Michigan’s elk surveys will be getting a technology upgrade this year as the state Department of Natural Resources implements new tracking technology, including cameras and artificial intelligence.
It's part of a research study to find the most accurate and cost-effective way to track the state's elk population.
“We will compare the results from these different survey methods and balance the precision of the estimates they provide with the resources they require,” Angela Kujawa, a DNR wildlife biologist, said in a press release.
The new surveying approach will include 200 cameras installed on state-managed land across 1,100 miles of the northern Lower Peninsula. The cameras are placed on trees 40 inches above the ground, and will use infrared motion detection to take images of the elk.
The DNR plans to partner with the Michigan Cooperative Fish and Wildlife Research Unit at Michigan State University to analyze the images. They said they will be using an AI technology called Mega Detector to sort through the images and delete any photos of humans. The DNR said people will also look at these images as an extra layer of review.
Tyler Petroelje, the DNR’s Northern Michigan wildlife research specialist, said this research will be an important part of the state’s elk management plan.
“That management plan really guides the information we need to manage our elk herd,” Petroelje said in a press release.
The new surveying technique will be implemented for the next three summers. The data will be compared against the next scheduled aerial survey happening in 2026.
The DNR currently uses aerial surveying, where two planes fly over northern Michigan for eight days to count the elk. Petroelje said aerial surveying has a margin of error of about 25%. He added that these types of surveys require significant snowfall, which has not been available during their January flying period.
“We have a responsibility to follow the management plan to estimate elk abundance with the best tools that are available,” he said.
