The Rocky Mountain Elk Foundation will raffle one license for the upcoming 2021 Wisconsin elk hunt. The application period opened on March 9, 2021, and closes on May 31.
Following several successfully managed Wisconsin elk hunts, the Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources (DNR) is planning the fourth elk hunt in state history this fall. Wisconsin’s northern herd elk population, centered around Clam Lake, rose to 300 animals in 2020. The DNR anticipates growth in the herd again this year.
“The elk have fared well in the north over the past year,” said Josh Spiegel, DNR wildlife biologist. “Currently, we’ve had mild winters back-to-back and animal body conditions look healthy. We continue to see a strong breeding class of cows and significant recruitment of younger animals into the population.”
The Wisconsin Natural Resources Board will approve the 2021 quota in May. Last year, the DNR issued five once-in-a-lifetime bull tags to Wisconsin hunters and an equal number to the Ojibwe tribes per treaty rights.
The cost of an elk hunting license for those whose names are drawn is $49. For each application, $7 goes to elk management and research in Wisconsin. During the first three hunting seasons, applicants generated more than $600,000. These funds are already being used to enhance elk habitat, which benefits the elk herd and many other wildlife species that call the Northwoods home. Funding also contributes to ongoing elk research and monitoring.
RMEF raffle tickets are $10 apiece. There is no limit to the number of raffle tickets an individual may purchase. Details will be announced at a later date.
(Photo source: Rocky Mountain Elk Foundation)