Wisconsin warns hunters to correctly identify elk to avoid legal penalties during limited hunting seasons.

The Wisconsin DNR is warning hunters to correctly identify elk, which are growing in number across two herds near Clam Lake and Black River Falls. Elk are taller than deer, have backward-curving antlers, shorter tails with tan rump patches, and bulls display dark chest manes, unlike deer with forward-curving antlers and white throat patches. Elk season runs in two phases, with strict rules: hunters must complete an education course and apply for a license, limited to one per lifetime. The DNR stresses that mistaking elk for deer can lead to legal penalties.