The application period for the 2024 elk hunt is now open through May 31, Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources announced.

New this year, the Black River Elk Range will be open to hunting for the first time since elk were reintroduced to the state.

Once widespread, elk were eliminated from Wisconsin in the 1880s because of unregulated hunting and habitat loss. Reintroduction efforts began in 1995 by releasing 25 elk into the Clam Lake Elk Range, and a second herd was established in the Black River Elk Range in 2015.

The state elk population is projected to reach more than 500 animals after this year’s calving season, 180 of which belong to the Black River Herd. Because of this new opportunity, applicants are required to select between the Black River Elk Range or Clam Lake Elk Range when applying.

Wisconsin residents can purchase an elk license application online through the Go Wild license portal or in person at a license sales agent. The application fee is $10 and is limited to one per person.

The DNR recommends all applicants check and update their contact information to ensure contact with successful applicants.

For each application fee, $7 applies directly to elk management, monitoring and research. These funds are also used to enhance elk habitat, which benefits elk and other wildlife.

If selected in the drawing, an elk hunting license costs $49. Winners will be notified by early June.

Wisconsin residents can only draw an elk tag once in their lifetime. Before obtaining an elk hunting license, all winners must participate in a Wisconsin elk hunter education course. The class covers Wisconsin elk history, hunting regulations, biology, behavior and scouting/hunting techniques.

This year’s elk quotas for the Black River and Clam Lake Elk ranges will be presented to the Wisconsin Natural Resources Board as an informational item later this spring.

For more about the elk hunt, visit the DNR Elk Hunting webpage.

Read last week’s column:Share insight on 2024 deer season and more in the latest Manitowoc outdoors report

Maribel club to hold Big Game Extravaganza

Maribel Sportsman’s Club is holding its Big Game Extravaganza April 27.

People can take in racks and skulls at 7 a.m. and the doors will be open 8 a.m. to 4 p.m.

There is no charge for admission or to display trophies, but there is a small fee to have your trophy professionally scored. Official scorers will be on hand from the Wisconsin Buck and Bear Club to do the scoring.

Every person who takes in a rack or skull for display will get a ticket for one chance to win a rifle for each display they take in. Guns will be raffled off throughout the day. Food and refreshments will be served.

Take your friends for a day of fun while viewing some of the finest trophies around. Any North American big-game trophy can be taken in for display.

Maribel Sportsman’s Club is next to Interstate 43, exit 164, State 147, Maribel.

Lakeshore Ducks Unlimited banquet set for May 16

Lakeshore Ducks Unlimited will be holding its banquet May 16 at City Limits.

Tickets and sponsorships can be purchased online at https://ducksunlimited.myeventscenter.com/event/Lakeshore-Manitowoc-Ducks-Unlimited-Banquet-80835 or by calling Stephine at 920-652-8957 or Dan at 920-684-6791.

Here are the rates:

• A single ticket is $55 and includes meal, membership and a chance at a door prize.
• A special couple’s ticket is $100 and includes two banquet admissions and two memberships.
• Special eight-person table seating is $385.
• Special eight-person table seating with a gun is $835 and includes eight members, eight dinners and a table-only gun raffle.
• Special sponsor and guest is $275 and includes a ticket for the sponsor and a guest. For every seven sponsors, Ducks Unlimited will give away a sponsor prize.
• Special sponsorship and table of eight is $635 and reserves a table and a Ducks Unlimited sponsorship.
• Special sponsorship and table of eight with a gun is $1,050 and includes banquet seating for eight, sponsor print and sponsor raffle, and a table-only gun raffle.
• Greenwing Youth Membership is $35, which is a special discounted ticket for all members ages 17 and younger.
• Duck Bucks are $100 and get $140 in duck bucks.

Don’t forget: County Deer Advisory Council meeting is April 25

Don’t forget the County Deer Advisory Council in-person meeting is April 25 at Woodland Dunes Nature Center, 3000 Hawthorne Ave., Two Rivers, starting at 6 p.m.

The public input helps provide feedback for your County Deer Advisory Council. County Deer Advisory Council recommendations are based on deer metrics, county deer population objectives and public feedback.

Information about each county’s harvest and population metrics can be found on the Wisconsin Deer Metrics System database.

Packerland Chapter of Delta Waterfowl banquet is May 15

Packerland Chapter of Delta Waterfowl will hold its annual banquet May 15 at The Marq Supper Club, 3177 French Road, De Pere.

Doors will open at 5 p.m. and dinner will be served at 7 p.m.

Contact Phil LaBlanc with questions or for tickets at 920-822-1269 or duckhunt61@netnet.net.

The Packerland Chapter of Delta Waterfowl also recently presented a check for $500 for the youth trap program at Maribel Sportsman’s Club to help the youngsters with expenses.

Click here for more Bob Schuh:Read more ‘Scoping the Great Outdoors’ columns

Glacial Lakes Conservancy plans land volunteer days

Glacial Lakes Conservancy has announced upcoming land volunteer days.

A few are pull-a-thons and a few are cleanups; a couple are in honor of Earth Day and some have invasive removal and planting. Important water monitoring volunteer dates are ready for sign-up, too.

Get ready to step outside and help GLC record critical data for the safety of our waterways. Registration for the opportunities can be found at https://www.glaciallakes.org/volunteer-opportunities.html.

That’s it for this week, so have fun in the great outdoors.