Been elk here in Wisconsin now for quit few years. I'm often in the area where the elk are. But until last fall I had not seen only one cross the road out ahead of me.
This morning my son and one my buddies where headed to my place to put the dock in. Decided to back road threw an area where my sister had trail cams for the snap shot WI program. She had lots of elk on the camera in this area.
So anyways I decided to cut down the road and it paid off. Two bull elk just starting to sprout new racks right in road ditch. One had just come up out of the ditch which was full of water. The other was still up to it's belly in water. Time I got my phone up to take couple pics they were in the road. And if course the sun had to be right where is washing out the pictures. But they are indeed my first up close wild WI elk.
Pretty cool to see for real not in a pen or park.






Mac

Very cool- is it miserably hot up nort also?

This is just east of Black River Falls actually near lake Wazee. Guess forgot to mention that. So not way north by the Clam Lake herd.
And yes it was sticky hot there this morning. Fresh crop of the little black knats that bite and get in your face.

Mac

A nice Pa, bull last weekend

Was actually 3 bulls together

I've seen a few up here in the Clam Lake heard several times over the years.

And yes. it is hot and sticky up here. But 65 is bordering on too hot for me..............

You can often see them on county O outside Milston. Also down North Settlement road.

Cool. Yeah, they seem to like Wazee.
I've only seen 1, but it was actually west of BRF, which wasn't supposed to be part of their territory. They seem to prefer Millston. I thought more would get seen out by City Point, but have yet to hear of a sighting on that end of the county.

I bet we'll be hunting these someday.

I don't know if I will see a hunting season for them? Like to think my son will have a chance to. It is interesting that the majority of elk seem to stay South of hwy 54. I do know people who have seen the west of the black river and North of 94. But that hasn't been any numbers that Im aware of. The one I seen last fall was north of hwy 54 and actually out towards Pray on old hwy 54. I have seen track while running the quad trail from Hatfield to Pray. But I have not seen any animals yet except that one last fall.
They do seem to be holding their own I guess. My sister has had several calves on camera over the years.

Mac

How bad are wolf numbers where the elk are?

Danny great wolf food source is what we have in WI. Numbers of wolves continue to climb and expand. One of the huge advantages PA and Kentucky have or us.

They have been screwing around with this elk thing for 20 years and still don't have a huntable herd.

Danny
Im sure the wild life people know the actual wolf numbers in those areas. I my self think that could be part of why the elk haven't moved more north of the hwy 54 I spoke of. I'm pretty sure wolf numbers increase substantially once north of that hwy. Some of the original reestablished wolf packs are just north. It may even be part of the reason the original holding and release area for elk was south of that line.
I don't doubt that the elk have moved closer to people and the farm land to stay clear of the wolves.

Mac

I don't really care if they ever have a huntable size population, If they have enough to sustain themselves thats good enough. Slowly expanding territory would be a bonus.

Bringing back native flora and fauna of the state in it self is a worthy goal of the DNR. Any harvest is just a bonus and should not be the primary goal.

Put that money spent on elk and marten and put It some where that will benefit the average citizen. Elk and marten don't fit In that category

I don't think your "average" citizen could tell a elk from a white tail, or even knows what a martin is.
The average citizen in WI doesn't trap or hunt.

If you tell your average citizen that elk were once plentiful, have been eliminated by man, and would you like to see them reestablished in the state they would say "sure". The same for Marten.
Ask the same people should we reestablish Elk so that maybe a couple hundred people in the state can shoot them they will say no. Change shoot to trap for the Marten and they'll say no again.

Department of Natural Resources, its in the name, its about the Natural Resources of the state, just not hunting/trapping/fishing these resources. Its to benefit all citizens of the state not just the ones that take from the resources.

If It were NOT for the hunters and trappers Niether would have been "re-intraduced.

I don't know If the WTA Is still donating money to the marten study. But I once stood up In a general WTA meeting and opposed our funding this study.

But having hunters finance the restoration of flora and fauna , is the primary goal.

Department of Natural Resources, its in the name, its about the Natural Resources of the state, just not hunting/trapping/fishing these resources. Its to benefit all citizens of the state not just the ones that take from the resources.

I and my family have given way more than we have ever taken from the resources. If all citizens funded some of it we would have more.

Mac, you bring up a good point about elk (or ~lackthereof) north of Hwy 54. When Jackson Co 1st got elk, billboards were placed on 54 encouraging vehicles to watch out for elk. My cousin drives a logging truck at least twice a day on 54 & has since the elk were introduced, and he has yet to see an elk. That said, there have been some such sightings, but they are rare on 54. Within about a year the elk seemed to learn to get as far away from thick wolf country as possible. They even had plans for an elk viewing area at Dike 17. That seems to have been scrapped, as all people would probably hear is wolf howls.

I found the holy grail today (well technically my dad did). We were working on our property, and found this elk shed. It's been a bucket list item of mine to find a Wi elk antler. To do so on my own property was a bonus. I saw the elk in person, once, live (my only ever elk sighting), though the neighbors had had it on trail cam several times over a 2 or 3 year period. My next goal is to draw a tag and go north for the WI elk hunt, or better yet live to see an elk hunt for the central Wi herd. It has a little mouse damage, which I'd like to know how to repair.

Subsidized - dream

AJE
That's pretty cool I don't wander in spring woods in that area enough to chance finding an antler.
Might start looking for few blue berries. Always see some green one but seems like can find more than few once start turning blue.

Mac

Very true Hunters and trappers are portrayed as slobs that just want to kill something .However they do more to improve wildlife habitat than all non hunters and anti's combined They don't have any idea about what it takes for wildlife to thrive but they are sure that hunters and trappers are the reason that game populations are low

Nice find .Plus to get it on your own property I have found about 2 dozen deer sheds over the years and it is always a thrill

I like wild blueberries but even if they are thick, they are small, so it takes a while to get many. I'd like to pursue wild blueberries annually, but I get too busy. I bet bears like them. I'm not sure if the elk do.

You all are so lucky to have elk in your states. I wish we had them.

Nice. I am watching the Pa elk cam now. Saw 2 bulls sparing earlier before the fog got bad

Michigan has some. Also a season if you accumulate enough points to get drawn.

We have them in AR. About 45 are killed annually. Most likely wont draw a permit in a lifetime. A lot of expense and effort to provide opportunity for so few. Elk often go through fences instead of over. And eat a lot of hay. A lot of private landowners arent crazy about them.

Wolf food in WI, been how many years and a whole four tags a year, yippee! Waste of money.

20 years of waisted money as the wolf population keeps expanding unchecked!

This is true and it's something I didn't realize when they were first introduced into Wisconsin

One thing I have not heard of that I thought I would hear more of is elk damaging cornfields with their massive bodies.

I saw on the news today the 1st Wi elk hunter to ever harvest 1 from the current herd with a bow. Very cool that he got it with a bow. It was a nice northern Wi 6x6.

I saw (2) Bulls and (3) cows on the Interstate in Black River Falls right by the HWY 54 exit this week- it looked like they were heading to Perkins lol. For our friends out west- they probably think what's the big deal- super cool for us Cheeseheads.

We have a number of Elk here in Northern Michigan. Quite a large herd for the eastern location.

There is a select hunt every year if you have enough points collected.

Personally I think most of them will die of old age!

The elk are misbehaving again...indeed they are hanging out very close to town, sometimes even on the interstate highway. I think it is all about the elk trying to stay away from wolves.

I seen a small track where we deer hunt this last Sunday. Pretty sure it has to be young elk as to big to be even large white tail. We hunt lower end of Clark county just north Jackson county line. I know the elk have been in that area. I have yet to see one though.
I have been taking the back road routes more this year when I go to my camper. I still have not see another elk since the two this spring.

Mac

I heard there was an article in the Black River Falls newspaper this week saying that the county is considering creating a rule about vehicle traffic on Highway O since supposedly people are stopping their vehicles even on both sides of the road @ the same time to see the elk, creating a hazard on the county highway.

Fingers crossed, so far I haven't heard of any elk getting shot during the gun deer season.

Probably or Wolf scat

In Wi they don't allow preference points for elk tags.

Here's a picture recently from the central Wisconsin herd that somebody sent me. I wonder if the northern Wisconsin herd is as tame as the one in Central Wisconsin.?

I didn't hear of any elk getting illegally shot during this year's gun deer season

I hadn't heard this before seeing it here.
The picture I put on when I started this post. I took that photo on Castle Mound Road. I honestly for the amount of time I spend in that area have not seen only a couple elk.
Having hunted deer in both Clark and Jackson counties my whole life. I can not understand how anyone could mistake even a small elk for a white tail ?? Hard to understand that unless just shooting to be shooting.

Mac

Yeah I spoke too soon. I heard about this story today about those two elk. It took a while for it to make the news. It sure is frustrating: the elk even had an orange collar!

The other day I had three elk on my property. It's cool, but I imagine they can eat a lot of tree browse

I'm probably going to be ridiculed for saying this, but I wish elk had not been reintroduced in North Carolina! When the elk came, the people came. The agencies that reintroduced them here have privately stated they regret it. The one over the elk has stated THERE WILL NEVER be an elk season in WNC! There was no benefit to reintoduce the elk here, period, other than tourism! I make no apologies for my thoughts, but what's next, wolves. They were here beforte as well. Bison, they ewere here as well. Reintruction is not always a good thing.

I might be wrong. As I understand it elk are grazers, eating mainly grasses, deer are browser's eating mainly tree browse, weeds, etc. Usually in mountain habitat you won't find a lot of deer where you find elk and you won't find a lot of elk where you find a lot of deer. They eat different things on the landscape.

I was in Black River Falls today and was at Walmart and looked at the local newspaper and the front page had a story about several elk dying lately getting hit by cars. The highway department recently put up 'Elk Crossing' signs on 54E. It's amazing how many have gotten hit by vehicle since they were reintroduced in Central Wisconsin. Fortunately no one has died.

Picture is from January 4th La Crosse tribun

I wonder about the whitetail impact in harsh winter conditions as the elk herd starts to take off- I know in years where we get a lot of snow early and then have a late winter melt off- the browse line in unreachable for whitetails, the elk create similarly a high-level browse line. More than enough browse to go around unless the severity index matches the right weather. I believe a whitetails diet is a lot more diverse- maybe that helps the cohabitation longer term?

I asked this question to DNR a while ago and they said it wouldn't be an issue. I am somewhat skeptical though.

Don't forget to apply for this year's hunt

DNR will need to start issuing kill permits to the wolves. Wolves took more elk this past year than the DNR will be issuing harvest permits.

Anything's possible, buddy.

https://jesseshunting.com/threads/man-charged-for-shooting-llama-he-thought-was-deer.71862/

I am not sure if RMEF is raffling off an elk tag this year

I haven't heard anything and don't really follow that tag raffle thing.??
My brother in-law did send me a message other day where DNR said the herd was doing well. My sister tends 3-4 cameras for the DNR snapshot WI. Her cameras are located in high number area. So she has lots of elk photos on at least a couple of them. It's is interesting how many different critters she gets photos of on the trail cams. Actually pretty varied selection.
I myself have not seen another close up elk since the ones I started this post with. Ive seen track along trail when out on the quads or back roading. I don't drive around just looking for them so haven't seen any standing along road.

Mac

I've only ever seen 1 Mac, too.

Today was the first day ever for sales of applications for the central Wisconsin elk hunt. I put in for it tonight. What a great opportunity..and it only costs $10 to apply.

Great AJE, hope you get a draw!

Nobody else applying or excited?

I applied this weekend, AJE! I know the chances are slim but I would love to get drawn.

I've bought Powerball with worse odds...

Mooaetrot

I thought about it but just couldn't get excited about the idea. I think I used up my one time big lottery ticket win. When I drew the wolf tag in the second season before it went away. Then actually caught my wolf before the quota filled and I had to go back for a dose of chemo.
I ask my son about applying for elk and he just was interested. Not sure why? Think it was maybe waiting until it isn't a competition?

I have a bear tag for this fall and I have decided it will be the last time I apply.

Mac

"Never Forget Which Way Is Up!"

Hate to say it but it will always be a competition to get elk tags no matter the state. Especially in the east.

Very true Michigander. At least in Wisconsin.

Thanks for the share, AJE

That was a very GOOD post! Thanks.

My son and I went this morning change some batteries in some cameras. Going past Lake Wazee we seen 4 elk in place been seeing them fairly regularly now. Got north of highway 54 and seen 3 young bulls. This was in an area we have never seen them before. Knew they were in area seen tracks when on ATVs. One crossed the road in front of us. Other two just stood looking at us. They were in a are that was just recently clear cut.
One was collared.





Mac

As of 3/1 we can apply for a tag

See a bunch of them around Warrens by a cabin I stay at.

The applications have changed this year. The Northern and Central elk management zones have been broken into smaller units and you have to apply for a particular group of units. Each group has a different quota, with some in the Central zone allowing for antlerless/cow harvest. You can submit one application for a bull and/or one for a cow, but if your'e drawn for a cow, it counts as your once in a lifetime tag. Still $10 for each application, and $7 of that goes directly to the elk program.

https://dnr.wisconsin.gov/newsroom/release/118231

A guy here had a pile of points he checked off the a cow by mistake one year he lost all his years of points , they separated the tags after that but he was too old to start applying again.