The month of Mihšiiwia Kiilhswa ‘Elk Moon’ is the peak of rutting (breeding season) and bulls bugling (mating calls) for the Eastern Elk (this species of elk is now extinct) that inhabited Inohkinki ‘Illinois homelands’. Some private ranches in the state of Illinois raise elk, however there is no breeding or free-ranging population of wild elk in Illinois at this time. Thanks to great conservation efforts, elk have been reintroduced to many areas across Oklahoma and the free-ranging wild elk populations now numbers over 5,000. We once again have opportunities to observe mihšiiwiaki ‘elk (plural)’, to hear them bugle, and to hunt them in certain areas in the next few months. Kansas also re-introduced elk and now has a small population of less than 500.
