This is definitely my favorite experience that I've done. This is also about my third post talking about elk. If you'd like to learn more about the elk population in Wisconsin, I wrote about it in my other post here. Instead of just working with calves this time, we were working with full grown cows.
I got news from my step-grandparents that the DNR was planning on tranqing and collaring elk that day. Of course, wildlife things are short notice. The DNR could let them know anytime from three pm to six pm. I left school a bit early to get my stuff ready to go in case I had to rush to Black River Falls right away. As I've learned, wildlife do not like to be on time. We waited until six, but unfortunately the DNR did not capture enough elk. Instead they planned for the next day. At around 5:30 I get the call, and rushed to my car. As it was really cold and there was still snow on the ground, I had my good snowpants, mittens, and winter jacket. I arrived in Black River around 6:15. We started at the DNR service center, and the biologists gave our volunteer group instructions on what was going to be happening. Then, we drove to the site where the elk were held.
Once we got there, the biologists went ahead to the holding pen to check out the elk. The rest of us stayed back, and watched others get the collars and ear tags ready. Once the biologists were ready, we headed over to the pen. I got to carry two of the collars over. By this time it was dark, and the only way we could see was with our headlamps and flashlights. The pen was around forty feet in diameter, and around ten feet tall. Steel bars went horizontally up the side, but the pen itself was covered so we couldn't see inside. To see the elk, we climbed up the side and hung over the top. Inside were three large cow elk, and three calves. The calves were almost as big as the cows, and certainly as large as whitetail deer.
The lead biologist climbed up with the tranquilizer gun. We all had to shine our flashlights and headlamps into the pen so the elk were illuminated. As the elk ran around the pen, we had to call out which ones had been hit. Watching the elk go down as somewhat sad, as they would slow down, try to keep standing, and eventually fall to the ground. Once all of the elk were down, we went inside the pen. Volunteers paired up for each elk. The task was to first put the blindfold over the elk's head, and then hold the elk's head up so its airflow would be sufficient until the biologists came over.
I held one of the cow's head up. Sitting next to her was amazing, you don't realize how big they are until they're right next to you. We had to stay quiet, and you could hear the elk snoring loudly. The DNR came around to each elk. They tagged ears and put collars on them, along with taking some measurements. At this point, my legs were completely asleep, as the elk's head was so heavy and I couldn't move very well. After collecting data from every elk, they started injecting the elk with a drug that reversed the tranquilizer, starting with the calves. This was because if a calf did wake up before we got out of there, it would be less dangerous than a cow.
Before they got to my elk, one of the volunteer's called out saying that his calf was trying to get up. Suddenly, it jumped up and started moving. The biologists instructed everyone to get out quickly. I tried to get up, but my legs were so asleep I immediately fell. I had to grab one of the other people's arms to get out and I literally could not feel my legs and then fell again when we were out. Although the calves are smaller, it is terrifying to have a stocky deer-sized disoriented animal running at you. Once I regained use of my legs, I climbed back up the pen to see what was going on. The rest of the elk were waking up, but there was one large cow that took much longer to get up. They loaded the rest of the elk into somewhat of a horse trailer to take back out and release. The one elk still would not get up, and one of the DNR had to go out and try to heave her up. It took many tries, but eventually she was up and moving.
Being so close to such majestic animals was such a magical experience. I hope that as I continue in the natural resources field, I will get to have many more experiences like this.