Forty-eight elk made the 14-hour overnight ride from Kentucky and have arrived at their new home in Sawyer County last week as wildlife officials hope to bolster the gene pool and numbers of the northern Wisconsin elk herd.

The new elk will add to the 200 or so wild elk that roam in and near the Chequamegon National Forest in Ashland, Bayfield, Price, Rusk and Sawyer counties.

Wisconsin's elk population has grown steadily since the release of 25 Michigan elk in 1995 near the town of Clam Lake in Ashland County. The elk released this year, as well as 31 Kentucky elk released here in 2017, are providing a boost to herd growth and genetics.

"This marks the final chapter in our translocation efforts," said Preston Cole, Wisconsin DNR secretary. "It's been a tremendous project that relied on many great partners, and we're all looking forward to seeing what the future brings for Wisconsin elk and the people who enjoy them."

The long-term goal is a herd of about 1,400 animals in the north, said DNR deer and elk ecologist Kevin Wallenfang. The DNR opted to add more elk after relatively slow growth of the original 1995 animals

The elk will be released from their 7-acre pen later, after a mandatory 120-day quarantine ordered by the U.S. Department of Agriculture for health testing.

Red Lake walleye limit change

Anglers fishing Upper Red Lake this summer will be able to keep one larger walleye.

The big lake's limit will remain four walleye daily, but now one can be over 20 inches, making potential keepers out of considerably more of the lake's walleye population.

Since May 2017, the regulation allowed anglers to keep four fish with only one over 17 inches. Adjusting the one-over size to 20 inches will put more mature females within the allowed four-fish bag limit during the open water season that begins May 11. Under the new regulation, anglers will be able to keep four walleye under 20 inches, or a combination of three walleye under 20 inches and one over 20 inches.

DNR officials say the lake may have too many big female walleyes.

"We're using the new regulation to let anglers remove surplus spawning stock, which hasn't sufficiently happened under the previous regulation," said Gary Barnard, DNR Bemidji area fisheries supervisor. "The DNR will likely adjust the regulation following the 2019 open water season, after anglers remove the surplus of mature female walleye."

The lake's fishery is jointly managed by the state and the Red Lake band of Ojibwe.

Wisconsin natural resource hearings Monday

Anyone interested in natural resources management in Wisconsin will have the opportunity to provide their input on proposed rule changes and advisory questions relating to conservation and fish and wildlife management on Monday night starting at 7 p.m.

The annual Conservation Congress meetings will include 49 rule changes proposed by the DNR.

If you can't make your county meeting you can also make comments online. The online version of the Spring Hearing questionnaire will be posted at dnr.wi.gov, search keywords "spring hearings." The input form will go live at 7 p.m. Monday and remain open until 7 p.m. April 11.

Meetings in Northwestern Wisconsin include:

Douglas County: Solon Springs School, 8993 E Baldwin Ave.;

Ashland County: WITC-Ashland, Room 305, 2100 Beaser Ave.;

Bayfield County: Drummond High School, 52440 Eastern Ave.;

Iron County: Iron County Memorial Building, 201 Iron Street, Hurley.

Comment on county deer season proposals

Wisconsin deer hunters have until April 11 to comment on their local County Deer Advisory Council's recommendations for the upcoming deer season.

Deer Advisory Councils met in each county in March to set preliminary antlerless deer quotas, harvest authorization levels, and season structure recommendations for the 2019 deer hunting.

To view each county's recommendations and provide feedback, visit the DNR website, dnr.wi.gov and search keyword "CDAC."

After the public comment period has ended, each co9nty's council will reconvene April 15-18 to evaluate public feedback and determine final recommendations for the 2019 deer season, which will be reviewed and adopted by the Natural Resources Board in May.

Douglas County's meeting is set for 6 p.m. April 17 at the Superior Public Library. The council's preliminary recommendation is for bucks-only hunting for most adults for the 2019 season. The exceptions will be youth, military, disabled and metro hunts which will allow antlerless harvest. The goal is to increase the county's deer herd.

All council meetings are open to the public and provide the opportunity for attendees to address the council.

Comment on International Falls area lake plans

Anglers have until April 12 to comment on proposed DNR management plans for lakes in the International Falls area, including Ash, Crane, Elbow, Marion, Moose, Little Trout, Namakan and Sand Point and the Vermilion River.

The DNR management plans describe the past, present and desired future conditions of the fishery and identify specific management activities planned for that lake in the next five to 20 years. The plans include background on the water body including water chemistry, temperature, habitat quality and species present, and are important in understanding the potential of a fishery.

People can review current plans for lakes as well as recent fish survey information at the DNR's International Falls fisheries office, 392 Highway 11 East from 8:00 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. To request a draft copy of any lake management plan listed above, or to ask questions or submit comments email kevin.peterson@state.mn.us or call (218) 300-7802.