GAYLORD — Michigan Department of Natural Resources researchers will test trail cameras as a new method for estimating the state’s elk population in northern Lower Michigan.

According to an Aug. 18 news release from the DNR, the pilot project, part of a larger research effort, aims to determine whether cameras offer a more accurate and cost-effective alternative to the department’s current aerial surveys.

About 200 cameras have been set up across the 1,100-square-mile core elk range, mostly on state-managed land but also on private land with landowner cooperation.

The data will be compared to aerial survey results to evaluate precision and efficiency. DNR wildlife biologist Angela Kujawa said the study will weigh the accuracy of each method against the resources they require.

Accurate p

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