Wisconsin's Elk: A Conservation Success Story

Mornin' to everyone with a rockin' hairdo, like the 'Scon who just won the 2022 Mullet Championship. This is the Wiscampsin Weekly - the email that gets you in the know on the Wisconsin outdoors in 5 minutes or less. New reader? Subscribe here.

This week's wild email:

• Wisconsin's elk revival 🦌 

• DNR hosts hunting webinar 🖥

• Ride Across Wisconsin 🚴 

• More Wiscampsin merch! 🚗 

Wisconsin's Wild Elk

Ya know that bar up nort' that has every kind of beer you could ever want? Lagers, IPAs, Stouts, Ales, Pilsners... That guy must have a hollow leg, he just ordered one of everything!

But then one day, Sheryl behind the bar tells you that your favorite Porter is gone. The keg is tapped, the lines are dry!

That's kinda what happened to the fauna in the Great Wisconsin Outdoors. At one point in time, we had a bountiful variety of big game here, like caribou, moose, and even elk.

But when us 'Scons showed up, these beasts disappeared faster than that Porter on dollar beer night. That is, until now.

Though the moose and caribou are likely never to return (what do you mean you stopped carrying my favorite Porter!) Wisconsin's elk populations are making a comeback, and it's time for their big debut.

Wisconsin's Elk

• Disappeared in the late 1800s as their habitat was developed for human use

• Since re-introduction, now number some 400 animals

• Recent hunting and conservation efforts make for a thriving elk herd

Elimination of the elk

Back before FIBs, iPhones, and NFT's (still not quite sure what those are), elk roamed North America to the tune of some 10 million animals.

Wisconsin's largest native mammal, the eastern elk species inhabited our state not for the cheese, but for the ample food sources in our prairies.

However, that all changed when humans began developing the land for agriculture. This habitat loss, in addition to overhunting, ultimately led to the eastern elks' demise.

Though the western elk species still survived in the west, Wisconsin's last native elk fell to the bullet in 1866.

Don't call it a comeback

Like that crazy ex-lover in college (WHY, KEITH, WHY!), conservationists tried to get the elk back in Wisconsin, but the first attempt in the 1930's failed due to... poaching. Classic.

However, a publication titled "Feasibility Assessment for the Reintroduction of Northern American Elk, Moose, and Caribou into Wisconsin" determined that, though caribou or moose likely would not succeed, elk could indeed inhabit Wisconsin once more.

So in the cold of winter, 1995, 25 Michigan elk were trapped, quarantined for 90 days for disease testing, and shipped to Clam Lake, WI.

After acclimating for two weeks in a pen, the DNR set the elk free into the Chequamegon National Forest on May 17, 1995 to begin life anew.

Through the efforts of many partners - and thanks to a second reintroduction of elk in 2015 - the elk now number some 400 strong as two herds:

• Clam Lake herd: The older, larger herd, Clam Lake's some 330 elk range over Ashland, Bayfield, Price, Sawyer, and Rusk counties in Northern Wisconsin

• Black River herd: The newer herd, Black River's 115 elk span the forested region of Jackson County in Central Wisconsin. With 25 calves expected to have been born this past spring, the herd grows rapidly

With careful conservation, the DNR have a long-term goal of 1,400 elk in Wisconsin. So far, three hunting seasons of the Clam Lake herd have been a huge success, with 14 bulls harvested by 15 hunters.

But wait - how can you grow the herd if you shoot the elk?

It's a simple, yet effective equation. By harvesting the older, mature animals (who may be sick, injured, or unable to reproduce), more food and breeding opportunities are available to younger, healthier elk.

It's the same vein of thinking behind bolstering the wolf and bear populations, which account for 42% and 11% (respectively) of the 262 elk mortalities since 1995.

You have to consider the funds raised through the issuing of hunting tags as well. Over $400,000 has been raised in just three years, which helps enhance elk habitat and fund research, all of which ensures the elk population survives.

Horny fun facts

Erm, we mean antler-y.

Unlike goats, rhinoceros, ram, and other beasts with horns, bull (male) elk grow antlers, which they drop each summer in preparation for a new rack.

Like your little neighbor kid up at the lake, these antlers can grow up to one inch a day in the summer months, and may weigh up to 40 pounds. A mature bull with full set of antlers can stand 9 feet tall, with a rack 4 feet long and 4 feet wide.

It's not easy to bag an elk, either. They can run 45 miles an hour, even beating out horses at short distances. And that fence your neighbor Steve put up to keep the wildlife out of his trash? Well, that won't keep an elk out, as they can jump 8 vertical feet.

They love their greens, subsisting on a purely herbivore diet that consists of shrubs and grass. For every 100 pounds of weight, an elk eats 3 pounds of food. Now that's a lot of salad.

How to see 'em

The DNR didn't go through all that work for you folks to just read about the elk!

There's a few options to seeing these beaut's. As we mentioned above, you can apply for a once-in-a-lifetime hunting tag (and fill your freezer for the next year).

Otherwise, elk can be seen in their Clam Lake habitat. A touch screen kisok has been retrofitted to an existing signboard located at the junction of state highways 77 and GG in Clam Lake.

The best time to view the elk is dusk and dawn, during September and October when elk are feeding/mating in the open. Hubba hubba.

Whether it's through a your window, through your binoculars, or from a hunting stand, the ever-increasing Wisconsin elk population is something you gotta witness. After all, it's conservation happening right before our eyes!

So get out 'der!

This Week's Wiscampsin Weekly is brought to you by your spiffy new license plate frame.

Quick poll for all you Wiscampsonites out there:

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Thanks for the support!

*As always, 1% of profits will go to the Friends of Wisconsin State Parks.

The "Holy Cripes" Moment of the Week❗️

If you've never seen an elk before, love a good flute background song, or are simply amazed at how great night vision cameras can be, check out this video of Wisconsin elk out and about. Eh, why the 'elk' not.

Nuts and Seeds 🌰 

🦌 Hunting 101: The Wisconsin DNR is hosting another hunting webinar for folks new to hunting or curious about how it works (if you're my uncle Joe - it doesn't). Tune in via YouTube on Wednesday, August 31st at 7 p.m. so you can fill your freezer this fall!

🚲 Ride Across Wisconsin: Over 700 folks from more than 25 states took part in the annual Ride Across Wisconsin, a 235-mile trip from La Crosse to Milwaukee. The Wisconsin Bike Federation was even there, showing off a groovy new cycle for the elderly and people with disabilities.

💰 Moola for The Mound: Bingo! Lizard Mound State Park just received a $290,000 grant from the National Parks Service to make enhancements to the Washington County park, such as: controlling invasive plants, rerouting walking trails, removing FIBs (just kidding), and more. The park holds one of the most well-preserved Native American effigy mound sites in the nation. Well worth the trip!

A review from the Trail... Love you too, fellow 'Scamp

Well, how'd we do this week?

• 🧀🧀🧀🧀🧀 Great brew, nice and cold

• 🧀🧀🧀 A little too much foam, but still tasty

• 🧀 What is this, Budwieser?