Biologists in Michigan and Idaho are among the latest to join that growing list. MichiganResearchers from the Michigan Department of Natural Resources (DNR) have begun a pilot program for the use of trail cameras to estimate its elk population. An accurate elk population estimate helps the state determine how many elk hunting licenses to issue every year. The last aerial survey, in 2024, estimated the elk population at 1,146, with a confidence interval range of plus/minus 262, meaning the population is between 884 and 1,408 animals. The first population estimate from this project is unlikely before spring 2026.