A bull elk stands in a Kittson County wheat field. Photo by Richard Hamilton Smith via MN DNR.
On Thursday of last week, the Minnesota Department of Natural Resources filed a lawsuit against the Kittson County Sheriff’s Office and Sheriff Mat Vig, seeking to halt the issuance of "elk possession tags" that allow individuals to take and possess elk. The legal action, first reported by the Star Tribune, stems from an incident that took place in January 2025, where Sheriff Vig allegedly issued such a tag to a local farmer, identified only as CC, who shot an elk after it damaged his crops, including hay and beet pulp.
The DNR’s civil complaint alleges that Sheriff Vig lacks the legal authority to issue elk possession tags, asserting that the agency holds exclusive jurisdiction over elk management in Minnesota. According to the complaint, the farmer reported the elk shooting to Vig, who advised that shooting elk to protect his property was permissible and issued the tag on February 3, 2025, without charging the farmer with a crime. The DNR contends that the farmer neither applied for a license beforehand nor reported the incident to the agency, as is required by state regulations.
Elk are a protected species in Minnesota, with a population of approximately 200 animals concentrated in three herds in the northwest, particularly in Kittson County. Given the herd size, the DNR tightly regulates elk hunting through a limited lottery system, issuing only a handful of permits each year. For the 2025 season, the DNR authorized just four hunter licenses and no landowner licenses, reflecting the tight management of elk in Minnesota.
An elk calf in Kittson County. Photo by Richard Hamilton Smith via MN DNR.
Farmers in Kittson County have long expressed frustration over crop damage caused by elk, which has fueled resistance to efforts to expand elk herds. The DNR allows licensed hunters to address nuisance elk, but the limited number of permits has left some landowners feeling unprotected against depredation. The agency is also working with the Fond du Lac Band of Lake Superior Chippewa to reintroduce elk in northeastern Minnesota, a project that may contribute to reduced permit numbers due to lower elk populations in other areas.
The DNR’s lawsuit seeks a court ruling to clarify that the Kittson County Sheriff’s Office cannot issue elk possession tags, reinforcing the agency’s sole authority over elk management. As of Friday, neither Sheriff Vig nor Kittson County had formally responded to the lawsuit, leaving the matter pending in court.
