Page 12 - Flathead Beacon // 10.26.16

NEWS
FWP: Best Opening Weekend for Hunters Since 2010 Check station results show top white-tailed deer harvest numbers, hunter participation in years
BY DILLON TABISH OF THE BEACON
Opening weekend proved bountiful for a large number of hunters in North- west Montana, according to results at check stations across the region.
At the six regional check stations operated by Montana Fish, Wildlife and Parks, a total of 3,361 hunters checked 350 white-tailed deer — including 159 bucks — as well as 27 mule deer and 31 elk. That represents a 12.1 percent suc- cess rate, which is double the rate from last year’s opening weekend.
The total number of hunters at check stations in this region was the highest since 2010. There were 151 more hunt- ers counted at check stations on opening weekend this year compared to last year.
Elk and mule deer harvest was also
up compared to the last two years, FWP o cials said.
“Overall it was a great opening week- end,” FWP Region One Wildlife Man- ager Neil Anderson said. “We had a lot of hunters in the eld and a high per- centage of them were lling tags. White- tailed numbers are up across the region and hunters are taking advantage of the option to harvest an antlerless deer.”
The check station at U.S. Highway 2 reported the most hunters with 1,437 and the most white-tailed deer harvested with 145. The Olney station had 82 whitetails reported and 145 hunters. The Swan sta- tion had 343 hunters and 56 whitetails.
The counts at the six check stations represent a sampling of the harvest and do not represent the complete number of animals taken. Hunters are reminded
that they are required to stop at check stations regardless of whether they suc- cessfully harvested an animal.
For the rst eight days of the season, hunters with a general deer license can harvest an antlerless white-tailed deer, which led to an increase in success this year. Roughly half of the hunters who harvested game last weekend reported an antlerless deer, and of those har- vesting an antlerless deer, most used their general license, according to FWP. White-tailed buck harvest was also up this year and the highest since 2010 for an opening weekend.
Starting Saturday, Oct. 29, only ant- lered white-tailed deer may be harvested on a general license in most hunting dis- tricts. Youth hunters 15 years of age and younger, and people with disabilities
permitted to hunt from a vehicle, can take antlerless white-tailed deer through the end of the season.
Hunters are reminded that elk hunt- ing is brow-tined bull only and spike elk are not legal game. These regulations apply in most Region One hunting dis- tricts. Hunters are encouraged to check the Montana hunting regulations for the district they plan to hunt before heading out to the eld.
Hunters are also reminded to be bear- aware and properly store food and man- age carcasses properly both in the eld and at home.
The general big game hunting season began Oct. 22 and concludes Nov. 27.
dtabish@ atheadbeacon.com
Grizzly Bears Captured and Relocated in Flathead Valley Closure lifted in Haskill Basin area north of White sh after attack
BY BEACON STAFF
Wildlife managers captured a 5- or 6-year-old, 365-pound, adult male griz- zly bear above Lake Blaine on the east side of the Flathead Valley Oct. 19 after the bruin was reported to have been damaging fruit trees in the area.
O cials with Montana Fish, Wildlife and Parks relocated the bear to the east side of Hungry Horse Reservoir. It was tted with a GPS collar and had not been captured previously
Meanwhile, managers also caught a 2-year-old male grizzly across U.S. High- way 93 from the Flathead County Land- ll after the bear was reportedly eating apples at a residence.
FWP o cials set a trap several days
earlier targeting a much larger grizzly bear that had been damaging fruit trees, but caught the younger bear instead. They t the bear with a GPS satellite col- lar and released him up Whale Creek in the North Fork Flathead River drainage. The bear had no history of capture.
According to a press release from FWP, the agency has received numerous reports of both black and grizzly bears in the areas around White sh, Colum- bia Falls, Eureka, Bigfork, and along the north and east side of the Flathead Valley.
Managers are emphasizing that land- owners pick fruit o their trees to pre- vent damage to their trees and pick up all fruit o the ground to avoid attract- ing bears.
Electric fencing can also be used to
protect fruit trees, poultry, and livestock. Pet food and grain should be secured where bears can’t get access to it. Bird feeders that contain sun ower seeds, millet, and suet will attract bears to
homes.
Garbage should not be left outside
where bears can get into it. In Montana, it is illegal to feed bears and ungulates; illegal foods include deer blocks and grain.
The temporary closure in Haskill Basin has been lifted on F.H. Stoltze land in section 21 and State Land in Section 16 located west of Haskill Creek Road. This area had been closed subsequent to a bear attack on a man in the area on October 16.
There were no images on the FWP cameras placed at the scene the morning
following the attack, but the cameras did capture images of a family group of three grizzly bears at the site two days after the attack. These bears are believed to be a di erent family group than the one involved in the attack. The bears involved in the attack are believed to be a sow with cubs of the year. The bears on the camera are believed to be a sow with yearlings.
These bears were only seen that morn- ing on the cameras and appear to have moved on from the scene once they dis- covered there was no food reward at the attack site. No other bears were seen on the cameras for the next ve days; the cameras were pulled on Oct. 23.
FWP is not proposing any further action at this location at this time.
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OCTOBER 26, 2016 // FLATHEADBEACON.COM