Wisconsin’s 2025 Elk Season Opens Oct. 18

MADISON, Wis. – The Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources (DNR) celebrates the start of the 2025 elk hunting season on Saturday, Oct. 18. This is Wisconsin’s eighth elk hunting season since the reintroduction of elk in the state, and the first year with antlerless harvest opportunities.

The 13 hunters participating in the state-administered hunt were randomly selected from a pool of more than 26,000 applicants. There were 17,737 applications to hunt in the Clam Lake Elk Range and 8,452 applications for the Black River Elk Range for this season. An eight-bull quota is established for the Clam Lake Elk Range, with four licenses being awarded to state hunters. Per treaty rights, the Ojibwe tribes have declared four bulls of the eight-bull harvest quota. In the Black River Elk Range, five antlerless and four bull licenses were issued to state hunters, up from a four-bull quota in 2024.

“Both elk herds experienced strong recruitment through the winter, and staff documented a successful spring calving period,” said Christina Kizewski, DNR Central Elk Herd biologist. “With the introduction of antlerless harvest opportunities in the Black River Elk Range, the department is looking to strike a balance between a strong, robust elk population and managing human-elk conflicts.”

The random drawing ensures that each applicant has an equal chance of selection within the respective management zones. Applicants were required to identify their management zone of choice during the elk hunting application process.

How To Apply For The 2026 Elk Hunting Season

The DNR’s elk management program is driven by the revenue received from hunter application fees, which contribute directly to the future of the state’s elk population. For each $10 application fee, $7 goes directly toward elk management, habitat restoration and research.

The 2026 elk hunt application period for Wisconsin residents is expected to open with the new license year on March 1 and run through May 31, 2026. The 2026 elk hunting season will open on Saturday, Oct. 17. Hunters must select which unit they would like to hunt during the application process.

For more information on elk in Wisconsin, visit the DNR’s Elk webpage.

NOTE: This press release was submitted to Urban Milwaukee and was not written by an Urban Milwaukee writer. While it is believed to be reliable, Urban Milwaukee does not guarantee its accuracy or completeness.