Elk hunting returns to Minnesota’s northwestern most corner (October 7, 2008)
For the first time in more than 100 years, elk were legally hunted in Kittson County in mid-September. The hunt opened the first of three nine-day elk seasons, according to the Minnesota Department of Natural Resources (DNR).
Three lucky winners of the once-in-a-lifetime Minnesota elk hunting permits filled their tags in three days of the first elk season. The holder of the single either-sex tag harvested an impressive 5×5 bull within minutes of the season opening.
“The hunters really enjoyed the unique opportunity to hunt elk in Minnesota,” said Donovan Pietruszewski, DNR area wildlife supervisor.
According to Pietruszewski, all three hunters were very happy with their experiences and results. Each commented on the great cooperation they received from private landowners.
“Cooperation is pivotal to a hunt like this,” Pietruszewski said, “because most animals are dispersed on private land at this time of year.”
HISTORY OF ELK IN KITTSON COUNTY
Prior to European settlement, elk were found throughout most of Minnesota (including Kittson County), except for the arrowhead region. In fact Charles Hallock built a large hotel in 1880 to encourage tourist sportsmen to take advantage of the elk, moose and deer hunting opportunities in Kittson County. However, by the early 1900s, settlement, conversion of habitat to agriculture, and market hunting led to the extirpation (or local extinction) of elk in the state.
Despite being protected from hunting in 1893, the last documented sighting of native Minnesota elk occurred in 1932 in Lake of the Woods County. They most likely disappeared from Kittson County a few decades earlier, in the late 1890s.
Several attempts were made to reintroduce elk to their native territory, and as a result, elk exist today in the Grygla area, in portions of Marshall and Beltrami counties. However, no elk were released in Kittson County and it wasn’t until the early 1980s that elk were once again seen in the far northwestern Minnesota county.
No one knows for sure from where they migrated. They may have wandered over from the inter-lake region of Manitoba, north of Winnipeg, or from the Pembina Hills of North Dakota. Some may have come from the herd of elk near Grygla, which are descendents of a 1935 elk reintroduction in northern Beltrami County. Whatever the case, elk found their way back to Kittson County and now, once again, call it home.
INTERNATIONAL ELK HERD
Today, there are approximately 145 elk in northeastern Kittson County and southeastern Manitoba. The elk here frequent both countries at different times of the year, no passport required.
Three somewhat distinct herds of elk are recognized in this border area. One can usually be found roaming the area from the Caribou State Wildlife Management Area, 10-15 miles northeast of Lancaster, Minn., to Vita, Manitoba. Another herd is usually located about six miles north of Lancaster. The third group, which consists of about 30 animals, frequents an area about four miles east of Lancaster.
Even though all three groups are in relatively close proximity to each other, each has established a distinct area that serves as its primarily range.
ELK MANAGEMENT
The DNR Wildlife section is responsible for managing Minnesota’s elk population, which have grown significantly in recent years. During the winter and spring of 2008 (and prompted by increasing elk numbers and concern from landowners and farmers), DNR wildlife managers discussed the possibility of providing limited elk hunting seasons in Kittson County. The result is three separate nine-day seasons within the “new” Kittson County elk zone. The seasons have a total of 11 permits: Sept. 13 - 21 with one either-sex and two antlerless licenses; Nov. 22 - 30 with four antlerless licenses; and Dec. 6 - 14 with another four antlerless licenses.
“The early hunt was timed to coincide with the elk rut, so hunters should have had a good chance at catching a bull,” said Lou Cornicelli, DNR Big Game Program coordinator. “During the later seasons, elk should be congregated in larger groups with snow on the ground, making tracking and trailing easier.”
Besides the Kittson County hunt, similar seasons were also authorized for the Grygla area, where elk have been hunted off and on since 1987. Grygla hunters shared in the bugling season success, filling each of the two available either-sex tags with nice bulls.
WORTHY OF THE BUCKET LIST
In Kittson County, it has taken more than 110 years for elk to return and grow in numbers substantial enough to be legally hunted once again. For some area residents, this is a monumental milestone in Kittson County history - one many didn’t expect in their lifetime.
According to one local resident, “I have now experienced one true miracle in my life, and that’s elk returning to call Kittson County home again.”
Those fortunate enough to experience the thrill of hearing elk bugling in the wild, or watch rutting behavior of the magnificent bulls, say it’s something worthy of one’s “bucket list” (the list of things to do or experience before one “kicks the bucket”)! They say it is something everyone should experience, something that will never be forgotten, and something definitely worth doing again.
For more information on Minnesota’s elk and elk hunting, visit the DNR Web site at
http://mndnr.gov/hunting/elk.
