Those interested in hunting elk in Wisconsin will have to wait at least another year. Officials with the Department of Natural Resources says Wisconsin’s elk population is growing, but big game ecologist Kevin Wallenfang says it’s not yet big enough for state officials to authorize a hunting season for the animals.
Wallenfang says the DNR’s population models indicate there are not the 200 animals required by law to establish hunt, but the agency is watching the herd growth carefully and will reevaluate the population next year. While Wallenfang says they do not have exact numbers, officials believe the herd will be at about 175 animals after calving this spring.
Elk were introduced into the state in 1995, near Clam Lake in Ashland County. The DNR is still exploring a proposal to import more of the animals into Wisconsin from a donor state, possibly creating a second herd in Jackson County.
