MADISON, Wis. (AP) — Wisconsin wildlife officials estimate the number of elk in the state will grow to about 500 animals by July. The Department of Natural Resources began reintroducing elk to the state in 1995 by importing 25 animals to the Clam Lake region. The agency began another reintroduction effort in 2014 that called for importing up to 150 elk form Kentucky to bolster the Clam Lake herd and start a second herd in Jackson County. According to a presentation DNR biologists have prepared for the agency’s board, the Jackson County herd will stand at between 155 to 160 elk by July. The Clam Lake herd should stand at around 355 animals.
