Wisconsin's Elk Season Opens Saturday With 16 State Hunters

Wisconsin's ninth elk season since the animals were reintroduced opens Saturday, October 17, the Department of Natural Resources says. Sixteen state hunters were drawn from more than 34,000 resident applicants.

In the Northern Elk Management Zone the quota is eight bulls, with four licenses to state hunters and four to tribal members. In the Central Zone, six bull and six antlerless licenses went to state hunters. New this year, tags are unit-specific, so harvest can be concentrated where elk cause more conflicts with people and kept lower where the department wants the herd to grow.

Seven dollars of every $10 application goes to elk management, and the program is nearly self-funded. Applications for the 2027 hunt are expected to open March 1 and run through May 31, 2027, for units with a harvest quota.