Only during extreme blizzards do elk seek out more sheltered locations. In a case study observing the effects of winter activities, such as snowmobiles, on the elk herds, numbers were higher after a ban was established in prime winter elk habitat . Human intervention can also have a positive impact on a managed elk herd. Since Michigan elk herds have boundaries due to urban areas and the great lakes, management is extremely important to a healthy herd. Management can be in the form of restricting grazing areas to elk, and restricting the numbers of deer, cattle, and other grazers on the land.
Management also comes in the from of habitat protection.
The aspen communities in northern Michigan are very important to elk herds but are also cleared for pasture, cut for pulp and over run by deer, in many areas. Management also comes in the form of monitoring for such things as populations size, age structure, sex ratios, survival rates, mortality factors, and pregnancy rates. As a response to this information, the DNR regulates licensed hunting permits, to maintain healthy numbers. In particular, aspen communities, in relatively close proximity to grazing areas, and pine forests has been noted as ideal. Northern Michigan is characterized by this landscape, over much of the region, and is therefore compatible for a healthy elk population.