In the quiet of the rolling hills and hardwoods of the northeastern Lower Peninsula you may hear a loud, high-pitched screech in the early morning hours. Don\u2019t be alarmed. It\u2019s Michigan\u2019s wild elk looking for a mate.<\/p>\n
During the fall breeding season, elk are more active while competing for mates. That\u2019s when you hear those distinct bulges from males, according to the Michigan Department of Natural Resources.<\/p>\n
Every other year the DNR flies over the Lower Peninsula\u2019s elk country for eight days to count the herds. The last aerial survey, in 2024, estimated the elk population at 1,146.<\/p>\n
As these elk bulls search for mates, here\u2019s three tips to see these massive animals in the wild.<\/p>\n
Where to look<\/p>\n
Elk congregate in open fields throughout Otsego, Montmorency, Presque Isle and Cheboygan counties. <\/p>\n
Michigan\u2019s Pigeon River Country State Forest in Otsego County is home to one of the largest free-roaming elk herds east of the Mississippi, according to the DNR.<\/p>\n
Bring your binoculars to these 13 designated viewing areas mapped on the DNR website, here.<\/a> <\/p>\n Keep in mind road conditions are variable depending on the weather. This area was also hit hard by the spring ice storm<\/a> so expect more forest clearings.<\/p>\n When to go<\/p>\n Elk are most active from September to mid-October. Elk can be elusive but they tend to gather in forest openings at dawn and dusk to feed and socialize. <\/p>\n The DNR recommends its best to arrive just before sunrise or sunset and make sure to listen carefully for males\u2019 bugling. <\/p>\n Tracking Michigan\u2019s elk population: 200 cameras set up to monitor Michigan\u2019s elusive elk population<\/a><\/p>\n How to view the herd responsibly<\/p>\n First, remember to drive safely at dawn and dusk, when elk (and deer) are active and distracted during the breeding season.<\/p>\n Keep a safe distance. These animals weigh between 400 and 900 pounds and stand 5 feet tall at the shoulder \u2212 they\u2019re nothing to mess with. <\/p>\n Elk have been described as “walking stomachs<\/a>” for their insatiable appetites but that\u2019s not an invitation to feed wild elk.<\/p>\n The DNR euthanized an elk<\/a> in Presque Isle County after it became accustom to human food and then demonstrated \u201caggressive behavior\u201d including three reports of the elk charging at people.<\/p>\n The DNR suggests you bring your binoculars, spotting scope or camera for close-up viewing while remaining a safe distance away. <\/p>\n Michigan\u2019s current elk hunting periods<\/a> are late August through September and then a second period in December. License are limited and only available through a lottery.<\/p>\n If you purchase a product or register for an account through a link on our site, we may receive compensation. By using this site, you consent to our User Agreement<\/a> and agree that your clicks, interactions, and personal information may be collected, recorded, and\/or stored by us and social media and other third-party partners in accordance with our Privacy Policy.<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"In the quiet of the rolling hills and hardwoods of the northeastern Lower Peninsula you may hear a…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":171459,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[51],"tags":[14144,63580,40576,102679,13169,19490,63584,102680,32681,63587,79,23636,28745,201],"class_list":["post-171458","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","category-wildlife","tag-animal","tag-autumn","tag-brush","tag-cervus-canadensis","tag-elk","tag-fall","tag-fall-color","tag-foliage","tag-forest","tag-mammal","tag-science","tag-trees","tag-understory","tag-wildlife"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/171458","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=171458"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/171458\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/171459"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=171458"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=171458"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=171458"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}