The Wisconsin Elk
chronology
Reintroduction Project
1989
August: Wisconsin Act 31, authored by Senator Joe Strohl, directed the Wisconsin Department
of Natural Resources (WDNR) to study the feasibility of reintroducing moose and elk into Wisconsin.
November: Representative James Holperin requested that woodland caribou be included.
1990
WDNR published "Feasibility Assessment for the Reintroduction of North American Elk, Moose,
and Caribou into Wisconsin". Elk were determined to have the greatest potential; WDNR then
formulated a management plan to reintroduce elk into Bayfield County.
1991
July: "Management Plan for the Proposed Reintroduction of Elk into the Bayfield County Peninsula,
Northwest Wisconsin" was published by WDNR and reviewed at public hearings.
August: WDNR Board decides not to pursue the reintroduction of elk into the Bayfield County area.
Several proponents of elk reintroduction formed a Wisconsin Elk Study Committee (WESCo) and
explored other potential release sites and procedures. The Glidden-Hayward Districts of the
Chequamegon National Forest (CNF) near Clam Lake was chosen as having considerable potential.
1992
February: The first of 33 informational meetings with local governmental units, agencies, and
citizen organizations, was held with Clam Lake Community Club. Reaction was favorable with
26 groups, 2 were negative, and 5 were neutral.
6 May: College of Natural Resources faculty, University of Wisconsin-Stevens Point,
sanctions proposal to study an experimental elk herd in Wisconsin.
1993
January: Governor Tommy Thompson introduces $50,000 into Wisconsin budget to study the
feasibility of reintroducing elk into Wisconsin; the budget was passed in July, providing
$25,000 for each year of the biennium.
18 July: Ashland County Board approves proposed elk reintroduction study.
5 October: A proposal to conduct a 4-year feasibility study of reintroducing elk into the
CNF was submitted to USDA-Forest Service, Glidden District.
OBJECTIVES of the study were to:
1) determine the feasibility of reintroducing elk into northern Wisconsin by monitoring the behavior of an
experimental herd and assessing its compatibility with other resources of the area during a 4-year period.
2) if the reintroduction is determined to be acceptable, formulate a management plan at the
completion of the study using the information that was gained.
1994
16 February: USDA-FS approves proposal, issues Environmental Assessment, and invites public
review as required by National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA).
20 April: USDA-FS issues final approval of proposed project pending a 45-day appeal period.
6 June: The project officially commences. Some base field-work had already been conducted
in optimistic anticipation of no appeals being filed.
June - October: Shop for elk; Michigan offers 25 elk to Wisconsin pending approval of a trapping
and transfer agreement which was initiated on 1 June; cover-type area; select and prepare release
site; initiate request for legislative change of elk status; prepare field equipment; construct 3.5-acre
gentle release pen; commence fund raising. Rocky Mountain Elk Foundation endorses and underwrites the study.
1995
4 January: Memorandum of Understanding between Michigan, Wisconsin, and UW-Stevens Point
is signed; Michigan donates a herd of 25 elk to Wisconsin.
5-11 January: Secure permission to capture elk on private land in Michigan; arrange for 90-day
quarantine facilities; coordinate capture procedures with Michigan DNR.
14-27 January: Capture 25 elk (3 antlered bulls, 4 bull calves, 6 adult and 5 yearling cows, 7 heifers)
and place them in quarantine.
1 February: Disease and pregnancy test elk; some ear-tag transmitters attached;
Day-1 of 90-day quarantine commences; all 6 of adult cows and 3 of 5 yearling cows test positive for pregnancy.
25 April: Elk stocking permit granted by WDNR.
26 April: Second test for disease conducted; an additional yearling cow tests positive for pregnancy
(total pregnant cows = 10). All ear-tag transmitters attached; one in each ear of all elk.
2 May: End quarantine - all elk are disease-free; load and start journey to Wisconsin.
3 May: Unload elk into gentle-release pen. Governor Thompson opens shipping trailer gate.
Native American Pipe Ceremony conducted by Gene Begay, Spiritual Leader of La Courte Orielles Tribe of Ojibwa Nation.
17 May: Open the gate of the gentle-release pen; elk placidly enter their new CNF home.
17 May - present: Monitor movements and behavior daily of each of the 25 elk with occasional
1-2 day disruption in schedule for single animals. The birth of at least 8 calves was verified during the summer.
23 May: Adult pregnant cow (No. 14) leaves study area in NE direction; ends up 5 miles south of
Hurley WI near Hy 51 (45 straight-line miles), where she spends rest of summer until recaptured
and returned to release pen near Clam Lake on 14 February; she joins a herd of 13 other elk at
the pen site of 7 March.
2 June: An adult bull dies in the field; necropsy indicates probable capture myopathy.
21 October: A yearling cow dies in the field; preliminary necropsy results indicate anemia.
24 October: Assembly Bill 247, authored by Barb Linton, signed into law by Governor Thompson.
The bill designates a mandatory penalty for unlawfully killing and elk to be a maximum of $2,000
and revocation of hunting privileges for up to 5 years. Status of elk in Wisconsin; game species, closed season.
22 November: Adult cow No. 01 mortally wounded by a deer hunter. Shooter mistook her for
a deer and upon realizing his error, reported it to WDNR Law Enforcement personnel who
investigated the situation. Shooter ultimately received a fine of $500 and 1-year revocation of hunting privileges.
1996
14 February: Recapture No. 14 (Hurley Lady) and return her to the release-site pen; she joins
the local herd of 13 elk of 6 March.
11 - 15 March: Recapture 14 elk; replace ear-tag transmitters with radio-collars.
19 March: Yearling bull No. 20 dies in the field. Preliminary examination indicates malnutrition;
subsequent analysis reveals a heavy infestation of liver flukes as a contributing factor.
5 and 6 July: Birthdays of 2 calves, the first to be conceived in Wisconsin during this project;
1, a 30-lb female, was captured and radio-tagged. As of 17 September, these were the only
calves know to be born this year. At least 3 calves of 1995 are know to have survived to this date.
Back to the Wisconsin Elk Reintroduction
Study Homepage