The 2020 Wisconsin elk season application deadline is quickly approaching. Applications are due this Sunday, 5/31. The 2020 elk season marks the third managed elk hunt in Wisconsin history. Hunters may apply once either online or by visiting a license agent.
2020 Wisconsin Elk Season
Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources (WI DNR) has set forth the following:
- Application period: March 1 – May 31
- Wisconsin residents only may apply
- Application fee: $10
- Tag levels: The 2020 quota is ten bulls from the northern elk range. Of the ten tags available, half will be issued to state hunters and the other half will be utilized by members of the Ojibwe tribes according to treaty rights.
- Drawing results: Available in mid-June
- Hunt dates: October 17 to November 15 and December 10-18, 2020
- License fee: $49
- One tag will be awarded through a raffle by the Rocky Mountain Elk Foundation [exit DNR]
- Successful applicants will take a mandatory elk hunter orientation prior to being issued their license and tag.
- Seven dollars from every $10 application fee, as well as proceeds from the RMEF raffle, are earmarked for elk management and research in Wisconsin.
Other Requirements
Applicants will be notified whether they have drawn the tag in early June. However, a prerequisite to obtaining the $49 elk hunting license is mandatory participation in the elk hunter education program in early September. The training covers regulations, hunting techniques and more. Although the state’s central elk herd has grown steadily since reintroduction in 2015, the 2020 hunting season will only occur for only the northern elk herd.
The First Two Years (2018-2019)
The first two WI elk hunting seasons generated over $400,000. The funds work to enhance elk habitat, which benefits all other wildlife in central and northern WI. Additionally, the funding contributes to ongoing elk research, monitoring and land access. More than 60,000 Wisconsin residents applied during the first two years.
If you’ve taken an elk in Wisconsin, we’d love to get your story!
