San Luis National Wildlife Refuge, California

San Luis NWR, Los Banos, California: Tule elk, smallest member of the elk family, were once so numerous they crowded California’s Central Valley. However, market hunting nearly wiped them out. They were saved partly through the efforts of a cattle baron, Henry Miller, who owned much of the land between Fresno, California, and Oregon. Miller paid hunters to bring elk and release them alive on his property. There are now 3,000 in herds around the state. Other species found in the fields and marshes of San Luis Refuge include Swainson’s hawks, Aleutian Canada geese, San Joaquin kit foxes, and giant garter snakes (all threatened or endangered species); waterfowl and shorebirds numbering close to one million; and a million blackbirds of four species (Brewer’s, red-winged, yellow-headed, and tri-colored). Visitors can also fish for striped bass, green sunfish, and catfish.