Michigan uses 200 trail cameras to estimate elk population in a new, cost-effective method.

Michigan's Department of Natural Resources is using 200 trail cameras in the state's northern Lower Peninsula to estimate the elk population, aiming for a more accurate and cost-effective method than aerial surveys. This pilot project, covering 1,100 square miles, will help determine the number of hunting licenses issued annually and support the state's goal of maintaining a sustainable elk population of 500 to 900. The cameras will operate for three years.