(Source: MIRS.news, Published 11/13/2024) Michigan lawmakers have asked the Department of Natural Resources (DNR) for a review of a decision to euthanize a beloved elk in Rogers City. 

The 19 lawmakers, led by Rep. Cam Cavitt (R-Cheboygan) and joined by two Democrats, want the DNR to “engage with local officials and stakeholders” to evaluate a more humane way and more proactive method of managing similar encounters in the future. 

The bull elk, named Roger in honor of Rogers City, has frequented the city in the fall for the past two years. 

“The DNR’s behavior while handling this incident was nothing short of trigger-happy,” Cavitt said. “There must have been a better way to handle this, and I cannot imagine that there are not more steps regarding notification and preparation that must be taken.  

“The entire Rogers City community is collectively heartbroken following Roger’s killing. My office has been flooded with messages from grieving and outraged community members seeking answers as to why the DNR made this senseless decision,” he said. 

In a statement, the DNR told MIRS on Wednesday that a conservation officer euthanized a rutting elk that had become habituated to people in the Rogers City area. 

The elk first came to town in the fall of 2023 and was fed apples and other food by area residents before returning to the forest for the winter.  

The DNR statement said there have been three separate complaints of the elk charging people over the past few days and several other residents reported the elk would follow them, walking right up to them. This aggressive behavior, the DNR said, and an increase in complaints continued to escalate over the past year. 

Cavitt acknowledged Roger’s return this year saw an increase in human-initiated interactions, which he said understandably led to behavior changes. 

Yet, despite these interactions and the uptick in reports of unpredictable behavior, the DNR failed to implement proactive measures to either relocate or monitor Roger to prevent the escalation that led to his death, Cavitt said. 

The DNR said prior hazing efforts, including firing cracker shells, were not successful in deterring the elk. 

On Oct. 15, city officials reported the elk wandering around downtown and after consultation and agreement with DNR wildlife division personnel, city police and city administrators, the conservation officer euthanized the elk to help ensure public safety. 

“While it may be novel to have an elk near town, one of the consequences is that wild animals can become habituated to human activity and food sources," said Scott Eggeman, field operations manager for the DNR's wildlife division's northern Lower Peninsula region. "The more habituated they become, the more likely they are to lose fear of humans and become a public safety concern. 

“When a wild animal becomes a public safety concern, the DNR is left with few options to remedy the issue and public safety becomes our number one priority," he added. "For this reason, DNR staffers had to make the unfortunate decision to euthanize the elk before the public safety concerns were elevated. Please enjoy wildlife at a distance and avoid attractants that may cause them to become habituated.” 

The elk carcass was taken to a local wild game processor, where it is being tested for any potential diseases. Pending the test results, the meat will be donated to a food bank or other food distribution program. 

Cavitt's letter follows Rogers City Council’s formal passage of a resolution calling on the DNR to investigate its animal relocation and euthanizing procedures in response to public outcry following Roger’s death.