Jewell Meadows Wildlife Area

Jewell Meadows Wildlife Area  is a really unique place.  Oregon Dept. of Fish and Wildlife feeds wild Roosevelt elk there every winter in order to provide a healthy diet for the elk that keeps them from damaging nearby agricultural land.  There are two herds there.   The herds are large and healthy, and sometimes ODFW sends elk to California, Washington and Alaska to contribute new genes to wild herds in those states.   Visitors can sign up beginning on December 1 for free field trips, which allow the public to ride out into the meadows to give alfalfa to the elk.  The field trips run through February 1, and they fill up very quickly. We were really excited to do this because we had never actually seen elk.  We have seen their tracks many times, but never the live animal. They were just as majestic as we had hoped. 

Photo by Jasper.

We were told that their rut, or mating season, is in the fall. This means that the elk are far too distracted to use their time to graze and put on a comfortable excess of fat for the winter.  Their foraging can become quite difficult, and it is then that they turn to agricultural lands for grazing.  By feeding them nutrient rich alfalfa, the elk are encouraged to stay on refuge land.  The refuge land is completely off limits to the public, including hunters.  The elk herds are each led by an alpha female.  In the winter, each herd divides into two groups, which remain near each other but cease to mingle.  One group contains only adult bulls, and the other contains adult cows and calves of both genders.  We rode on an open hay wagon into the meadow, and the bulls looked on warily.  As the hay wagon moved, we were asked to toss off a chunk of the alfalfa bales at regular intervals, so that they landed about every ten feet.  This resulted in the herd forming a long line and minimized competition.  As the alfalfa began to drop, the cows and calves approached and began to feed as well.  We were told that if the workers are running behind schedule, the cows show their impatience by charging across the field when the wagon appears. It was a small group that participated, and one family indicated that they have been coming to feed the elk for many years.  This would truly make a really special yearly event!  

It was a very frosty morning.

Tossing alfalfa.  Photo by Jasper.

Jasper was exited to get to hold an elk antler.

As we were leaving, show began in ernest.  We love the snow and would have lingered if we hadn't been worried about the roads!