HAYWARD, Wis. – The state wildlife is planning the the fourth elk hunt in state history since elk were re-introduction in 1995. Harvest quotas will be established this spring fir the fall 2021 season, said DNR wildlife biologist Joshua Spiegel. He noted that elk disappeared from Wisconsin in the late 1800s. Now, a quarter century after being reintroduced with 25 animals, the herd is more than 300 in northern Wisconsin and 100 in central Wisconsin and growing at 5% to 10% a year. The long-term goal, he said, is 1,400 elk in northern Wisconsin and 350 in ventral Wisconsin. The growth so far, Spiegel said, has allowed the state to offer a limited hunt the last three years. A quota of 10 bull elk last year included five for Native American tribes. In 2020, he noted, 28,000 hunters applied.
Earlier: Bull elk harvest: Hunters take five
Bull elk. Wisconsin herd now 400 and growing.