To encourage the elk population, the DNR wants to close off roads in areas around Clam Lake in Ashland County.
The DNR's Keith Warnke says it's the time of year when elk cows are delivering calves and they for the health of the calf they can't be disturbed. That, Warnke says, gives elk calves a better chance to survive.
The elk is native to Wisconsin but it had to be re-introduced to the state in 1995 by transplanting some of the animals from Michigan. When the population is large enough there could be a limited bull hunt.
Right now, the DNR has set a population goal of two hundred before a hunt is possible. And if the herd reaches an even higher number, female elk could be fair game as well.
Warnke says it's all part of herd management. Elk are larger than deer and eat more. A population out of control could threaten crops.
Warnke says you can still have a limited hunt and not threaten the population.
