It’s true; elk hunting will start in Wisconsin this year, October 13 – November 11, 2018, and December 13-21, 2018.  Bulls only, but which hunter of the lucky ten drawn in May would want to shoot a cow?  In states with large elk populations, there is nothing wrong with taking a cow elk.  However, Wisconsin does not have a significant population of elk.  Hunting will be not allowed in the areas where Kentucky elk were released in 2015-2017.  Only Wisconsin residents are eligible to draw a tag.

The area of the planned hunt is within the Clam Lake elk range of Sawyer, Bayfield, Ashland, and Price counties in far north-central Wisconsin. Original restoration efforts occurred within this range with the release of 25 elk from Michigan in 1995. This northern herd is projected to reach a population level of over 200 animals this year, including a high proportion of bulls.

Only 10 permits are available;

• 4 permits will be awarded to Wisconsin residents through a random drawing.  Entry starts in May 2018.
• One tag will be given to the Rocky Mountain Elk Foundation so they can raise funds by raffling the tag to a Wisconsin resident.
• 5 tags will be given to with the six Wisconsin Chippewa tribes to comply with the Federal Court order.