Bull or cow? Wisconsin elk hunters may get choice when applying for a tag

Madison — The Wisconsin Natural Resources Board (NRB) approved a statement of scope for an emergency rule as well as a permanent rule to allow the Department of Natural Resources (DNR) to receive applications for antlered and antlerless elk harvest tags.

Currently, hunters may only apply for a generic elk harvest permit. This change would allow hunters to apply for a cow tag or bull tag.

At the January NRB meeting, Scott Karel, DNR wildlife regulations policy specialist, clarified for the board that for the 2025 season, the DNR issued antlerless elk tags for the first time for the central elk herd in Jackson County.

“For those being drawn for the central herd, our staff called them and asked if they wanted an antlerless or antlered permit,” Karel said.

To use less staff time, the DNR would like to allow hunters to indicate their preference when applying for a tag now that some cow tags may be issued each year.

Karel said it is important to realize that state statutes prohibit applicants from being issued more than one elk license in their lifetime. A cow tag would represent that once-in-a-lifetime tag issuance to hunters selecting such a tag.

The drawing for 2026 will take place in June, so the DNR asked for an emergency rule that could be developed and brought back to the NRB for approval in April in time to have applications out for the June drawing this year.

Karel said that with the new rule the DNR can issue antlerless permits for specific elk sub-units where there have been ag damage complaints.

“We want people to tell us what they are interested in and treat this as a separate opportunity,” Karel said.

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Assuming there is a quota allowed, hunters could have two separate applications.

Karel indicated that last year one hunter who was drawn when only an antlerless permit was available turned down the cow tag and decided to wait, hoping to be drawn for a bull permit another year.

Exact arrangements had not been worked out as of press time, but theoretically a hunter could apply for a permit for the North Zone and for the South Zone. On each they would indicate if they desired a bull or cow tag, if a quota on antlerless elk is allowed in either or both zones.

If successful for a bull permit, the DNR would probably then eliminate the application for the cow permit, since a hunter can only receive one harvest permit in his/her lifetime.

Members of the public will be able to comment at the April board meeting. There will be public hearings prior to the permanent rule going into effect.

Melissa Smith, executive director of the Great Lakes Wildlife Alliance, told the board the emergency rule was suspicious to her and she questioned the rush to bypass normal public participation opportunities.

She thought that some hunters may not entirely understand the consequences of accepting a cow tag, and miss their lifetime opportunity to harvest a bull elk. She said the change is being rushed through, pushed by agricultural interests.

The 2025 season was the state’s eighth elk season since elk were reintroduced into the state in 1995, with 25 animals released that year in the Clam Lake area in Ashland County. A total of 13 hunters were drawn from a pool of more than 26,000 applicants for the 2025 season.

There were 17,737 applicants for the Clam Lake herd up north, and 8,452 applications for the herd around the Black River Falls area in Jackson County.

Thirteen state-licensed hunters participated in the hunt, and seven bulls and five antlerless elk were harvested.