Elk to be reintroduced to northeast Minnesota as soon as 2026

While they’ve heard mostly support, the Fond du Lac Band says there’s been some worry about cars hitting the animals and conflict with agriculture.
Published: Jan. 30, 2025 at 6:32 PM CST
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CLOQUET, Minn. (Northern News Now) - The Fond du Lac Band of Lake Superior Chippewa hopes to bring elk back to the Northland, where they were once a key species.

The Fond du Lac Band’s elk biologist Makenzie Henk says they once roamed free in northern Minnesota but disappeared in the late 1800s, largely due to over-harvesting and agricultural land use.

“Many folks here just see the inherent value of elk, just by the fact that they are a native species that was once part of this landscape—that alone makes them important,” Henk said.

The project has been 10 years in the making and is now being supported by the Minnesota DNR.

DNR elk coordinator Kelsie LaSharr said that after the project was first proposed by the Band in 2014, the University of Minnesota partnered with the Band to conduct a feasibility study to survey nearby landowners.

“They found that there is a significant amount of support for this project, and that’s really important because you need the people on the ground where the elk are going to be to support the project,” LaSharr said.

The Band, working with the DNR, plans to move a small number of elk from a herd in northwest Minnesota to the west side of the Fond du Lac Reservation each year until they are self-sustaining.

While they’ve heard mostly support, the Band says there’s been some worry about cars hitting the animals and conflict with agriculture.

Similar projects have been successful in other states, including Wisconsin, where the Clam Lake herd has grown from 25 animals reintroduced in 1995 to over 400 animals.

“This has been shown and proven to be a very effective way of bringing in additional tourism through photography and videography, through hunting opportunities,” LaSharr said.

Elk also hold cultural significance for the Band as a historically important food source.

“They’re a climate-hardy species that will likely adapt well in the era of climate change,” Henk said. “So, they’ll provide food sovereignty into the future.”

The DNR says it will be at least five years until there are hunting opportunities for both tribal and non-tribal members.

Right now, the two groups are collecting public input before developing a management plan.

The first will be an online public meeting on Feb. 10, and more information can be found here.

They hope to have a management plan completed by this fall and will open it up to public comment at that time.

If all goes well, the first group of elk could be introduced as soon as spring 2026.

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