Elk and deer harvests for local region are up from past seasons

Mineral Independent

Hunters have until November 26 to bag their game during this season. Deer and elk general rifle season is currently in full swing and according to report from Fish, Wildlife and Parks harvest totals are up from the past three seasons.

In Mineral County there was only one check station set up at Fish Creek and biologist, Liz Bradley said she only had three deer checked during opening weekend. Overall in Region 2 rangers checked 4,112 hunters at Bonner, Darby, and Anaconda stations with 157 elk, 21 mule deer, 162 white-tailed deer, seven black bears, one bighorn sheep and one wolf during the first two weekends of the season.

“From here on out, weather will dictate the elk harvest, and the onset of the deer rut will improve buck harvests through Thanksgiving,” said Mike Thompson, the Montana Fish, Wildlife and Parks (FWP) Region 2 Wildlife Manager.

White-tailed deer harvest totals are the highest since 2008 and elk harvest reported so far this season are the highest since 2013. Darby had 93 elk reported compared to 75 last year. Bonner reported the most white-tailed deer with 132 compared to 125 at the same time last year.