MINNEAPOLIS — Minnesota could use a few more good elk, wildlife managers said Thursday as they kicked off a series of public meetings on a draft management plan that calls for growing the small wild elk population in far northwestern Minnesota and increasing its range a bit.

The goals of the elk plan for 2016-2020 haven’t changed much from the current five-year plan, John Williams, the Department of Natural Resources’ northwest region wildlife manager, said in a conference call with reporters. One of the main changes is to raise the target population for one of the state’s three herds, and the agency would like to build up another herd that’s below its goal range, he said.

Elk were once native to most of Minnesota but were nearly wiped out by the early 1900s due to overhunting and conversion of native prairies to farmland. The state now has about 130 elk in three herds. One herd roams north of Grygla. Another one moves between northeastern Kittson County and Manitoba, Canada.