The 800-Pound Giants Roaming Northern Michigan
Wild elk may be hard to find, but the herd that lives near Gaylord is stunning all the same
Gaylord — Our state is festooned with elk, though few Michiganders will ever see one. The giant deer adorn our state flag, and Elks lodges dot the landscape, many with a statue of the beast standing proudly near the front door.
But seeing a live elk isn't difficult if you know where to look.
Michigan’s native elk herd was gone by 1875, the victim of unregulated hunting and widespread deforestation. Yet the seven elk released near Wolverine in 1918 have multiplied into a herd of more than 1,000 animals. They’ve done so well that the state has allowed a limited hunt since 1984. About 150 animals are harvested each year, and I imagine the steaks are glorious.
To be clear, these aren’t truly Michigan elk. They were brought here from the Rockies and are more akin to the animals you’d find in Montana or Colorado.
The Upper Peninsula may have moose, but until 2020 no elk had been seen there since the late 1800s. When one wandered roughly 200 miles from a herd of 80 in Wisconsin into Menominee County, locals were baffled.
Elk are far more common in the Lower Peninsula. The herd lives almost entirely within the Pigeon River Country State Forest, a 114,000-acre expanse between Gaylord and Indian River. That endless stretch of forest with seemingly nothing to see before the bridge? You’re in elk country.
But you don’t need to trek through thousands of acres of what locals call “The Big Wild” to spot one. There’s a herd living just off the highway.
When a nature center closed in the 1980s, Gaylord’s town fathers relocated its three elk to a 100-acre enclosure near town now known as Elk View Park. Those three animals have multiplied into a herd of more than 40, all living behind a chain-link fence. Fittingly, the park even shares a parking lot with the local Elks Lodge.
The animals spend their days grazing on hay, corn, and sugar beets, growing massive antlers and astounding visitors with their size. Standing beside them, it’s hard not to be struck by how enormous they are. Bulls can weigh nearly 800 pounds and stand 6 feet tall, making even large whitetails seem diminutive. I was surprised by their size myself, though I have to admit I’ve never seen a moose.
They’re a beautiful sight. When Michigan became a state in 1837, elk were considered one of its defining symbols. Less than 40 years later, they had disappeared. Their return is one of Michigan’s great conservation success stories. Anyone heading north this summer should take a few minutes to pull over, stop, and marvel at their majesty.
