Comments on: Discuss the "Elk Return to the Bay Area" TV story http://www.kqed.org/quest/blog/2007/03/20/discuss-the-elk-return-to-the-bay-area-tv-story/ Science, Environment, and Nature in the SF Bay Area Sat, 21 Nov 2009 22:39:48 -0800 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.8.4 hourly 1 By: Anne Krawec http://www.kqed.org/quest/blog/2007/03/20/discuss-the-elk-return-to-the-bay-area-tv-story/comment-page-1/#comment-62133 Anne Krawec Mon, 29 Dec 2008 16:16:23 +0000 http://www.kqed.org/quest/blog/2007/03/20/discuss-the-elk-return-to-the-bay-area-tv-story/#comment-62133 HI I really appreciate this information on the Tule Elk herd. I have been trying to search out this connection for a long time and now have some concrete information on this subject. Walter Dow was my mothers uncle. Her mother was Mable Dow, Walter's younger sister. My mother mentioned that when she went to visit him (Walter) in California that for Christmas decorations he would have many elk statues and wooden outs on his lawn. I believe somewhere in some old photos I have a picture of this. I want to thank Jack Schaffer from my genealogy group for finding this information for me and really would like to contact Paula Oakes as she is probably a cousin of mine. HI
I really appreciate this information on the Tule Elk herd. I have been trying to search out this connection for a long time and now have some concrete information on this subject. Walter Dow was my mothers uncle. Her mother was Mable Dow, Walter's younger sister. My mother mentioned that when she went to visit him (Walter) in California that for Christmas decorations he would have many elk statues and wooden outs on his lawn. I believe somewhere in some old photos I have a picture of this.

I want to thank Jack Schaffer from my genealogy group for finding this information for me and really would like to contact Paula Oakes as she is probably a cousin of mine.

]]> By: Paula Oakes http://www.kqed.org/quest/blog/2007/03/20/discuss-the-elk-return-to-the-bay-area-tv-story/comment-page-1/#comment-58282 Paula Oakes Thu, 10 Jul 2008 23:44:29 +0000 http://www.kqed.org/quest/blog/2007/03/20/discuss-the-elk-return-to-the-bay-area-tv-story/#comment-58282 Thank you for sharing the reference and for the original story! It's nice to know some animals roam--mostly free and that they could do so well in the valley changed so much by Los Angeles. (We have some interesting pictures in a trunk that might illustrate the beginnings of the water being "carried" off to L.A.--but that's a different story, isn't it!?)Thanks again! Thank you for sharing the reference and for the original story! It's nice to know some animals roam–mostly free and that they could do so well in the valley changed so much by Los Angeles. (We have some interesting pictures in a trunk that might illustrate the beginnings of the water being "carried" off to L.A.–but that's a different story, isn't it!?)Thanks again!

]]> By: Chris Bauer http://www.kqed.org/quest/blog/2007/03/20/discuss-the-elk-return-to-the-bay-area-tv-story/comment-page-1/#comment-56415 Chris Bauer Thu, 20 Mar 2008 03:32:30 +0000 http://www.kqed.org/quest/blog/2007/03/20/discuss-the-elk-return-to-the-bay-area-tv-story/#comment-56415 Out of curiosity I did a quick Internet search for “Walter Dow” and “elk” and came up with a number of different references. In “Sierra Nevada: The Naturalist’s Companion” by Verna R. Johnston there is a mention of him. “In 1933-1934, through the efforts of Walter Dow of Lone Pine and California Fish and Game, fifty five tule elk were successfully transplanted to the Owens Valley. Lying between the Sierra Nevada and White-Inyo Mountains, with plenty of open range, little ranching, and few people (primarily because the water of the area was owned by Los Angeles and carried away in its aqueduct), Owens Valley seemed ideal for animals that like dry open spaces. Dow obtained permission from Los Angeles for the elk to run free on its land. The Elk thrived. In September the bugling of the bulls could be heard in the willows along the Owens River bottoms. Natural browsers and grazers of green vegetation, the elk had no trouble finding a wide variety of food. But as their numbers grew over the years, so did the protests from a handful of cattlemen that the elk were competing for their winter cattle feed, breaking down fences, trampling and wallowing in irrigated alfalfa fields. To appease the ranchers, Fish and Game authorized several hunts to keep the elk total between one hundred and two hundred animals.” So it seems your great uncle did indeed play a significant role in restoring the tule elk to an area of the Southern Sierra Nevada. And I thought this passage was particularly interesting in light of what is going on now near Mt. Hamilton. The more things change, the more they stay the same. Thanks for writing in! Out of curiosity I did a quick Internet search for “Walter Dow” and “elk” and came up with a number of different references. In “Sierra Nevada: The Naturalist’s Companion” by Verna R. Johnston there is a mention of him.

“In 1933-1934, through the efforts of Walter Dow of Lone Pine and California Fish and Game, fifty five tule elk were successfully transplanted to the Owens Valley. Lying between the Sierra Nevada and White-Inyo Mountains, with plenty of open range, little ranching, and few people (primarily because the water of the area was owned by Los Angeles and carried away in its aqueduct), Owens Valley seemed ideal for animals that like dry open spaces. Dow obtained permission from Los Angeles for the elk to run free on its land.

The Elk thrived. In September the bugling of the bulls could be heard in the willows along the Owens River bottoms. Natural browsers and grazers of green vegetation, the elk had no trouble finding a wide variety of food. But as their numbers grew over the years, so did the protests from a handful of cattlemen that the elk were competing for their winter cattle feed, breaking down fences, trampling and wallowing in irrigated alfalfa fields. To appease the ranchers, Fish and Game authorized several hunts to keep the elk total between one hundred and two hundred animals.”

So it seems your great uncle did indeed play a significant role in restoring the tule elk to an area of the Southern Sierra Nevada. And I thought this passage was particularly interesting in light of what is going on now near Mt. Hamilton. The more things change, the more they stay the same. Thanks for writing in!

]]> By: Paula Oakes http://www.kqed.org/quest/blog/2007/03/20/discuss-the-elk-return-to-the-bay-area-tv-story/comment-page-1/#comment-56366 Paula Oakes Fri, 14 Mar 2008 01:28:45 +0000 http://www.kqed.org/quest/blog/2007/03/20/discuss-the-elk-return-to-the-bay-area-tv-story/#comment-56366 I found this is an online search--I am wondering what role Walter Dow of Lone Pine had in the return of the Tule Elk. He is my great (2) uncle and I had heard he had some role but have yet to find him mentioned. I found this is an online search–I am wondering what role Walter Dow of Lone Pine had in the return of the Tule Elk. He is my great (2) uncle and I had heard he had some role but have yet to find him mentioned.

]]> By: Ed Homich http://www.kqed.org/quest/blog/2007/03/20/discuss-the-elk-return-to-the-bay-area-tv-story/comment-page-1/#comment-1603 Ed Homich Tue, 01 May 2007 22:33:22 +0000 http://www.kqed.org/quest/blog/2007/03/20/discuss-the-elk-return-to-the-bay-area-tv-story/#comment-1603 Nice work! I used to live in Bakersfield and enjoyed visiting the population that grazes in western Kern County. I frequent the Ownes Valley and always stop on HWY 395 to view the herd nibbling grass in the shadow of the Eastern Sierra. I shot photos of a Tule Elk roundup in the 1980's. The herd was being split and shipped up to Mendocino County. The pictures were shot at Grizzily Island in Solano County. Photos: http://www.homich.org/gallery/Elk Nice work! I used to live in Bakersfield and enjoyed visiting the population that grazes in western Kern County. I frequent the Ownes Valley and always stop on HWY 395 to view the herd nibbling grass in the shadow of the Eastern Sierra.

I shot photos of a Tule Elk roundup in the 1980's. The herd was being split and shipped up to Mendocino County. The pictures were shot at Grizzily Island in Solano County.

Photos: http://www.homich.org/gallery/Elk

]]> By: michael friedenberg http://www.kqed.org/quest/blog/2007/03/20/discuss-the-elk-return-to-the-bay-area-tv-story/comment-page-1/#comment-507 michael friedenberg Wed, 21 Mar 2007 01:56:06 +0000 http://www.kqed.org/quest/blog/2007/03/20/discuss-the-elk-return-to-the-bay-area-tv-story/#comment-507 I appreciate the time you have taken to share the magnificent story of Tule Elk and the restoration efforts that have taken place on the part of thousands of dedicated volunteers throughout the state of California. I would encourage QUEST to follow up on this topic periodically and include more information about the organizations like the Rocky Mountain Elk Foundation and the Nature Conservancy who are working with those volunteers, donors, and state agencies to keep the Tule Elk forever a part of our California history. This is by far, one of the greatest success stories for a California species recovery. Share it often and share it loud! I appreciate the time you have taken to share the magnificent story of Tule Elk and the restoration efforts that have taken place on the part of thousands of dedicated volunteers throughout the state of California. I would encourage QUEST to follow up on this topic periodically and include more information about the organizations like the Rocky Mountain Elk Foundation and the Nature Conservancy who are working with those volunteers, donors, and state agencies to keep the Tule Elk forever a part of our California history. This is by far, one of the greatest success stories for a California species recovery. Share it often and share it loud!

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