(WFRV) – Officials with the Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources say they are taking to the skies this winter as they conduct the Badger State’s first-ever aerial elk survey.
According to a release from the DNR, those out and about in the Black River Falls or Clam Lake area might be able to look up and see a low and slow flying plane about 500-700 feet off the ground as the DNR, with help from the Division of Forestry, looks to complete an aerial survey of elk for population estimates.
DNR officials say the elk population is one of Wisconsin’s wildlife success stories, as almost a century ago, they say overhunting and habitat loss saw elk disappear from the state. Following a careful reintroduction program over the past 30-plus years, Wisconsin is now home to an estimated 500+ elk.
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Of the more than 500 elk that call Wisconsin home, the larger Northern herd is said to roam the far north part of the state while a smaller population, the Central herd, can be found in Jackson County.
Because of the successful reintroduction of elk, the DNR states that the population of elk throughout the state has reached a size and distribution that makes surveying from the ground inefficient, leading to this first-ever aerial survey.
Weather permitting, the planes conducting the elk survey will typically fly in the morning when elk are commonly more active and easier to spot. The planes will fly over the two elk management zones, collecting data about the number and distribution of elk throughout the state, helping the DNR to make informed management decisions to help make sure the elk in Wisconsin are here to stay.
