Spike Bull Elk Nuzzling Cow Elk in Boxley Valley

The young spike bull elk leaned forward and rested his chin on the cow’s back. The gesture looked almost playful, a brief moment of contact before both animals returned to grazing. I watched from the roadside as the fog swirled around them in Boxley Valley.

Wildlife Notes: Young Bulls Learning the Rut

Spike bulls are typically yearlings or two-year-olds. Their antlers haven’t branched yet, just two straight spikes pointing upward. These young males often follow cow groups during fall, watching and learning from mature bulls.

The spike bull elk in Arkansas usually stays on the edge of the action during rut season. Dominant bulls with larger racks control most breeding opportunities. The younger males test boundaries, practice social behaviors, and sometimes interact with cows when the big bulls are distracted.

I photographed this pair on November 3rd when the elk were most visible in the valley. The cool morning air and fog created ideal conditions for observing their behavior. Spike bulls at this age are curious but cautious, often approaching cows with tentative movements.

The nuzzling behavior can be a gentle greeting, a test of receptiveness, or simply a social interaction that helps young bulls build confidence. The cow elk in this photo barely reacted, standing calmly as the spike made contact.

Photography Notes: Spike Bull Elk at 800mm

I shot this image with my Canon EOS R5 and RF 200–800mm lens at full reach. The 800mm focal length compressed the background fog into soft layers while keeping the elk sharp. I had my camera and lens mounted on a tripod and stood at the edge of a field near the road.

The aperture was f/9, which gave enough depth of field to keep both animals reasonably sharp despite the long focal length. My shutter speed was 1/320 second, slower than ideal for wildlife, but the elk were standing still. I pushed the ISO to 8000 to get enough light in the fog and added +1/3 exposure compensation to prevent them from going too dark.

Early morning light in Boxley Valley can be tricky. The fog diffuses everything, creating soft, even light with no harsh shadows. This works well for elk portraits but requires careful exposure to avoid muddy midtones. I kept the histogram slightly right of center to maintain coat detail.

The elk were about 100 yards away in an open meadow. The tripod kept everything stable at 800mm, which is critical at that range. The RF 200–800mm’s image stabilization also helped with fine adjustments as I composed the shot.

A Brief Moment in the Valley

The spike bull elk pulled away after a few seconds. The cow elk went back to grazing, and the young bull moved off into the fog. These quiet interactions happen constantly during fall in Boxley Valley, small moments that reveal how elk communicate and learn.

See also: Elk Behavior in Boxley Valley, Arkansas