Wisconsin elk draw open to residents. Clam Lake herd, 5 tags available. Good luck!
Big Game Hunting
Wisconsin elk draw open
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Part of me hopes I don't get drawn. My concern is that this might be kind of a spectacle. I'm sure the actual hunt will a great experience but will there be DNR staff, researches and TV crews waiting at my truck when I come out?
I haven't sought out much info since I applied but I did read somewhere successful applicants will be notified by phone. Hopefully that keeps the paparazzi to a minimum. Maybe some guys like that sort of thing, I don't.
It will be a great experience for any hunter. Good luck to those who applied.
I don't go there that often but I've seen bulls more times than not while driving around when I do go through the area. Even had a big bull run in front of my truck on a firelane, I had to lock up the brakes. I think if you are an okay hunter and put in a decent effort, you should get some chances.
I'm not sure on what the bull to cow ratio is but I read somewhere the reason for the hunt is they have a disproportionate number of mature bulls in the herd that have been breeding most of the same cows every year. Same as deer hunting, the mature bucks run off the smaller ones and breed more does. They want to get some of the big ones out so different bulls can breed and mix up the gene pool.
Do they have stats on the bull to cow ratio? It'll be interesting to see if all 10 tags are filled. I would assume so, but there's also alot of land to cover with only 185 elk roaming even if 50% of them are bulls.
Yeah I read the FAQ on the DNR site as you would be ineligible only if you bought the tag, but after re-reading I guess it does say either if you draw a tag or have one transferred to you. So that would suck if both people were then ineligible.
It should be a fairly easy hunt as far as elk hunting goes. No mountains to climb and you already know where you can and cannot hunt, which when hunting out west is half the battle until you become familiar with an area. If I happen to get drawn my plan is to start scouting in August & September a few times then go up a few days before the opener. Find where the big bulls are hanging out and hopefully its a one day hunt. If not, the season is like 5 weeks long so as long you stick with it and put some time in you'll get one.
I sort of see it as semi-guided. The DNR is going to tell you where they are located for the most part. That takes some of the work out of it. Plus they have not been hunted, aside from a few times the natives went after them. They'd have to be less educated than elk that get hunted every year. May not be a bad first time hunt in that regard.
I believe if you are drawn and transfer your tag to someone, both people will be ineligible to apply for future drawings so that person who transfers their tag will be out of luck in the future.
While it would be nice to hold off and have the chance at hunting when the herd is much larger in the future, I wouldn't hold your breath on this. Most people who apply for the rest of their lives will still never be drawn. Given the slow growth rate of the herd, I don't see the number of tags drastically increasing in the near future.
I wonder if everyone who applied knew that drawing an elk tag is a "once in a lifetime" opportunity as they can't ever apply again. I sure didn't want to waste my one opportunity at elk hunting in WI on the first hunt...
Maybe whoever draws the tags will transfer the tags to a disabled resident, give them an opportunity they may never have again.
Wow that's about half as much as I guessed would apply. I guess I'm not overly surprised after talking with people about it. A lot of guys who deer hunt had no interest in applying or elk hunting in Wisconsin in general. At least the odds went up for those who did apply. Roughly 1 in 10,000 chance of getting drawn, or a 0.0026%. Good luck everyone.
A friend volunteered for the elk calf search. She helped out a few days over the Memorial Day week. While she helped look for elk calves they did find one. The cow that birthed this calf has a tracking collar and is 14 years old. The DNR biologists said that is considered elderly and were surprised she had a calf. The calf was quite small at 19 lbs, usually they are about 35 lbs. As of mid May there were 26,000 plus applications for the available tags.
Displaying 16 to 30 of 49 posts
