History
Today I'm writing about one of the most recently reintroduced Wisconsin species, the elk. While elk, or wapiti, were found across the United States, they were eliminated from Wisconsin in the late 1800s due to overhunting and population loss. In 1995, 25 elk were released back into the Clam Lake area in the Chequamegon-Nicolet National Forest. This herd was successful, and by 1999 the herd had grown to 40.
Plans were also made to reintroduce a herd to the Jackson Country area in 2001, but were halted in 2003 when Chronic Wasting Disease was found in Wisconsin. Efforts were again started in 2015, and 73 elk were released into the Black River State Forest area. The DNR made an agreement with Kentucky "to import, quarantine and release as many as 150 wild elk over a period of up to 5 years." Today, the Clam Lake herd is estimated at around 330 elk, while the Black River herd sits at around 115.
One of the things the DNR does to manage the elk herds is using radio collars to track movement. These collars are put on as calves and are stretchy as to not harm the elk as it grows. However, to put these collars on they must find the calves themselves. This was one of the experiences I got to help out on.
The Experience
I was connected to this through my step-grandpa, Lou George, who worked for the DNR and Rocky Mountain Elk Foundation for many years. He invited me to join the group of volunteers to search for calves. We headed out close to Lake Wazee. There we met DNR workers, Rocky Mountain Elk employees, and other volunteers. Matt Gross, the lead DNR wildlife biologist, carried large radio equipment. He went out to try and locate the cow, and get her away from the calf. He said that the way to tell that an elk is pregnant is that it stays in the same area for a couple days. While he went out, the rest of us waited by the cars.
When he came back, he thought he had a rough idea of where the calf was. We started walking out. The way that elk searches work is that everyone lines up, no more than a few feet from each other. Everyone then slowly walks forward, with the line being straight and moving at the same pace. This is to ensure that nothing is missed. Long pants and boots are a must, as you don't get to go around areas. You have to walk through marshy areas and through briars. After a couple hours of walking, they concluded that the elk calf was not in that area. The thing about most wildlife activities is that there is no guarantee that the animals will ever be where you expect them to be.
The Calves
A few days later, another message came out. They were going out to search again, in a slightly different area this time. I drove about an hour again, and met everyone by the cars. The day was hot and humid, and the long pants didn't seem like a good idea. We walked again, with everyone searching. This time though, we actually found one. News traveled quietly down the line, as to not spook the calf into running. We slowly walked to the calf, and stood in a large circle around it. Everyone slowly closed in, and the calf jumped up and made a run for it. Even at a few days old it could still bolt pretty good. One of the DNR biologists tackled the calf, and pinned it down.
First, a special blindfold was put on its head to calm it down. DNR staff measured it's height and the size of its teeth. Then, they put the blaze orange radio collar on over its head. To weigh the calf, they put it inside a mesh bag, hooked the mesh bag on a portable weight, and picked it up. To finish, they attached an ear tag to its ear with a number on it, to identify the calf. We then walked slowly away, and left it laying down back where we had found it. We then got news that there might be a second calf nearby, so we headed in another direction.
After about fifteen minutes of trudging through long prairie grasses, we see something moving. No one knew what it was. Finally, it comes closer and we realize it's the elk calf we just tagged, complete with bright collar. As soon as we left, it must've jumped up and bolted towards where we were headed. Some of the guys started running up after it to try and get it to head back in the direction we had left it. Some commented that they had never seen that happen before. Eventually, it goes back and we continue searching.
We found the second calf at the base of a rock, and this one was younger and not as quick on its feet. They again measured and tagged the calf, and left it alone again. I never saw any of the adults nearby. After the latter calf, we headed back to our cars. Elk calving was definitely one of the coolest experiences I've gotten to do, and something I will remember.