Hunters slowed by conditions

The Daily Inter Lake

Montana Fish, Wildlife and Parks reported a "very slow" opening day of the 2008 general deer and elk hunting season, with only 4 percent of hunters on Sunday bringing game through Northwest Montana's six check stations.

A total of 2,873 hunters stopped at the check stations with only 80 white-tailed deer, 19 mule deer and 15 elk - or about half of last year's 8 percent success rate.

At some check stations, the results were the lowest in the last decade.

The slow opener was largely expected by wildlife officials because of extremely mild weather conditions that can make hunting more difficult.

As usual, the U.S. 2 check station just west of Kalispell was the busiest with 1,165 hunters stopping with 26 whitetails, 14 mule deer and nine elk.

The Canoe Gulch check station near Libby by far had the lowest numbers: 348 hunters stopping with two white-tailed deer, no mule deer and no elk. The percentage of hunters with game was .6 percent, compared to last year's 5.9 percent.

The Swan Valley check station had 409 hunters with 14 whitetails, one mule deer and one elk.

The North Fork Flathead check station had 246 hunters with four whitetails, two mule deer and no elk.

The Thompson Falls station logged 293 hunters with 15 whitetails, one mule deer and three elk and the highest percentage of hunters with game, 6.5 percent.

The Olney check station had 412 hunters with 19 whitetails, one mule deer and two elk.

Hunters are reminded that either-sex whitetails are legal game only through Sunday, Nov. 9.

After that, hunting is limited to buck-only whitetails until the last four days of the season, when either-sex whitetails are legal game again. Mule deer hunting is limited to bucks throughout the five-week season.