MO Elk population

[TAS95]

Anyone follow the Missouri elk population status? Latest info I saw was from 2021 when they issued 5 tags and population was rising.

 

[voltage]

They are still only issuing 5 tags. I did get a bull on trail camera in NW Missouri in January.

 

[voltage]

A coworker's family member took a photo of a bull the same day a couple of miles away. I assume it's the same one.

 

[Wheels]

MDC is saying "about" 250 elk now.
I was at a RMEF banquet and a representative from the Department spoke about the population and available tags. I think I remember them saying they will continue to monitor and could increase the number of tags when the the population reaches 400.

 

[Luked]

Still a very small herd.
I think I read somewhere they started with 100 in 2013-2014 or something and its up to about 250 now with most residing in the "Elk Restoration Zone" in the south east part of the state at Peck Ranch.
The Actual Ranch is huge for being a non populated piece of property like 22k acres.
I got drawn for a managed Deer hunt in there about 6-8 years ago and it was a pretty cool hunt. At that point I had never seen an elk in the "wild" if you can call it that, nor heard one bugle. got to see and hear both that weekend. Was a cool experience. They also have some huge bulls in there also.

 

[Kurts86]

The herd is intentionally small given where they located it. Let’s put the elk in a tiny piece of habitat surrounded by trees and rocks well away from the state’s ag producers. It wasn’t an accident.

 

[GunsAreFun]

The goal for this herd is never to get to Kentucky or even Arkansas size. It’s going to be a novelty. The target herd size is only 500.

 

[Wheels]

The goal for this herd is never to get to Kentucky or even Arkansas size. It’s going to be a novelty. The target herd size is only 500.

Yep!
8,562 applications at $10 a pop is a money maker. The biggest joke is the bear permits, give out 400 tags and only get a handful killed because they don't allow baiting and its very hard to find places to hunt them. I see guys on social media asking for intel and places to hunt and get the cold shoulder.

 

[GunsAreFun]

Yep!
8,562 applications at $10 a pop is a money maker. The biggest joke is the bear permits, give out 400 tags and only get a handful killed because they don't allow baiting and its very hard to find places to hunt them. I see guys on social media asking for intel and places to hunt and get the cold shoulder.

I put in the first couple years but didn’t this year. Hunting in the mountains is 80% of the fun for me.

You ever gone off trail in SE Missouri Ozarks? It’s not fun lol.

 

[Luked]

I havent put in for an Elk or Bear tag in missouri for the exact reasons above.
Cant bait so Bear is a crap shoot. And the Elk tag would be a little better but with the amount of entries its worse than tag systems out west.

 

[Wheels]

I put in the first couple years but didn’t this year. Hunting in the mountains is 80% of the fun for me.

You ever gone off trail in SE Missouri Ozarks? It’s not fun lol.

I'm afraid of the people that live back in those woods!

 

[Luked]

Think I have heard some banjos before.

 

[darcytribe]

They are still only issuing 5 tags. I did get a bull on trail camera in NW Missouri in January.

Did you mean SW MO?

 

[voltage]

Did you mean SW MO?

No, near Gallatin MO

 

[TAS95]

I havent put in for an Elk or Bear tag in missouri for the exact reasons above.
Cant bait so Bear is a crap shoot. And the Elk tag would be a little better but with the amount of entries it’s worse than tag systems out west.

Sounds like I need to plan a trip out west and at best hope I get a hear a bugle in the home state one day

 

[browning2480]

No, near Gallatin MO

I would say that one escaped from an Elk Farm. There are a few of them in NW Missouri

 

[Wheels]

There was a spike and cow in western Boone County a couple years ago. Neighbor saw them in a wheat field one afternoon.