BASS Report

Second Michigan Elk Hunt Huge Success; 88% of Hunters Score Kills

MDNR Report

During this hunt period, 131 state hunters harvested elk (46 bulls, 72 cows and 13 calves), and one Pure Michigan Hunt winner harvested a bull.

While the early elk season is designed to target elk outside of their traditional range, the late elk season is used to manage overall elk numbers, including those in the core elk management area. In total, hunters in hunt periods 1 and 2 harvested 214 elk, and all three Pure Michigan Hunt winners harvested bulls.

The weather during the nine-day December season was nearly ideal for hunters afield. The temperatures were consistently below freezing with multiple fresh, light snowfalls. The snow cover remained throughout the entire hunt, providing excellent tracking conditions.

Recalling his hunt, successful elk hunter Brent Tackett said, “This was truly the experience of a lifetime, plus, I was blessed that I shot my elk successfully."

Tackett noted about the accompanying photo of him with his , "You will see the woods in back of the picture, that is the type of woods I shot through, over 120-yards up on a hill where the elk was momentarily standing. I really didn't know Michigan had so many steep hills and that I would have to track elk over hundreds of them."

"The prize was getting my elk in a successful hunt, it was an amazing experience that I will remember for the rest of my life,” Tackett added.