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COMING SOON, Elk hunting in Wisconsin!

Old 05-12-2009, 05:06 PM
  #1  
Fork Horn
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Join Date: Sep 2007
Location: Wisconsin
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Default COMING SOON, Elk hunting in Wisconsin!

That's right, we could be elk hunting in Wisconsin very soon. How soon? Depends upon the battle between the WI Dept of Agriculture and WI. DNR. Either way this battle goes, we'll be hunting elk in WI. sooner than you may think.

Let me explain. We have 150 elk in the Clam Lake area expecting to become about 170 give or take a few by this time next year. Wisconsin's first elk hunt will be triggered when the herd reaches 200 which at the current rate would be around 2012. At that time, 10 tags will be issued. They break down as 5 tags go to the Native Indian Tribes, 4 tags will be on Lottery by the WI. DNR and 1 tag will go on lottery from Rocky Mountain Elk Foundation. The DNR and RMEF tags will all be available to Wisconsin hunters. This will be the elk hunting structure for the first 5 years.

OK, this isn't going to give many elk hunting opportunities for quite some time but you have to crawl before you walk, walk before you run, but there's more.

Back to the battle. WI DNR and RMEF have been working hard to get more elk. DNR scrapped the original plan in 2002 because of the Dept. of Ag.'s fear of CWD so they banned all transportation of elk and deer in Wisconsin. That transportation ban is what the fight is about. WI DNR and RMEF have found a safe herd of elk to help supplement our herd, everything is paid for and ready to go, except for the transportation ban.

The elk that are in Question are from Elk Island National Park, Canada. A huge fenced in natural paradise. Wisconsin and Tennessee are both in line for elk from this herd, 100 for Tenn and 50 for WI. of which 25, mostly cows will go to Clam Lake area, ( bull count is real good in CL) and the other 25 will start a brand new herd in the Black River Falls area.

Do the math, 50+150= ELK HUNTING! Once the door is open and the first 50 come through, it opens the door for every year to come. Adding more elk in the future in small numbers so we don't overload the habitat and identify where habitat needs improving as our hunting numbers grow. YOU CAN HELP! Join RMEF and take the $35 off your taxes. Call your state reps and law makers and tell them to help the DNR get our elk.

I've got more promising news also. For the past couple years scientists have been working on a LIVE CWD TEST. A test that can be performed on elk and deer that are still alive! About 2 years ago there was a domestic herd in Portage county that was depopulated.Scientists in CO. asked for tissue samples from these deer for there research and WI DNR helped them out. Now these scientists have developed a tonsil biopsy for deer, and a tonsil and rectal biopsy for elk. As printed in RMEF's Bugle May-June 2009 issue, scientist in Rocky Mountain National Park "Since Jan. 2008 have darted 136 elk resulting in 117 usable samples. Of those 13 have tested positive for CWD and were confirmed with post-mortem examinations." What they're doing is darting an elk, taking the biopsies, and releasing the elk with a GPS radio collar. When the tests come back positive, they track down the elk, dart it again, remove it from the herd and do the "not live" test. This testing will go on for 3 years as part of the RMNP's elk culling program.

Once this research is tested and perfected, there is no reason that every domestic deer and elk can not be tested and it can be a usefull tool with managing wild herds.

My question that I've asked our DNR and have yet to recieve a ligit answer, is why are we not doing more to help with this research? I've also passed on the thought that testing the 50 elk from EINP, and the 100 going to Tenn. should also be done and may help open the door sooner. If a bone head like me can figure that out, I'd hope they are way ahead of me.

As research, I can't think of a better place to dart tag and test deer than in the CWD Zone right here in Wisconsin. No, we can't dart every deer, it's not the perfect answer, but it's a tool that has it's uses. For example, Oshkosh couldn't catch and move deer out of the city for the same reason the DNR can't transport elk. They tried culling, didn't work. This test should make it feasable to capture the city deer, test them so they can be moved.

As we are talking about both deer and elk in Wisconsin, I want to make clear to the deer hunters that elk doesn't mean fewer deer. They eat different things, the habitat can support a healthy number of each much better than an over population of either. If we want bear hunting to be more than 1 tag every 9 years, and we have to maintain a population of wolve and want to keep hunting deer, we are going to need elk. It's a matter of 5th grade biology on how the food chain works. It simply takes too many deer to support bears wolves and humans for the habitat to handle. The deer up north are in trouble partially because the elk reintroduction plan is 7 years behind.

The original "big game" food chain in Wisconsin was deer, elk, bison, caribou, moose, wolves, bears and cougars to name the big players. Wi DNR did a study back in the 90's that determined elk to be the best choice for reintroduction, bison the 2nd feasable species and after that, caribou and moose are probably not feasable. As cougars have been showing up much like wolves in the 80's, maybe we should be starting a bison test herd? Like the herd the DNR has behind fences in Sandhill Wildlife area? A test herd that just like the test herd of 9 elk Michigan started with that provided Wisconsin with 25 elk in 1995. DNR owns the herd of bison already. They sell off bison to farmers when they get too many for the pasture....

Wisconsin is looking for ways to break out of this resession. Our paper industry is on the decline as we get further into the paperless age. Our forests are being attacked by insects and disease made vulnerable by the forestry industry that's now in decline and will no longer be the most profitable natural renewable resource the land can produce. If converted into more natural habitat, we get a ballance of renewable resources that include lumber, all the big game mentioned, all the small game that goes with, everything our economy needs in a less vulnerable disease and insect resistant environment. Can you imagine what elk and bison would do for tourism and hunting industries in Wisconsin? Think of Black River Falls when the first 25 elk show up.
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Old 05-12-2009, 07:06 PM
  #2  
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Default RE: COMING SOON, Elk hunting in Wisconsin!

Sounds like an awesome introduction! Best of luck to the WI Elk population and I'm sure there are some very excited WI hunters dreaming about the day you guys can get after 'em. Good luck
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Old 05-12-2009, 08:18 PM
  #3  
Fork Horn
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Default RE: COMING SOON, Elk hunting in Wisconsin!

Our job here in Wisconsin is to become the very best vacation and hunting destination for our friends in Ill. You know that Ill was also home to elk and bison also many years ago. Has your DNR done any research in elk or bison reintroduction? They should also be aware of the Live CWD testing research going on in Rocky Mountain National park. Who knows, maybe our grandchildren will get to see wild elk bison in the mid west again someday.
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Old 05-13-2009, 06:16 AM
  #4  
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Default RE: COMING SOON, Elk hunting in Wisconsin!

Illinois did some feasibility studies on reintroducing Elk back around 1995. Have no idea what came of it.
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Old 05-13-2009, 06:41 AM
  #5  
Fork Horn
 
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Default RE: COMING SOON, Elk hunting in Wisconsin!

i've always wanted to hunt elk now in four to five years here in my own state

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Old 05-13-2009, 08:30 AM
  #6  
 
Join Date: May 2009
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Default RE: COMING SOON, Elk hunting in Wisconsin!

wow i didnt even know that wisconsin even had elk. the population must be good to have a season for them. good for you guys. you learn something new everyday!!!

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Old 05-13-2009, 08:42 AM
  #7  
Fork Horn
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Default RE: COMING SOON, Elk hunting in Wisconsin!

We need support to get elk hunting to be more than a few chances every year. Take a look at RMEF's web site and see what they've been doing in Wisconsin. They've spent over $5 million in WI. already, set aside hundreds of acres of public hunting grounds, and have a fund that's used by the WI. DNR to buy more public hunting land for the future. This fund allows the DNR to buy now, figure out the red tape later, and get the habitat restored before the state actually has paid for the land. They pay RMEF back, the funds get used for the next purchase and the future looks better for all wildlife and hunting. They've helped getting wolves delisted, fight our battles, help with research and education, RMEF has done a lot with very little support from Wisconsin hunters. They are a great example of a hunting orginization working hand in hand with our DNR to better our natural resources and provide a brighter future. Sign up, you get a great bimonthly Bugle magazine to learn all about elk and what's going on, the banquets are awesome, and the more support, the sooner we'll all have a lagit chance and a nice bull elk in Wisconsin.
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Old 05-13-2009, 10:27 AM
  #8  
Fork Horn
 
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Default RE: COMING SOON, Elk hunting in Wisconsin!

Until they can get the wolve no.s down there will never be more than a token season. 5 tags among 650,000 hunters is not the best odds. Don't get me wrong I love Elk,I hunt them almost every year. Wis. is a very large contributor(members) to RMEF, I also have belonged to that for a long time. I am probably too old to do that in Wi. But boy I sure would try for a permit.
By the way I do live in Wi.
RC
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Old 05-13-2009, 11:05 AM
  #9  
Fork Horn
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Default RE: COMING SOON, Elk hunting in Wisconsin!

Ye, the wolves could be a problem but unlike out west, the wolves have been delisted here before they've made too bad of impact. The DNR's wolf management plan is it sustain 350-500 wolves and we should see our DNR start taking out some wolves again soon. Last year, when wolves were delisted for a short time then relisted, the DNR took out around 37 wolves while they could. As long as we don't go below 300 wolves, Wisconsin should stay in control of the wolf population and hopefully provide us with some wolf hunting in the near future.

I may also be too old to ever draw an elk tag in Wisconsin but never say never and passing on elk to the next generation is something they'll be proud of us for doing.
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Old 05-13-2009, 11:47 AM
  #10  
Fork Horn
 
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Location: Michigan, USA
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Default RE: COMING SOON, Elk hunting in Wisconsin!

Good Luck! We've had it in Michigan for years. The odds of you getting drawn for a hunt is pretty slim though. At least Wisconsin seems to be moving in the right direction.
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