Once eliminated from the state by overhunting, Wisconsin now has a healthy and growing moose population thanks to two restoration efforts that began in 1995 and ended in 2019. In 2018, the elk herd was large enough to support a crop. In October of this year, Wisconsin held its first managed moose hunt, a testament to years of restoration, meticulous management, and the strength of partnerships between state and agency, tribal governments, and nonprofits. Elk reintroduction efforts in the Black River elk area of Jackson County began only a few years ago, when 73 moose were released there in 2015 and 2016. The department and our partners agree that the herd needs several years of growth before it can hunt. The population is expected to approach 100 moose after calving in 2020. A few years ago, legislation was passed allowing the Rocky Mountain Elk Foundation to issue an elk hunting license during each of the first five moose hunting seasons to financially support moose management in Wisconsin. RMEF has been a major supporter of moose reintroduction to Wisconsin. They have invested nearly $10 million in moose reintroduction, management and research, as well as outdoor education, land conservation, habitat enhancement and more. Yes, a moose hunter can bring other bystanders on the hunt. We hope and expect that friends and family will want to experience this hunt, even if they are not attracted to a brand.
Having extra people with you can be especially helpful in retrieving a moose from the field. There is no limit to the number of spectators who can participate, participate other than to shoot moose or help after an animal has been harvested. Group bagging is not permitted, so only the person who issued the moose hunting licence is authorized to hunt or kill a moose. The current law states that a person can only be issued or transferred one moose hunting licence in their lifetime. Although the law allows the owner of an elk tag to transfer this trademark to a juvenile or disabled licence holder, possession of the licence or moose mark prior to its transfer is considered a lifetime gain. Therefore, the transfer will or may not be applicable through the state prize draw, be a winner of the Rocky Mountain Elk Foundation (RMEF) contest or receive a Moose Tag transfer in the future (unless applicable law changes). You can purchase RMEF raffle tickets in future years, but it would be advisable to include the name of another eligible recipient on the ticket as you are not allowed to win as we cannot issue you the license. Moose hunting regulations will be available in August.
Elk can be hunted with a bow, crossbow, muzzle magazine, medium firearm or centre rifle. If the weapon is legal for deer hunting, it is legal for moose hunting. All moose hunting in 2021 will take place in the moose area of Clam Lake. Whether hunting will be allowed throughout the moose area of Clam Lake will be decided by the Natural Resources Commission in May, and no hunting will take place in the Black River Moose area of Jackson County. Elk hunters must carry proof of their moose hunting licence and moose carcass tag. If 100 moose hunting licenses or fewer are issued, only Wisconsin residents can apply, with the exception of non-resident Purple Heart beneficiaries and members of the armed forces who prove they meet the eligibility criteria. If more than 100 moose hunting licences are issued, residents and non-residents can apply. As is often the case, Ojibwe tribes are expected to have different rules than those required of statehunters. The rules for the moose hunt are being established and will be available on the Great Lakes Indian Fish and Wildlife Commission [EXIT DNR] website as soon as they are completed.
Please read the Elk Digest for information, rules and regulations regarding moose hunting. For a complete list of regulations and legal descriptions, see the Wildlife Conservation Order. The 2020 moose hunt ended when the five state hunters harvested a moose from the Clam Lake range. Yes, if you want to hunt alone, you must meet the same hunter training requirements that apply to all hunting activities in Wisconsin. Mentor hunting is also allowed, so someone who has not received hunter training requirements can still participate with a qualified mentor. The elk hunter training and orientation course does not meet the requirements for hunter training. Visit the supervised hunting page for more information. Elk hunting in Buchanan, Dickenson and Wise counties is made possible through a moose hunting lottery. Interested parties can apply each year between February 1 and March 30 for the draw. The fee to apply for the elk hunting lottery is $15 for Virginia residents and $20 for non-residents. For detailed information on moose hunting seasons, administrative units, hunting hours and more, visit Elk Digest.
At its peak in 2020, the northern herd estimate is expected to total about 300, dispersed in several groups throughout the range. In addition to hunting hunters, moose are removed from the herd each year for a variety of reasons, including illegal harvesting, looting, drowning, and car accidents. What are the moose hunting season dates for state hunters (i.e. non-tribal members)? Like deer, the Stammelche Ojibwe hunting season begins the day after Labour Day and lasts until the first Sunday following the first Saturday in January. This fall, that means they will be allowed to start hunting on September 8, 2020 and continue until January 3, 2021. Ojibwe tribes reserved the right to hunt, fish and gather off the reserve when they signed treaties with the United States. These federally recognized contractual rights allow them to hunt on public land in ceded territory in northern Wisconsin, as well as reserve up to 50% of the total harvest for a variety of wildlife, including moose, for Ojibwe tribes. The tribes have been strong supporters of moose reintroduction efforts and have also provided resources. In addition, moose hunting is of great cultural importance to the Ojibwe tribes.
Each spring, MNR opens the application deadline for a unique tag to harvest Wisconsin moose during the fall hunting season. For every $10 application sold, $7 goes to moose management and research in Wisconsin. This funding is used to improve moose habitat, which benefits the elk herd and many other wildlife that the Northwoods inhabit. Funding also supports ongoing moose research and monitoring. Any moose (bull, cow or calf) can be captured on any day of the deer hunting season (archery, muzzle magazine or firearm) in the county or city where the person is hunting. The legal weapons for catching moose coincide with the legal weapons for deer during this particular season, except that moose cannot be caught with a sling or air rifle. The reporting requirements for moose are the same as for deer, but the animal must be declared as a moose. Successful moose hunters should call (804) 367-0044 to set a biological sampling time.
This number is intended ONLY for the collection of collected moose tissue samples. It is illegal to destroy the gender identity of a captured moose until it is reported. Elk may be dismembered to remove from the killing site, but sex and all parts of the carcass (except internal organs) must be present when the moose is reported. What do moose hunters need to have in the field as proof of hunting authorization? No. Crown lands represent approximately 65% of the total moose area of Clam Lake. These include U.S. Forest Service lands in the Chequamegon-Nicolet National Forest, Wisconsin DNR lands, and county forest lands. In addition, there may be areas open to hunting under the Open Forest Law Program or the Forest Crop Law Program. Maps of the Chequamegon-Nicolet National Forest are available from the Forest Service. MNR`s Public Access Land Atlas is a useful tool for finding public lands open to hunting. No. The draw for an elk hunting licence is strictly speaking a random draw and no preference points are awarded.
If a points preference system were used, anyone who did not apply in the first year would have virtually no chance of getting it in the future, given that so few tags were assigned to so many expected candidates. Without preference points, all candidates have the same chances every year. Yes, the mentor must have a valid Wisconsin hunting license, whatever it may be.