Montana’s general hunting season is hitting its halfway point just in time for the arrival of winter weather and the onset of the “rut,” the deer-breeding season during which hunters reliably report more success in the field.
So far this season, more hunters have reported harvesting more deer and elk at Montana Fish, Wildlife and Parks’ (FWP) regional game check stations in northwest Montana compared to last season. And with deer-breeding season typically getting underway in early- or mid-November, wildlife officials predict hunters’ chances will improve as the rut sets in.
Overall, through the first three weekends of the season, more than 5,400 hunters have been checked at the stations and the percentage of hunters with game has been 8.6% (466 animals) compared to 7.1% (326 animals) a year ago.
The number of hunters with harvested white-tailed deer is up so far compared to last year, with 378 harvested versus 268 the year prior. The number of hunters with harvested mule deer is also up, with 60 reported this year compared to 34 in 2023, while hunters have checked in more elk, with 28 this year compared to last year’s 28 for the same time frame.
Check stations are open on weekends during general season from 10 a.m. to approximately 1.5 hours past sunset. The regional stations are located at U.S. Highway 2 west of Kalispell, Montana Highway 83 north of Swan Lake, Highway 200 west of Thompson Falls, and Highway 93 near Olney.
Hunters must stop at any check station they encounter whether they harvested an animal or not. The counts at the stations represent a sampling of the harvest and do not represent the complete number of animals taken.
The general deer and elk hunting season concludes Dec 1, 2024.