United States Congress House Committee on Merchant Marine and Fisheries Subcommittee on Fisheries and Wildlife Conservation and the 1974 Tule Elk Refuge Hearings Ninety third Congress First Session U S Government Printing Office p 233 Perry Charles July 3 1988 Back to the Gold Rush In Which the Author Retraces the Steps of His Great Grandfather in 1849 When Things Looked Mighty Different in California Los Angeles Times Magazine Los Angeles Times p 14 Retrieved 2023 09 23 via Newspapers com Castleman Terry April 10 2023 SoCal s Superbloom The Los Angeles Times pp B2 Retrieved 2023 09 23 Near Lone Pine and Independence Times Press Recorder April 20 1972 p 34 Retrieved 2023 09 23 Herd of tule elk is transplanted here The Tribune October 4 1989 p 5 Retrieved 2023 09 23 a b c Stienstra Tom Brown Ann Marie April 21 2020 Moon California Hiking The Complete Guide to 1 000 of the Best Hikes in the Golden State Avalon Publishing ISBN 978 1 64049 896 9 a b c d Elk Hills Naval Petroleum Reserve No 1 Environmental Impact Statement 1993 pp 3 7 7 Tule Elk State Natural Reserve Auto Safari The Sentinel February 19 2020 pp A4 Retrieved 2023 09 23 Trip of the Week Anaheim Bulletin March 6 1970 p 51 Retrieved 2023 09 23 State parks beckon along I 5 The News and Observer December 14 2008 p 76 Retrieved 2023 09 23 Retrieved from https en wikipedia org w index php title Tule Elk State Natural Reserve amp oldid 1179098840, wikipedia, wiki, book, books, library,
