Winter Hits Elk Herd Hard, Delays First Hunting Season

A winter with lots of snow and unrelenting cold has thinned the elk herd in far northern Wisconsin, leading the state to opt not to have its first elk hunt this year.

Simply put, says Department of Natural Resources elk management director Kevin Wallenfang, it was a tough winter.

“We are seeing some things this year that we haven’t seen in quite a while,” said Wallenfang. “We’ve actually lost some elk to malnutrition this year because of the severe winter. We have not seen that since 2001. So, that alone had an impact on our decision this year.”

Four elk calves died of malnutrition and more may perish before things green up in Bayfield, Ashland and Sawyer counties. Wallenfang says the estimate is that the herd now has 155 elk, down from 180 after calving last summer. That’s well off the 200 needed to have the state’s first elk hunt.

Wallenfang says they still hope to bring in hundreds of elk from out of state to boost the numbers.

“We continue to work on that,” he said. “We are still optimistic that things can fall into place and by a year from now, we would have elk ready to come into the state. We are working on agreements. We continue to forge ahead on that, raising money and preparing for it, but we don’t have any formal agreements.”

Great Lakes Indian and Fish Wildlife Commission spokeswoman Sue Erickson says the tribes agree with the decision to hold off on an elk hunt. She says the tribes have not discussed having a second ceremonial hunt like they did last fall, when they shot one elk.