Big game harvest trends ahead of last season

MISSOULA – After the first two weekends of big game season, Montana Fish, Wildlife & Parks hunter check stations near Anaconda, Bonner and Darby in west-central Montana are collectively reporting elk and deer harvest totals and hunter numbers slightly ahead of last year.

Collectively, west-central Montana’s three wildlife check stations saw 4,008 hunter stops during the first two weekends of the season, compared to 3,530 during the same period last year. Those hunters checked 154 elk, compared to 134 last year. They also reported 45 mule deer, compared to 31 in 2023 and 134 white-tailed deer, compared to 113.

Weather shifted towards the end of the first week of the season, moving from an extra warm opening weekend to colder temperatures and snow accumulations in some areas. FWP uses data from USDA Natural Resources Conservation Service Snotel Sites to track high elevation snow depth trends during hunting season. On opening weekend those sites had one inch of snow or less, but by the close of the second weekend of the season, all sites reported more snow, with the most accumulation in the Upper Clark Fork Valley. Snow totals were similar to 2023, except in the Blackfoot Valley, which is trailing behind last year.

“We got some winter weather this weekend,” said Kirstie Yeager, Upper Clark Fork area wildlife biologist in charge of the Anaconda station. “Hunters reported eight inches of snow in some parts of the high country.” 

All stations are tracking on or above last season in elk harvest, and although fewer elk came through the Bonner station during the second weekend of the season compared to the first, the cumulative harvest is double compared to this point in the 2023 season. White-tailed deer harvest picked up in many places during the second weekend and is up 25 percent at the Bonner station compared to last season. Mule deer harvest is also up slightly at all stations.

CWD sampling locations

Hunters can help with chronic wasting disease (CWD) management by submitting samples from harvested deer, elk, and moose for testing. In west-central Montana, the wildlife check stations near Darby and Anaconda are collecting CWD samples, as well as specific CWD sampling locations at Clearwater Crossing in the Blackfoot Valley (Sat, Sun, Mon from 10 a.m.-dark), Arrow Stone Park in Deer Lodge (Fri, 10 a.m.-2 p.m. and Sat, Sun, Mon from 10 a.m.-dark) and the Missoula FWP office (Mon-Fri, 8 a.m.-5p.m.). For a complete list of stations and hours across the state, visit fwp.mt.gov/cwd. Hunter can also take samples themselves and mail them to the wildlife lab for testing.

Although CWD testing is voluntary across most of Montana, samples from hunter-harvested deer, elk and moose are critical to FWP’s understanding of this fatal disease. Multiple big game hunting districts around west-central Montana are Priority Surveillance Areas for CWD, which are areas where FWP is making a concerted effort to gather more samples. All sampling is offered for free to hunters. Hunters play a key role in understanding CWD by providing data and in minimizing the spread by disposing of wildlife parts properly. Read more: fwp.mt.gov/cwd.

All hunters must stop at check stations

FWP reminds hunters they must stop at all wildlife check stations that they pass, even if they have not harvested any animals. Although wildlife check stations sample a relatively small portion of the overall effort and harvest, they capture important trends and biological information, and by stopping you are helping with wildlife management in Montana.

For more hunting season reminders and to track hunter success, stay tuned to the FWP weekly check station reports over the next four weeks. The general big game season runs through Sunday, Dec. 1.