State Rep. Cam Cavitt on Wednesday joined 18 of his House colleagues, including two Democrats, in sending a bipartisan letter to the Michigan Department of Natural Resources demanding they conduct a thorough review of the circumstances around the death of a beloved elk in Rogers City. The bull elk, named Roger in honor of Rogers City, was recently killed by the DNR without any consultation with local officials or notice given to the public.

“The DNR’s behavior while handling this incident was nothing short of trigger-happy,” said Cavitt, R-Cheboygan. “There must have been a better way to handle this, and I cannot imagine that there are not more steps regarding notification and preparation that must be taken. The entire Rogers City community is collectively heartbroken following Roger’s killing. My office has been flooded with messages from grieving and outraged community members seeking answers as to why the DNR made this senseless decision.”

Roger the Elk has frequented Rogers City in the fall for the last two years. The elk’s return to Rogers City in the fall of 2024 saw an increase in human-initiated interactions, which understandably led to behavioral changes. Yet, despite these interactions and the uptick in reports of unpredictable behavior, the DNR failed to implement proactive measures to either relocate or monitor Roger to prevent the escalation that led to his death.

“I understand we need to keep the public safe, but there should have been a public forum about relocation before he was killed,” Cavitt said. “Roger was a member of our community. The DNR’s misguided belief it could serve as judge, jury, and executioner is completely unacceptable.”

With Tuesday’s letter, Cavitt joins the Rogers City Council who last month formally passed a resolution calling on the DNR to investigate their animal relocation and euthanizing procedures in response to public outcry following Roger’s death.

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