DNR completes annual aerial elk population survey

The Minnesota DNR completed its annual aerial elk population survey over the winter in northwest Minnesota, in Kittson, Marshall, Roseau and Beltrami counties where elk are found in three distinct herds, or groups.

The DNR conducted the survey Jan. 5-7 when weather and snow conditions allowed managers the best opportunity to effectively see and count individuals and groups of elk. A total of 233 elk were counted in the Grygla, Kittson Central and Caribou-Vita herds in the 2025 elk survey.

Since the mid-1990s, DNR staff has conducted aerial surveys to estimate elk abundance within each herd. Surveys are conducted in blocks that encompass the winter range of each herd, about 500 square miles, using two fixed-wing aircraft with two observers and a pilot in each plane. The pilot aims to maintain a flight altitude of 350 feet and speed of 85 mph. The crew searches for elk along parallel, east-west transects spaced at 0.2-mile intervals. When an elk is sighted, the plane circles the observed animal or animals to determine group size and classify antlerless (cow, calf) and antlered animals. GIS and mapping software is used guide transect navigation and record survey data.

Aerial surveys are vital to elk management in Minnesota. Survey data are used to monitor long-term trends, document changes in elk spatial distribution and sex ratios and help set harvest quotas for potential hunting seasons.

DNR postpones elk research project in northwest Minnesota

The Minnesota DNR postponed the elk research project in northwest Minnesota due to scheduling delays and unfavorable conditions to safely and successfully capture and collar elk.

Capture efforts were planned for January 2025, when temperature and snow conditions are typically optimal for spotting and capturing elk. Scheduling delays by the contracted helicopter capture company pushed captures to mid-March, when the project area had no or minimal snowpack.

The DNR made the decision to postpone the project out of an abundance of caution for the health and well-being of the elk. In addition to higher temperatures and lack of snow cover, the delays had pushed the capture window into the late-term pregnancy period for cow elk, where capture and handling present the greatest risk to both cows and calves.

The project is rescheduled for the winters of 2025-2026 and 2026-2027. Researchers plan to capture 25 adult cows and up to 15 adult bulls each of these two winter seasons and fit the animals with GPS collars that will collect their locations every three hours and alert researchers of potential mortality events. Biological samples will also be collected to assess herd health and genetic diversity.

Funding for the elk research project comes from the Minnesota Environment and Natural Resources Trust Fund as recommended by the Legislative-Citizen Commission on Minnesota Resources and approved by the Minnesota Legislature. The DNR is also providing in-kind support.

Photo courtesy of Ryan Moehring, USFWS

Health testing required for harvested elk

Did you know that the Minnesota DNR requires health testing for all hunter harvested elk?

Disease testing is an important way for the DNR to monitor the health of the state’s wild elk population, especially since elk occasionally interact with domestic animals like cattle and horses. Since 2004, the DNR has required hunters to bring their harvested elk into a DNR office where DNR staff collect biological samples that are used to screen for a variety of diseases and parasites to assess the health of the animals. Staff collect hair, muscle, cranial lymph nodes, brain stem, and an incisor tooth used to age the elk. The DNR uses these samples to test for important infectious diseases like bovine tuberculosis and chronic wasting disease. To date, neither disease has been found in wild elk in Minnesota.

The DNR also investigates reports of sick or dead elk. In 2023, a bull elk was reported dead on private property near Warroad, MN. Residents have reported that this bull had been living in the area for many years. To determine cause of death, the DNR ordered a necropsy that determined this bull was 20 years old — a remarkable age for a male elk! It is suspected that this bull elk likely died of old age.

Since 2002, the DNR has conducted health testing on more than 380 elk, leading to a high confidence that the herds in the northwest Minnesota are quite healthy.

A different coat for a different season

Like many other animals, an elk’s coat color and thickness change between summer and winter to adapt to seasonal temperature changes. The color change helps elk blend into their surroundings, protecting them from predators. The coat thickness helps them stay warm in the winter and cool in the summer.

Day length is the primary cue for an elk to change coats. As days get longer in March, elk begin to shed their winter coat and grow a summer coat. As days get shorter in September, elk begin to grow their winter coat.

In winter, elk will have a light tan body and a thick, dark mane that hangs from neck to chest. Their coat will consist of thick, wooly under hairs covered by longer guard hairs with a honeycomb configuration on the inside that traps air to provide insulation. It can keep them warm in temperatures as low as 40 degrees below zero.

In spring, elk will completely molt their winter coat while a short, copper-colored summer coat begins to grow underneath. The hair of the summer coat is all the same length and more uniform in color than the winter coat and helps them stay cooler during hot weather. Elk can look a bit “shabby” while they lose their thick winter coat. Shedding the thick mat of hair can also be quite bothersome to the elk, which are commonly seen scratching themselves with their hind feet or licking patches of old hair to remove them.