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By Alicia Noragon
REGION– A record 47,493 hunters applied for just 260 elk licenses in Michigan’s annual drawing, highlighting the popularity of elk hunting in the northern Lower Peninsula. The hunt took place over two periods: late August–September and December 2025.
“Michigan elk hunting is a highly prized opportunity,” said Brent Rudolph, deer, elk, and moose management specialist for the Michigan DNR. He noted that even drawn hunters faced challenges, including high summer temperatures, freezing rain, and debris from the historic March 2025 ice storm, which left downed trees across northern forests.
The DNR uses hunting to sustainably manage Michigan’s elk population, estimated at 1,150 animals, concentrated in the Pigeon River Country State Forest in Cheboygan, Montmorency, and Otsego counties. For the 2026–2027 elk season, the DNR has proposed doubling the season from 21 to 45 days, pending approval by the Michigan Natural Resources Commission.
During the early hunt, 100 licenses were issued and hunters harvested 50 elk despite warm temperatures that slowed elk movement. The December period saw 160 licenses issued and 103 elk harvested, with subzero wind chills at opening weekend and thawing rain complicating tracking.
A highlight of the December hunt was Brent Henige of New Lothrop, who harvested a 559-pound bull elk on opening day after applying for a tag 19 consecutive years. Henige displayed the bull on the Atlanta Chamber of Commerce Elk Pole and celebrated with his family.
The hand-picked hunters, extreme weather, and persistent ice-storm debris underscored the difficulty and excitement of Michigan’s annual elk hunt, a prized and carefully managed wildlife opportunity.
For more information, visit the DNR’s elk webpage.
