Counting all the elk in Northern Michigan is no easy feat.
It has the DNR taking to the sky to give them a better idea of how many elk hunting licenses they can give out.
The DNR uses a helicopter to count the number of bulls, cows and calves in each herd throughout parts of Otsego and Montmorency counties.
From there, they record how many there are, along with the animals’ overall condition.
It gives the agency a better idea of how to set elk hunting quotas each year.
“It’s important for us to know how many elk are on the landscape, because our elk management is specific to the amount that we feel we can manage. We can have healthy all populations, meaning they have enough food and cover and they’re not in places where we don’t want them to be,” Katie Keen Wildlife Technician said.
Some of this year’s flights were postponed because of the wintry weather.
Right now, the DNR says elk numbers are up in Northern Michigan, meaning they expect to hand out additional licenses in the fall.
© 2023 - 910 Media Group