Overview
- The draft plan would shift Hunt Period 1 to a continuous 30-day window from the second Saturday in September through the second Sunday in October.
- Hunt Period 2 would expand to Dec. 1–15, moving earlier in the month to avoid overlapping major holidays.
- Hunters would have 72 hours to register harvested elk, up from the current 24-hour requirement.
- Management-unit boundaries and the annual elk drawing would remain unchanged, and the proposals would not affect the 2025 season.
- The DNR cites a 2024 aerial estimate of about 1,146 elk, above the 500–900 goal; final proposals go to the Natural Resources Commission in March for a vote expected in April 2026.