The Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources (DNR) reminds Wisconsin residents that the chance to draw a 2022 elk hunting license ends on May 31. Wisconsinites can enter for their chance at the state’s only once-in-a-lifetime hunt while contributing crucial funding for elk conservation.
Hunters can visit their Go Wild account or a license agent to submit their application. The fee is $10, and the results will be available in mid-June.
The Wisconsin Natural Resources Board approved a quota of eight bull elk in the northern elk management zone for the 2022 season during their May board meeting. This year, the DNR will draw three hunter applications at random and award one through a raffle held by the Wisconsin chapter of the Rocky Mountain Elk Foundation.
Members of the Ojibwe Tribes will have a harvest quota of four bull elk this fall, making up half the total harvest quota in accordance with treaty rights.
“Wisconsin’s elk population continues to grow, thanks to recent habitat improvements, research efforts and translocation efforts,” said Josh Spiegel, DNR Wildlife Biologist in Sawyer County.
Since the first managed elk hunt in 2018, hunters with state elk tags have enjoyed a very high harvest success rate. Approximately 70% of the northern elk range is on publicly accessible land and open to hunting. While many elk reside on public land, knowing the landscape is very important.
Proceeds from the Rocky Mountain Elk Foundation raffle and $7 from each DNR application go to elk management and research in Wisconsin, which benefits the elk and many other wildlife species. Funding also contributes to ongoing elk monitoring.
The DNR drawing allows Wisconsin residents to submit one application per year. There is no limit on the number of tickets an individual may purchase for the Rocky Mountain Elk Foundation raffle.
For more information on the elk hunt, visit the DNR’s elk webpage.
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