Deer total still down; elk harvest improves

The deer harvest in Northwest Montana is now lagging behind last year's totals at most Region One check stations.

A slower season was expected by state wildlife biologists simply because the number of antlerless deer permits was dramatically reduced this year because of a two-year downward trend in whitetail deer populations.

As of Sunday, two weeks into the season, the six regional check stations had recorded 11,136 hunters compared to 11,789 at this time last year.

Hunters have taken 481 whitetails compared to 593 last year and 80 mule deer compared to 90 last year. Hunters have checked 221 whitetail bucks compared to 226 last year.

Elk numbers are up, however, with hunters checking 101 compared to 87 last year.

The weekend check station counts are a sampling of the harvest and do not represent the total number of animals taken.

The tally of wolves harvested continued to rise, with hunters taking a total of 27 wolves in Wolf Management Unit One, covering the northern tier of the state. The quota for that area is 41, allowing for 14 more to be harvested.

Wolf hunting now has been closed in the North Fork of the Flathead Rive drainage, where there was a subquota of two wolves.

On Monday morning, a hunter harvested a wolf in the Big Creek drainage up the North Fork. That was the second wolf taken in the North Fork, so the area now is closed to all wolf hunting.

According to Jim Williams, regional wildlife manager for Northwest Montana, the distribution of wolf harvest in Wolf Management Unit One has been evenly distributed in Region One and in portions of Regions Two and Four.

"We couldn't have scripted a better wolf hunt so far," he said. "The distribution of harvest, hunter participation, and the rate of wolves taken in WMU1 have all met expectations for a well-designed wolf hunt."

Williams recommends that all wolf hunters check the quota status daily by calling 1-800-385-7826.

When the season started, state wildlife officials were uncertain if the statewide quota of 75 wolves would be met. But now some believe that is possible by the end of the five-week general hunting season.

Hunters are reminded that as of Monday, only whitetail bucks can be harvested for the remainder of the season in Region One.

However, antlerless deer remain legal game for youths ages 12-15 and hunters with disability permits in most of the region's districts. Mule deer are buck-only the entire season.