Local Hunters Finding Greater Success in the Field

With two weeks left in the general hunting season, check stations are reporting more deer and elk harvested in northwest Montana compared to last year, according to Montana Fish, Wildlife and Parks (FWP).

Overall, through four weekends of the season, of the more than 7,400 hunters that have been checked at FWP’s regional stations, 9.8% had game compared to 7.5% a year ago. A total of 625 white-tailed deer have been reported at check stations this season compared to 382 last year. The number of hunters with harvested mule deer is also up, with 74 reported this year compared to 65 in 2023, while hunters have checked in more elk, with 36 this year compared to last year’s 29 for the same time frame.

Hunters typically see increased success in the field this time of year with the arrival of the deer breeding season, known as the “rut,” which typically begins in early to mid-November. The general deer and elk hunting season ends on Dec. 1.

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.