Elk Spotting: Local places to visit

When it comes to wildlife viewing, my experience can be summed up in two statements:

1. The farther you drive to see wildlife, the more likely you won't see wildlife.

2. The best wildlife appears when you least expect it (and don't have a camera handy).

It was a pleasant surprise, then, to actually spot elk during a recent visit to Peck Ranch Conservation Area. Better yet, I had a camera with telephoto lens ready. Success!

The Missouri Department of Conservation started reintroducing elk into Missouri in 2011. Today, these majestic mammals can be found in Carter, Reynolds and Shannon counties. Self-guided driving tours through elk territory are available at two conservation areas, Current River and Peck Ranch.

In addition to elk, both of these conservation areas have played prominent roles in previous wildlife restoration efforts. They also contain other surprises, such as climbable fire towers and a Civil War fortification.

Here is a guide to visiting both of these elk hot spots.

Current River Conservation Area

The horseshoe-shaped Civil War fortification dating to 1863 can be easily retraced at Current River Conservation Area.

This sprawling conservation area, encompassing more than 29,000 acres, was created from the merger of Deer Run State Forest and other public lands southwest of Ellington, Missouri.

During the Civil War, a strategic military wagon road passed through here connecting Pilot Knob, Missouri, to Van Buren, Missouri. A military fortification was constructed along the road to provide protection for a Union camp at Barnesville, Missouri, the original name for Ellington.

Although intended to be temporary, the horseshoe-shaped earthworks have survived intact. The site was listed in the National Register of Historic Places in 1998 as "one of the few temporary field fortifications known to exist in the state."

In the 20th Century, the remote region grabbed the attention of Missouri officials looking for habitat to rejuvenate the state's dwindling white-tailed deer population. In 1925, Missouri established several wildlife refuges, including what was initially known as Deer Run State Park.

Four ponds were constructed to provide water sources for the deer, a novel concept for the time. Another innovation was the construction of a fire lookout tower in 1926, the first steel fire tower built in Missouri. As more towers were built across the Ozarks, spotters could quickly triangulate the location of newly-sparked wildfires.

Deer Run Fire Tower was the first steel fire tower constructed in Missouri. Looking up at the 100-foot tower is not quite as scary as looking down from the top.

A brochure about the area explains, "Deer Run has been protected from fire and grazing damage longer than any other forested tract in southern Missouri."

The fire tower is open for climbing -- if you dare. The view from above the tree line is spectacular, but I don't recommend looking down and thinking too much about the distance to the ground.

During the Great Depression, a Civilian Conservation Corps (CCC) camp was established at Deer Run. One legacy of the CCC era is a rustic log cabin that still stands today.

Scanned versions of the newspapers published at the CCC camp are available online. The early editions of the "Deer Run Diary" feature the kind of silliness you might expect from a camp of young men aged 18 to 25.

Following the success of deer restoration efforts at Deer Run and elsewhere, conservation officials turned their focus to another beleaguered species, turkey. That's when Peck Ranch came into the picture.

Peck Ranch Conservation Area

In the 1910s, investors arrived in Carter County with bold plans to build a large furnace for smelting iron. The abundant hardwood trees in the surrounding area would be cut to provide charcoal to run the furnace.

They formed a company, Mid-Continent Iron Company, and established a town called Midco north of Fremont, Missouri. George Peck, the namesake of Peck Ranch, leased several thousand acres of land for timber cutting.

Midco attracted the interest of the U.S. government during World War I. The charcoal-making process created chemical byproducts that could be used for the war effort. After receiving financial backing from the Army, the company faced immense pressure in 1918 to complete the furnace, chemical plant, railroad spur and town as quickly as possible.

The workers faced grueling hours in overcrowded conditions. Then, at the worst possible time, the Spanish Flu struck the operation. The virus quickly spread, killing dozens. The Midco cemetery overflowed with unmarked graves.

Although the iron furnace was finally placed into operation in November 1918, it was too late. The war had just ended, and the company struggled to turn a profit in peacetime. The furnace shut down in 1921, and Midco was abandoned. The ruins, including a 165-foot-tall smokestack, sits on private property not open to the public.

In later years, thanks to the repeal of Prohibition, more trees at Peck Ranch were cut to produce barrels for storing alcohol.

With all of this tree cutting, the land at Peck Ranch was left in a degraded condition. But it did offer a small blessing: the rugged terrain retained a population of eastern turkey, even as the species had vanished from much of the state.

Elk aren’t the only wildlife to spot at Peck Ranch. This adorable family of raccoons took their sweet time crossing the road.

After World War II, the state acquired land at Peck Ranch, eventually amassing 37 square miles. The turkey population at this new refuge increased, providing an opportunity for some of the birds to be captured and relocated to other parts of the state.

Today, however, Peck Ranch is best known for elk. Starting in 2011, elk from Kentucky were brought to the fenced wildlife refuge at the center of Peck Ranch. A driving tour within the refuge is open to the public during daylight hours. (The area is restricted during hunting seasons, however, so check the Missouri Department of Conservation website before making a long drive to visit.)

During my recent visit, I saw copious deer and turkey near the road, as well as a cute raccoon family. As usual with most wildlife viewing, the best times to visit are just after sunrise and just before sunset.

As a bonus, Peck Ranch includes Stegall Mountain, elevation 1,348 feet, with a climbable fire tower perched at the summit. The panoramic view from this tower, featuring endless blue ridges that recede into the distance, is one of the best in Missouri.

I found the view from Stegall Mountain Fire Tower to be breathtaking. Not just because of the stunning scenery, but also because I was holding on to the skimpy handrails for dear life.

Driving directions

~Current River Conservation Area:

From Ellington, take Highway 106 west. After four miles, turn left on Spur Highway 106. Drive through the historic stone entrance gate. Follow the signs for the elk tour, which will take you on Roads #1, #10 and #9. This route passes the log cabin and fire tower which are next to the road. Look for a sign for the side road that leads to the Civil War fortification (best viewed in winter when the leaves are off the trees).

The driving tour ends at the outskirts of Ellington. Turn left on South Road to return to downtown Ellington and Highway 106.

~Peck Ranch Conservation Area:

From Van Buren, take US Highway 60 west for 12 miles. Turn right on Route P and follow this blacktop road to a low-water bridge. Past the bridge, the road becomes County Road P-159. Continue on this gravel road into the conservation area. After winding through the hills, the road comes to the entrance to the wildlife refuge on the right. Stop at the information kiosk to pick up a map, then drive through the entrance gate. I had the best luck seeing wildlife in the open fields along Road #1.

To reach Stegall Mountain, return to CR P-159 and turn right. Follow this road until you see the Stegall Mountain Natural Area sign on the right. Turn right and follow this side road until it ends at a locked gate (the road is in good condition, but does ford one small creek). Walk past the locked gate the remaining 0.2 miles to the fire tower.

~See my recent blog on the seMissourian.com website for directions on other places to visit in this part of the Ozarks, including Blue Spring, Prairie Hollow Gorge and Klepzig Mill.