This subspecies is now believed to be extinct, having been extirpated in Illinois by 1850. Elk reintroductions have been tried many times, but success has been varied.
Successful reintroductions require large amounts of high-quality habitat and low human density.
GIS is a sophisticated set of computer programs designed to manipulate, process, and analyze map data. The map data we used came from aerial photography and remote sensing, most of which was generated for other Survey projects. Other factors must be considered when selecting potential release sites. For example, elk are very sensitive to human disturbance, so road densities must be low and human activity must be minimal. Elk also need lots of room, so isolated areas that have a suitable mix of forage and cover with low human disturbance may still be poor habitat because they are too small.