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Elk Hunting in Wisconsin
Wisconsin elk season is one continuous stretch for 2026, Oct 17 to Dec 13, 2026, open to any weapon legal for deer. Elk season rows, bags, equipment rules and mapped land below.
Photo: Wilson Hui (CC BY 2.0)
Two herds are hunted: the Northern Elk Management Zone, formerly the Clam Lake range (units 1-7, approximately 68% public land), and the Central zone, formerly the Black River range (units 8-14, nearly 70% public). Quotas are tiny: 8 bulls, subject to 50% declaration by the Ojibwe tribes (ceded territory) in the north and 6 bull and 6 antlerless in the central zone, with licenses now tied to unit groups. In 2025, 17,737 people applied for the northern hunt and 8,452 for the central one; hunters took 7 elk in the north and 9 in the central zone.
Elk in brief
- Dates and methods: Oct. 17-Dec. 13, 2026; any weapon legal for deer; unit-group licenses.
- Limit: One elk per carcass tag; one license per lifetime; 2026 quotas 8 bulls (Northern, tribal 50% declaration) and 6 bulls + 6 antlerless (Central).
- More: Residents only when 100 or fewer licenses; mandatory elk hunter education; in-person registration.
DNR regulations page, checked October 19, 2026.
GearHeading out for a hunt? Hunting gear checklists by season →
Wisconsin elk season dates, 2026-27
Elk: 1 segment this license year, each day count taking in the first and last day.
| Season | Area | Method | Begins | Ends | Days | Today |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Elk (archery, crossbow and firearm) | Northern and Central Elk Management Zones (unit groups with a 2026 quota) | Any weapon legal for deer (vertical bow, crossbow, muzzleloader, centerfire rifle/handgun) | Oct 17, 2026 | Dec 13, 2026 | 58 |
Notes printed with the elk rows
- New for 2026: one continuous season; licenses are unit-group specific; zone names changed (Clam Lake Elk Range = Northern EMZ, Black River Elk Range = Central EMZ). One elk per carcass tag; one elk license per lifetime.
From the Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources Fall 2026-Spring 2027 regulations and the season dates page, checked October 19, 2026.
Bag and license rules for elk
The limits a warden checks for elk, and the licenses that make them legal.
Elk
One elk per elk carcass tag; antlered = antler 6 in.+; one license per lifetime.
Licenses for elk
| Item | Wisconsin resident | Nonresident |
|---|---|---|
| Elk application (bull or antlerless) | $10.00 | – |
| Elk hunting license | $49.00 | – |
Elk stays a resident hunt until more than 100 licenses are offered, except for Purple Heart and military applicants.
DNR regulations, Go Wild resident list and nonresident list, checked October 19, 2026. Wisconsin hunting license guide.
Wisconsin elk zones and units
Two elk herds, two zones, and licenses tied to unit groups for the first time in 2026.
Northern Elk Management Zone
- A (Unit 1): 1 bull license
- B (Unit 2): CLOSED
- C (Units 3, 4, 5): 1 bull license
- D (Units 6, 7): 2 bull licenses
Central Elk Management Zone
- E (Units 8, 11, 14): 2 bull, 3 antlerless licenses
- F (Unit 10): 2 bull licenses
- G (Units 9, 12, 13): 2 bull, 3 antlerless licenses
Units 1 to 14 hold the herds; Unit 15 is the rest of Wisconsin.
Elk zone counties: Ashland, Bayfield, Clark, Eau Claire, Jackson, Juneau, La Crosse, Monroe, Price, Rusk, Sawyer, Trempealeau, Wood.
DNR elk hunting, Northern zone map, Central zone map, checked October 19, 2026.
DNR elk harvest data
State and tribal harvest from the Clam Lake herd, and the Black River herd since 2024.
| Year | Northern applicants | Northern bull quota | Northern elk taken (state + tribal) |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 17,737 | 8 | 7 (4 + 3) |
| 2024 | 17,761 | 8 | 6 (2 + 4) |
| 2023 | 21,311 | 8 | 8 (4 + 4) |
| 2022 | 25,742 | 8 | 8 (4 + 4) |
| 2021 | 25,215 | 8 | 7 (3 + 4) |
| 2020 | 27,984 | 10 | 5 (5 + 0) |
| 2019 | 23,036 | 10 | 10 (5 + 5) |
| 2018 | 38,494 | 10 | 9 (4 + 5) |
| Year | Central applicants | Bull quota | Bulls | Antlerless quota | Antlerless | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 8,452 | 4 | 3 | 5 | 5 | 9 |
| 2024 | 7,750 | 4 | 4 | 0 | 0 | 4 |
Harvest data: DNR elk hunting, 2025 elk season. Figures as the DNR labels them, checked October 19, 2026.
Wisconsin places for elk
The land records name elk on Chequamegon-Nicolet National Forest.
| Public land | Type | County | Acres |
|---|---|---|---|
| Chequamegon-Nicolet National Forest | National Forest | Ashland, Bayfield, Florence… | 1,526,925 |
Public properties in elk range
Flambeau River State Forest (Northern Zone) · Black River State Forest (Central Zone) · Meadow Valley Wildlife Area (Central Zone) · Fort McCoy (Central Zone) · Necedah National Wildlife Refuge (Central Zone) · Lake of the Pines Conservation Easement (Northern Zone) · Saint Croix National Scenic Riverway (Northern Zone) · Wood County Wildlife Area (Central Zone) · Sandhill Wildlife Area (Central Zone) · Bibon Swamp State Natural Area (Northern Zone) · Kimberly Clark Wildlife Area (Northern Zone) · Chippewa Flowage (Northern Zone) · Dike 17 Wildlife Area (Central Zone) · North Bend Bottoms Wildlife Area (Central Zone) · Buffalo River Fishery Area (Central Zone) · Big Creek Fishery Area (Central Zone) · South Beaver Creek Wildlife Area (Central Zone) · Tuscobia State Trail (Northern Zone) · Silvernail Wildlife Area (Northern Zone) · Halls Creek Fishery Area (Central Zone) · Sand Creek (Central Zone) · Northfield Lakes Fish Rearing Station (Central Zone) · Tank Creek Fishery Area (Central Zone) · La Crosse River Fishery Area (Central Zone) · Jay Creek Pine Forest State Natural Area (Central Zone) · Trump Coulee Fish Rearing Station (Central Zone) · Lake Helane State Natural Area (Northern Zone) · North Branch Trempealeau River Fishery Area (Central Zone) · Morgan Marsh Wildlife Area (Central Zone) · S Branch Trempealeau River Fishery Area (Central Zone) · West Taylor Wildlife Area (Central Zone) · Buffalo River Trail Prairies State Natural Area (Central Zone) · Halfmoon Lake Fishery Area (Central Zone) · Uhrenholdt Memorial Timber Demonstration Forest (Northern Zone) · Bauer-Brockway Barrens State Natural Area (Central Zone) · Smith Pond Fishery Area (Central Zone) · Washington Coulee Fishery Area (Central Zone) · Dead Creek Springs Fishery Area (Northern Zone) · Albion Fish Rearing Station (Central Zone) · Town of Spider Lake State Habitat Area (Northern Zone) · Eighteenmile Creek State Habitat Area (Northern Zone) · Mill Creek Fishery Area (Central Zone) · Clam Lake Fishery Area (Northern Zone)
Highest elk harvest
- Northern zone7 elk, 2025
- Central zone9 elk, 2025
Properties and their game lists from DNR property pages, the DNR managed lands layer and federal managers, retrieved 2026-10-19. Wisconsin public land directory · County guides.
Wisconsin rules for elk: registration, hours, orange
These cards cover what happens before and after the shot for elk.
Report your harvest
Validate tag before field dressing or moving; present elk in person to DNR by 5 p.m. the day after recovery and before leaving the county of harvest or adjoining county; GameReg not available for elk; tissue samples may be collected.
Legal light
Legal hours for elk run from 30 minutes before sunrise to 20 minutes after sunset, from the DNR table for the Northern or Southern Area plus the longitude offset.
Blaze orange and pink
For elk, orange or pink is the law only on firearm deer season days, but on those days it is 50% of the upper outer clothing. The overlap for elk is gun deer (9-day) (Nov 21 to Nov 29), muzzleloader (Nov 30 to Dec 9) and statewide antlerless-only (December 4-day hunt) (Dec 10 to Dec 13).
Feed and bait
Baiting elk is prohibited, as is feeding them.
Sunday hunting
Elk may be hunted on Sundays in Wisconsin.
CWD testing
Baiting and feeding elk prohibited; all harvested elk sampled for CWD.
DHS recommends not eating venison from CWD-affected areas until test results show CWD not detected; cooking does not deactivate prions.
Elk hunter education and license
Elk license, elk carcass tag (paper only), and completion of the Wisconsin Elk Hunter Education Course.
Elk penalties
First offense $1,000-$15,000 and/or 6 months; subsequent up to $20,000 and/or 1 year; 5-year revocation of hunting and trapping approvals; other elk violations forfeiture up to $5,000 (29.971(11g)).
First and last light, elk season
| Date | Day | Northern Area, Zone A | Southern Area, Zone A |
|---|---|---|---|
| Dec 13, 2026 | Elk (archery, crossbow and firearm) closes | 6:53 a.m. to 4:26 p.m. | 6:46 a.m. to 4:34 p.m. |
| Oct 17, 2026 | Elk (archery, crossbow and firearm) opens | 6:39 a.m. to 6:21 p.m. | 6:38 a.m. to 6:24 p.m. |
From the Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources Fall 2026-Spring 2027 regulations: registration, blaze orange, baiting, shooting hours tables, checked October 19, 2026. Shooting hours by county · Wisconsin hunting laws.
Elk weapon rules
From the weapons and methods pages of the regulations, the rows that apply to elk.
| Season | Permitted | Not permitted |
|---|---|---|
| Elk | Any weapon legal for deer: vertical bows, crossbows, muzzleloaders, centerfire handguns and rifles. | Baiting; group hunting (only the licensee may shoot). |
| General (all hunting) | Rifle, shotgun, handgun (18+), muzzleloader, airgun, bow and arrow, crossbow (min. 100 lb draw), falconry. | Fully automatic weapons; shotguns larger than 10 gauge for migratory birds; tracer/incendiary/explosive/poison projectiles; shot larger than T (buckshot allowed for furbearers, F for migratory birds); laser sights (except Class C permit); suppressors without federal license; aircraft/drones; felons may not possess firearms. |
Rules on how elk are taken in Wisconsin
Taking of game
Kill game immediately and count it; no possessing game of another afield unless accompanied; retrieve all game; no gifting afield; proof (registration number, name/address) to possess another's game.
Drones/aircraft
Illegal to hunt with the aid of aircraft including drones (penalty Wis. Stat. 29.971(7)).
Firearm transport
Firearms (except handguns) unloaded inside any vehicle and on moving vehicles; may be loaded on (not inside) a stationary vehicle; crossbows uncocked/unloaded in or on moving vehicles; all firearms/bows/crossbows unloaded in a motorboat with motor running. Shooting from an unhitched wagon allowed.
Wisconsin hunting regulations weapons and methods pages, Wis. Stat. ch. 29 and NR 10, checked October 19, 2026.
Elk: questions from hunters
How do I apply for a Wisconsin elk tag?
Apply in Go Wild March 1-May 31; $10 per application, one bull and one antlerless application allowed. Residents only when 100 or fewer licenses (nonresident Purple Heart and Armed Forces exceptions); unit-group specific from 2026. The drawing is in early June.
Can nonresidents hunt elk in Wisconsin?
Only residents may draw when 100 or fewer licenses are offered, apart from nonresident Purple Heart and Armed Forces exceptions.
Which elk unit groups are open in 2026?
Northern: A (Unit 1) 1 bull license; B (Unit 2) closed; C (Units 3, 4, 5) 1 bull license; D (Units 6, 7) 2 bull licenses. Central: E (Units 8, 11, 14) 2 bull, 3 antlerless licenses; F (Unit 10) 2 bull licenses; G (Units 9, 12, 13) 2 bull, 3 antlerless licenses.
Do I need blaze orange to hunt elk?
Elk hunters wear blaze orange or pink only while a statewide firearm deer season is open: gun deer (9-day) Nov 21 to Nov 29; muzzleloader Nov 30 to Dec 9; statewide antlerless-only (december 4-day hunt) Dec 10 to Dec 13.
Is the take of elk capped in Wisconsin?
One elk per elk carcass tag; antlered = antler 6 in.+; one license per lifetime.
Which dates are set for elk this license year?
Elk run elk (archery, crossbow and firearm) Oct 17 to Dec 13, 2026 (Northern and Central Elk Management Zones (unit groups with a 2026 quota)).
Which public properties in Wisconsin list elk?
Start with Chequamegon-Nicolet National Forest, the biggest of 1.
What must I buy before going after elk in Wisconsin?
The elk list, resident: Elk application (bull or antlerless) ($10.00); Elk hunting license ($49.00).
When must elk hunters wear blaze orange?
For elk, orange or pink is the law only on firearm deer season days, but on those days it is 50% of the upper outer clothing. The overlap for elk is gun deer (9-day) (Nov 21 to Nov 29), muzzleloader (Nov 30 to Dec 9) and statewide antlerless-only (December 4-day hunt) (Dec 10 to Dec 13).
When does legal shooting time start and end for elk?
Legal hours for elk run from 30 minutes before sunrise to 20 minutes after sunset, from the DNR table for the Northern or Southern Area plus the longitude offset.
How do I report elk in Wisconsin?
Validate tag before field dressing or moving; present elk in person to DNR by 5 p.m. the day after recovery and before leaving the county of harvest or adjoining county; GameReg not available for elk; tissue samples may be collected.
Are bait sites allowed for elk?
Baiting elk is prohibited, as is feeding them.
What may a elk hunter carry afield?
Elk: Any weapon legal for deer: vertical bows, crossbows, muzzleloaders, centerfire handguns and rifles.
Does the elk season run on Sundays in Wisconsin?
Elk may be hunted on Sundays in Wisconsin.
Elk checklist
For elk on public ground, read the property page as well as the statewide rules.
Other photos on this page: Susan Young (Public Domain Mark 1.0); Shenandoah National Park (Public Domain Mark 1.0); Rick Obst (CC BY 2.0); Alabama Extension (CC0 1.0).