Big Game Elk Tags were handed out throughout the month of February to help a growing population of Elk in the Moose Mountain Region.

Tom Perry Wildlife Ecologist with the Ministry of Environment, "The licenses were available from February 4th to 25th, there were a hundred big game licenses that were sold on a first come first serve basis. Through the Saskatchewan Hunting and License Agency."

Perry adds that the tag sale was successful, "All licenses were sold, and Ministry of Environment follows up with the harvesting of the big game licensing to collect data on the Elk harvest numbers. The decision was made this year in response to significant concern about Elk agricultural damage this winter in the region to help reduce the Elk population for the season. At times there can be concerns, especially during harsh winters. Elk are known to forage on agriculture crops, hay bales, or through trampling sometimes there is concern about damage to crops."

The population continues to grow throughout the province, "There is an estimate of over 1100 elk in the region," these numbers are just around the Moose Mountain Provincial Park region."