BAKER CITY, Ore. — We head to Oregon snow country on a visit to the Elkhorn Wildlife Area in Baker County where hundreds of Rocky Mountain elk gather each winter.
The snow falls heavy and builds to waist-deep drifts as the temperature hovers near 20 degrees in Baker County.
Across the refuge, a wildlife team daily stocks nine feeding stations along a 150-mile-long loop through the vast 12,000-acre mountain refuge that’s located near North Powder.
“These are all mule deer,” said Ed Miguez, our guide and a retired wildlife area manager. ”Maybe 200 or more deer here today. You can see even more coming up through the sage brush.”
Not just deer, but Rocky Mountain elk herds get a daily ration of alfalfa hay to keep them in the timber rather than valley ranchlands.
“It works, too," said Miguez. "We still have occasional problems, but for the most part once we get them to these feed sites they’re here for the winter. That means they are not on private lands down below — eating the ranchers' haystacks.”
Your best chance to see the elk is at the Anthony Creek feeding station near the John McKean Memorial.
The memorial includes photos and information that tells the story of Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife Director John McKean, who helped establish the Elkhorn area in 1971.
Nearby, wildlife artist Paul Hoelscher is giddy as a schoolkid as he sketches “models” for his next painting.
“Their coats are beautiful; their shapes are beautiful and it seems to take little effort for them to move through the snow drifts — no effort at all.”
Hoelscher said it’s rare to get so close to so many elk, and despite near white-out conditions, he loved each minute of it.
“These look like really healthy animals,” said the longtime painter, who specializes in Oregon wildlife. “I like to watch how this huge animal is put together, how does it move, how does it stand — it’s all a very valuable experience for someone who likes animals and likes to make art of animals.”
That much is certain for the Minnesota native, who made Baker City his home back in 2003. He loves the fact that the great outdoors and especially so many wildlife species are so easy to see — practically off his doorstep.
“I work pretty religiously from sketchbooks,” said Hoelscher. “In each of our cars, I keep a couple of sketchbooks — so that everywhere I go, if I see something special I’m ready to go to work.”
Peterson’s Gallery in downtown Baker City offers the chance to check out his wonderful work, which Hoelscher called “wildlife in action.”
“As an artist, I find myself asking, ‘Why do I do this?’ Well, it’s largely because it’s in motion, it’s moving — whether running, flying or swimming — it’s just moving! Life in the wild isn’t very sedentary for very long and that’s something that I’m just drawn to.”
Hoelscher discovered his artistic gift as a child, and college provided formal training. Now, he is one of the region’s best at capturing Oregon wildlife with a brush, paint and canvas.
“I have enjoyed drawing as long as I can remember and even coloring in coloring books when I was very young," he said. "I’m from a rural background and so a great fan of animals and nature. I love the time I spend creating images of the things I see.”
Hoelscher is a big believer that nature is inspiring, and the days he spends in the field are cherished because each day is full of promise.
"It really is thrilling and breath-taking to see a five- or six-hundred-pound bull elk or two or three in a stand of timber," he continued. "I think many people head to the outdoors for the chance to see something like this — looking for wildlife. That’s inspiring for me, and I think most people are pretty awe-struck at what Oregon has to offer. It is a very special state and a terrific place to be.”
Be sure to watch the weekly half-hour program of Grant’s Getaways. The show airs each Saturday and Sunday at 4 p.m. on KGW.
For something different, you can follow my Oregon adventures via the Grant’s Getaways Podcast. Each segment is a story-telling session where I relate behind the scenes stories from four decades of travel and television reporting.
You can also learn more about many of my favorite Oregon travels and adventures in the Grant’s Getaways book series, including:
- "Grants Getaways I," Photography by Steve Terrill
- "Grant's Getaways II," Photography by Steve Terrill
- “Grant’s Getaways: 101 Oregon Adventures,” Photography by Jeff Kastner
- “Grant’s Getaways: Guide to Wildlife Watching in Oregon,” Photography by Jeff Kastner
- “Grant’s Getaways: Oregon Adventures with the Kids,” Photography by Jeff Kastner
The book collection offers hundreds of outdoor activities across Oregon and promises to engage a kid of any age.
You can reach me: Gmcomie@kgw.com