Elke released in Jackson county
Wisconsin
oops, sure wish thread titles could be updated. ;-)
Well they are free roaming elk. Time so see if they do any better than the Clam Lake elk.
Ironic, we are getting these elk from Kentucky, since Kentucky started its Elk reintroduction 3 years after Wisconsin's first elk stocking.
For a second there I thought someone set Elke Sommer free in the wilderness. That wouldn't be right, she's like 75 years old.
And the wolves have dinner plans...
Just wondering. What costs more per pound, elk or free range cattle?
Either way, elk or free range cattle neither would be a reasonable cost per pound if you got caught.
Elk are absolutely awesome animals. Wolves may get some, winters some, vehicles some and poaching and accidents/disease some. But the survivors will thrill many thousands of folks with sightings and the sounds of bugling and cow and calf talk.
Im looking forward to it...I'll be out this next month listening!
I'm still hoping the Clam lake elk move closer to my property. Would LOVE to see one in the wild. Even if they never could be hunted, just to see one would be cool.
The link is an article on the status of the Wisconsin elk herd. Shocking news, one of the Kentucky elk in the Black River Falls area got killed by a wolf.
The article also talks about the focus on getting more timber cut in the national forests. They are having outside contractors and state foresters to help do some of the sales.
Update: The link is to an article in the Sawyer county record newspaper. They require a subscription but allow 10 non subscriber views per month. So you might get some sort of warning about that if you do not subscribe but should be able to get to the article.
Good to read about the 35 calves born from the Clam Lake herd this spring. If only 25% live (8-10) that is still a nice bump to the herd, and if it can keep increasing by 10-15 each year after that, I might finally get to see some in the Wild, since I am less than 15 miles from Clam Lake.
Right now is a good time to see the elk. Head out at first light along HWY 77 f you don't see them stop and listen you should hear some bugling.
The USFS has been logging in the elk core area for a few years on Great Divide district and the deer are showing some benefits. The deer herd is not exploding but from what I see they are looking well fed.
I haven't read the article yet but do know the WDNR is setting up some timber sales. That will help some things, now if they only would improve the wildlife openings.
This program needs more scrutiny. If this was a business it would be bankrupt. Why is WI the only state that looks like the keystone cops when it comes to bringing in an elk herd and expanding it? I was unaware that elk had a problem with brain worm, sounds non-fatal except if there are wolves. Anybody know?
"The link is an article on the status of the Wisconsin elk herd. Shocking news, one of the Kentucky elk in the Black River Falls area got killed by a wolf."
I seem to recall a question to the DNR about placing the elk in an area with a fair wolf population and the answer by the "experts", was something like.....It will take the wolves a few years to figure out that the elk are food to them, so the herd will have a few years to get established before there are any killed by the wolves.
I'm no expert, and figured it would happen way earlier than a few years, I was figuring a couple of months and for sure the first calving season. This is just a guess on my part, but I think wolves, coyotes and other canines smell the meat of an animal, not just the external scents that we smell. The reason I guess this, is because if drug sniffing dogs can smell a baggy of drugs inside a gas tank of a car....why can't they smell meat under a thin layer of skin??
Brain worm is fatal even without wolves. We can thank the people in Madison for not proper management of this program.
The DNR did not even want this program to begin with. If given the liberty to bring in more elk earlier it may have had a different outcome.
Smokey, for awhile they were keeping the old ELF line brushed out. Other areas had the roads tore up to close them. This past season, it looked like all work had stopped.....and the tag alders were closing in fast.
Any info on the ELF plans going forward.....re. Keeping it open?
Thanks
I walked sections of it this spring looking for sheds and the parts I walked were mostly 'mowed'.
Mowing is done on a rotation 4-5 years. RMEF had given money to replace that from the Navy to keep them open. Some are planned to revert back to forest but of hand can't recall which areas.
Given the budget issue with fire borrowing I doubt much work will get done for a while.
There was something listed on the SOPA page regarding mowing and prescribed fire of openings but there was no map attached so hard to say which areas they are planning on too. I plan on talking with the biologist to see if I can find out which areas get treatment when they have the money.
Both elk killed were adult cows, one with brain worm killed by wolves after release and one hit by vehicle that ran off and was found well back in the woods. The one with brain worm was not with the main herd, which I'm told is common when something is wrong with an elk or moose. Brain worms are very common in moose and deer; deer somehow live with them, moose and elk often die.
Someone needs to post a good video of an elk calf being eaten alive by wolves. A good eye opener for all the anti-wolf-hunting tree huggers!
