Wisconsin will hold its fourth managed elk hunt this fall. Be sure to submit your application by May 31 for your chance to join in the hunt of a lifetime.
Jed Becker heads to the woods for the 2020 elk hunt. / Photo Credit: Jed Becker
Each spring, the Department of Natural Resources (DNR) opens the application period for a once-in-a-lifetime tag to harvest an elk during the fall hunting season. Thanks to collaborative reintroduction efforts, Wisconsin’s elk population has grown enough to sustain annual harvests since 2018. The DNR anticipates growth in the herd again this year.
The Hunt Of A Lifetime
Wisconsin resident Jed Becker was one of five state applicants chosen to pursue an elk during the 2020 season. It was Becker’s first elk hunt, and he says the experience forged lasting community and camaraderie with his fellow hunters.
“I was excited to dive in and start planning for the hunt. I leaned on friends, family, my guide and a couple Wisconsin elk hunters from the prior year for advice and direction,” Becker said. Since 2018, state elk hunters have been successful in pursuing their quarry 93% of the time.
“It all paid off when we were able to harvest a dominant bull. My adrenaline spikes every time I tell the story or think back to the days we spent scouting and strategizing,” Becker said.
How To Apply
Hunters can visit their Go Wild account or a license agent to submit their application. The fee is $10, and the drawing results will be available mid-June. In addition, one bull tag will be raffled off by the Rocky Mountain Elk Foundation. Raffle tickets are also $10 each, and there is no limit to the number of raffle tickets an individual can purchase. Proceeds from the Rocky Mountain Elk Foundation raffle and $7 from each application go to elk management and research in Wisconsin.
“Hunters’ dollars go right back into supporting elk management,” said Josh Spiegel, DNR Wildlife Biologist in Sawyer County. “During the first three hunting seasons, applicants generated over $600,000 to financially support the health and growth of the herd.” These funds are already being used to enhance elk habitat, which not only benefits the elk herd, but many other wildlife species that call the Northwoods home.
For more information on the elk hunt, visit the DNR’s elk webpage.
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