Each year, the Minnesota DNR completes an elk aerial survey in northwest Minnesota (Kittson, Marshall, Roseau and Beltrami counties) to determine a minimum count and help guide harvest quotas for the current population limits for each of the three distinct herds: Grygla, Kittson and Caribou-Vita. Aerial surveys can also help us monitor long-term trends and document changes in spatial distribution and sex ratios.
The DNR staff completed the aerial surveys from Jan. 27 to Feb. 2 when sufficient snow and weather conditions allowed managers to effectively locate and count the animals.
The 2026 aerial results are:
- Kittson-Central – 48 elk counted
- Caribou-Vita –313 elk counted (all elk were observed in Manitoba, CA)
- Grygla – 41 elk counted
The full survey report from 2026 and reports from previous years are available on the DNR website.
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