Elk Now Free to Roam in Jackson County
Tuesday, August 25th, 2015 -- 8:16 AM
-Twenty-three elk transported to Wisconsin from Kentucky as part of a plan to restore Wisconsin's elk population are now free to roam the Black River State Forest in Jackson County.The gates to a seven-acre acclimation pen are open, allowing the elk to roam as they please. The elk were trapped in southeast Kentucky last winter and tested for disease before being transported to Wisconsin in March. Upon arrival in Jackson County, the elk were held in a secure facility to complete a second round of health testing and become acclimated to the area.
The nineteen adult elk and four calves that were born in Wisconsin have been equipped with a GPS tracking collar, so DNR wildlife staff can monitor how they establish their annual life patterns here in their new home. The current elk restoration agreement with Kentucky allows Wisconsin to bring up to 150 elk to Wisconsin over a five-year period. Planning is underway for next year's trapping efforts in Kentucky, and a number of key partners will continue to play a significant role in efforts to bring additional elk to Wisconsin to establish a permanent elk herd.
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