I headed to the most northern point of Point Reyes to see some tule elk.

I arrived at the dirt parking lot at the historic Pierce Ranch at 8 AM on Saturday morning. So early in fact, that the local California quail were out feeding in front of the old dairy buildings yet to be disturbed by the hiking groups and picnickers that would soon be arriving over the next few hours.

I hit the trail trying to put some distance between myself and the chatty group of six young folk looking extremely underdressed for a winter coastal hike.

I was only on the Tomales Point Trail for a few minutes and I looked back towards the ranch and on the far hillside where a mass of golden brown dots. Tule elk! They were a long way aways but I hoped to get closer looks.

Tule elk (Cervus canadensis nannodes) were once native to this part of California but by 1860 they had disappeared from the land from over hunting and being displaced by cattle. This is the smallest subspecies of elk and are exclusively found in the Golden State.

The elk was thought to be extinct until a small group was discovered on a ranch near Bakersfield. Efforts were made to save the large deer with successful results.

Over one hundred years later in 1978, two bulls and eight cows were released at Tomales Point. The reintroduction of elk to Point Reyes was a success and the population peaked at 550 elk in 1998. The Pt. Reyes herd is the largest population of tule elk in California. One of the best places to see them is the Tomales Point Tule Elk Reserve.

After about an hour on the trail I approached the appropriately named Windy Gap, a great location for spotting elk. Up on the far ridge I could see the antlers of adult males breaking above the grasses and scrubs. They were a ways off but I hoped for closer views as I proceeded north.

After heading up the other side of the gap I came upon a group of twelve cows and calves on the Pacific side. They sized me up with their deep dark eyes and their large ears. Was I harmless or a threat?

While I was not a threat, the chatty-scantily clad youths that were coming up behind me were. The elk stood up and moseyed north. But not before the girl in pink short-shorts and top took a few selfies.

I headed another 15 minutes north and I came upon a group of young bulls that were resting (elks seem to do a lot of resting) near the trail. At this point in the year the males and females seemed to be in separate groups, until rutting season in the late summer and early fall.