Application period for 2019 Wisconsin elk hunt opens May 1

Contact(s): Bob Nack, Big Game Section Chief, 608-264-6137

MADISON – Following the state’s first elk hunting season in history, the Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources announced preparations for another hunt this fall. For a chance to participate, interested hunters are encouraged to submit their elk hunting application starting May 1.

“The chance to pursue yet another great big game animal in Wisconsin is very appealing for a lot of hunters, as was clear with almost 38,500 applicants last year,” said Kevin Wallenfang, DNR deer and elk ecologist. “It may seem like steep odds to draw a tag, but your chances are just as good as the next person. I encourage everyone to throw their hat in the ring to be one of the lucky people with an opportunity to hunt Wisconsin elk in October.”

Hunters will again have an opportunity to apply for elk hunting permits for this fall. Four of those will be awarded through the state application and drawing, and the fifth will be awarded through a Rocky Mountain Elk Foundation rafflePhoto credit: DNR

Last year marked Wisconsin’s first managed elk hunt in state history when the DNR set a harvest quota of 10 bulls in the original Clam Lake elk range. Five once-in-a-lifetime elk tags were issued to state hunters resulting in four bulls being harvested in October and November. By treaty, half of the quota is allocated to the Ojibwa tribes who harvested the remaining five bulls.

For this fall, a quota of 10 bull elk was set. For the 2019 hunt, five bull tags are again available to state hunters through the DNR. Four of those will be awarded through the state application and drawing, and the fifth will be awarded through a Rocky Mountain Elk Foundation raffle. Hunters may enter both but can only win once. Those interested in entering the RMEF raffle should look for more information on the organization’s website. The Ojibwa tribes will again receive an allocation of the remaining five elk.

Elk license applications can be purchased in the DNR Go Wild license system from May 1-31, and only Wisconsin residents may apply. Each potential hunter may apply once online at gowild.wi.gov or by visiting a license agent. The application fee is $10. RMEF raffle tickets are also $10 each, and there is no limit on the number of raffle tickets each individual may purchase. The cost of an elk hunting license for the winners of the license drawing is $49. Seven dollars from each application are earmarked for elk management and research in Wisconsin.

All five state hunters will be notified in early June. Prior to obtaining an elk hunting license, all winners are required to participate in a Wisconsin elk hunter education program offered in early September. The class will cover regulations, hunting techniques and more.

The 2019 hunting season will occur only in the Clam Lake elk range in parts of Sawyer, Bayfield, Ashland, and Price counties in far north-central Wisconsin, where the original restoration effort was initiated with 25 elk from Michigan in 1995.

“A number of potential elk hunters ask if they will be able to find a place to hunt if they draw a tag,” Wallenfang said. “With approximately 70 percent of the elk range under public ownership and open to hunting, finding a place to hunt should not be a concern. Despite the somewhat remoteness of the area, there are campgrounds, hotels and restaurants, so everything you need is within easy reach.”

Wisconsin’s elk hunting season will adhere to the following guidelines:

Season will be open from October 12 to November 10, 2019 and December 12-20, 2019;
Only bull elk may be harvested;
Areas where Kentucky elk were released between 2015-2019 will be off-limits to hunting;
Only Wisconsin residents are eligible to receive an elk license; and
An elk license may be transferred to a Wisconsin resident youth hunter 17 years old or younger or to an eligible Wisconsin resident disabled hunter.

For more information regarding elk in Wisconsin, search the DNR website, dnr.wi.gov, for keyword “elk.” To receive email updates regarding current translocation efforts, visit dnr.wi.gov and click on the email icon near the bottom of the page titled “subscribe for updates for DNR topics.” Then follow the prompts and select the “elk in Wisconsin” and “wildlife projects” distribution lists.

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Call goes out to report bat roosts housing survivors of white-nose syndrome

Contact(s): J. Paul White, DNR bat team lead, 608-267-0813

Surveys show bat populations down 72 to 97% from past average counts

MADISON – With 2019 winter surveys showing that the bat disease white-nose syndrome has reduced bat populations to zero at some hibernation sites and decreased others by 72 to 97%, state bat biologists are calling on the public to report the barns, buildings, bat houses and other roosts where surviving bats are showing up.

White-nose syndrome, WNS for short, does not affect people nor other animal species but causes hibernating bats to frequently wake, depleting their energy and causing them to die from starvation, dehydration or exposure to the elements. Since the discovery of white-nose syndrome in 2006 in New York, millions of bats have died and the disease has spread to 33 states and seven Canadian provinces.

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2019 bat survey results and a call to report roosts

“Surviving bats are starting to emerge from their winter hibernation sites and in order to protect these remaining bats, we need people to let us know the location of bat roosts,” says J. Paul White, who leads the Department of Natural Resources bat team.

Bats at roost sites could be survivors of white-nose syndrome or young born this year that have not yet been exposed to the fungus causing the disease. Knowing these locations will allow bats to be vaccinated if current experimental trials underway in Wisconsin prove effective.

“If we find something that will help bats persist in light of WNS, like a vaccine, we can give it to bats at known roosts in coming years and help keep surviving bats and young bats from succumbing to white-nose syndrome,” White says.

Such citizen reports also will supplement bat biologists’ efforts this summer to locate bridge abutments where bats are roosting. Such information can help transportation officials plan bridge repairs to avoid when bats are having their young and nursing them, helping protect Wisconsin’s remaining cave bats.

Roosts can be reported to [email protected].

2019 winter surveys show continued slide in bat populations; impacts to ecosystems, economy unknown

DNR bat biologists and partners have conducted winter surveys for Wisconsin’s four species of hibernating bats for the past decade, banded some to track their movements and fates in future years, and collaborated on research at survey sites into vaccines and treatments. The surveys have enabled DNR to estimate bat populations at different sites before white-nose syndrome arrived, to track the arrival and spread of the disease, and now, to find survivors and better understand those conditions that allow for higher survival rates and can inform future recovery efforts.

Get Wisconsin news and research in Echolocator, DNR’s bat newsletter.

At the Grant County mine where the disease was first detected six years ago, biologists found eight individual bats of two species left from a population that, at its highest count was over 1,200 individuals of four bat species.

At sites in their fifth year of infection, bat populations are down 97 percent across the board, White says.

“As with the eastern states, who have been dealing with the disease for over 10 years now, there are major declines in the early years of infection and then the sites either drop to zero or have low-lying populations,” he says.

Relatively good news is that bat populations at Wisconsin’s two largest hibernation sites were down significantly but that large numbers of bats were persisting, White says.

The prospects for recovery at those and other sites, and the impacts on Wisconsin’s ecosystems and economy, are unknown at this time, he says.

Bats can eat up to 1,000 insects an hour and a recent national study put bats’ value to Wisconsin’s agricultural industry between $658 million and $1.5 billion a year. As well, recent University of Wisconsin-Madison research found that Wisconsin bats ate nine of the mosquito species known to carry West Nile Virus.

For more information on Wisconsin bats, search the DNR website, dnr.wi.gov, for keyword “bats.”

Volunteer opportunities to help bats

White is also putting out a call for more volunteers to help DNR with “acoustic” surveys and for the Great Wisconsin Bat Count, held twice each summer.

Acoustic survey volunteers receive training and equipment to help them detect bat calls while the volunteers walk, drive, paddle or bike along set routes.

Other volunteers are needed for the Great Wisconsin Bat Count, which this year will be held May 31-June 2 and July 19-21. The first statewide count is conducted before young bats, called “pups,” are able to fly and the second count occurs after pups are flying on their own. Volunteers identify bat roosts and sit outside the roost entrance in the evening to count the bats as they emerge just after sunset and report those results to DNR.

Knowing where larger concentrations of bats are surviving, which species they are and the characteristics of their habitat, are all important to understanding bats and helping their populations recover, he says.

To learn more about these volunteering opportunities, visit DNR’s Wisconsin Bat Program web site and use the “volunteer” drop down menu.

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OutWiGo Girls, Mother’s Day Weekend Event

Contact(s): Jane Simkins, OutWiGo coordinator, 608-206-5945 or [email protected] or Paul Holtan, DNR Office of Communications, 608-267-7517 or [email protected]

MADISON – Mothers and daughters looking for a fun and healthy way to share time on Mother’s Day weekend can participate in a variety of outdoor activities at an “OutWiGo Girls” event on Saturday, May 11 at the Scuppernong Trail System.

OutWiGo is a Wisconsin State Park System health and wellness initiative focused on promoting the mind, body, and community benefits of outdoor recreation.

Tips for hiking, camping and enjoying other outdoor activities with kids will be among the topics available at OutWiGo Girls.Photo credit: DNR

OutWiGo Girls will offer activities including group hikes, paddling, fishing, scavenger hunts and more. Outdoor demos will be happening throughout the day with focuses on campfire cooking, backpacking, mountain biking skills and a variety of other topics. All activities are free of cost, with the exceptions of horseback rides ($10 for 30-minute intro and ride, riders must be over the age of 7, with limited pony rides available for riders under the age of 7) and paddling rentals ($10 for one hour). Fishing poles and tackle will be provided free of charge.

Most activities will be held at the Scuppernong Trail Head, located in the Kettle Moraine State Forest – Southern Unit in Dousman. The fishing clinic and paddling activity will be held at the boat launch at Ottawa Lake Campground Visitor Center in Dousman, from 10 a.m. t0 4 p.m. A dog trialing demo led by the Wisconsin Amateur Field Trial Club will be held at Ottawa Trial Field Grounds from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m.

Attendees are also invited to attend inspiring and educational talks led by DNR staff, partners and outdoor enthusiasts, including Chelsey Lewis, Travel and Outdoors Reporter for the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, Ruth Oppedahl, Executive Director of the Natural Resources Foundation, David Spiegelberg, Southeast Regional Tourism Specialist for the Wisconsin Department of Tourism and others. Talks will cover a variety of topics from accessible recreation to tips for trip planning and will take place every hour, on the hour from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m.

While most activities will be geared toward women, this event is open to OutWiGo Girls of all ages and their families. Snacks will be provided, and picnic tables will be available for those who would like to bring their lunch to the event. Public restrooms are available at the Scuppernong Trail Area Parking Lot.

This event is free however, a Wisconsin State Park System vehicle admission sticker is required for entry, and horseback riding and paddling will be at an additional cost. While attendees may purchase their admission stickers at the parking lot entrance, purchasing them in advance will make the admission and parking process more efficient for themselves and others. Attendees are invited to attend the event anytime between 10 a.m. to 4 p.m., as activities and talks will run every hour and trails will be open all day. A complete schedule of activities is available at dnr.wi.gov, keyword: OutWiGo. The rain date for this event will be Sunday, May 12.

Address for the Scuppernong Trail Head Parking Lot:

S58 W35820 County Road ZZ, Dousman, WI 53118 or search “Scuppernong Trail Head.”

Address for the Ottawa Lake Campground Visitor Center:

Off County Road ZZ in Dousman, WI 53118 or search “Ottawa Lake Campground.”

A sign will point towards the boat launch from the visitor center entrance.

Address for the Ottawa Field Trial Grounds:

Off Highway 67, North of Ottawa Lake Recreation Area in Dousman or search
“Ottawa Field Trial Grounds.”

Application period for 2019 Wisconsin elk hunt opens May 1