Fewer hunters take more deer this season

Although the number of hunters declined from last year, the deer harvest in Northwest Montana was an improvement over last year.

The general deer- and elk-hunting season ended on Sunday.

At the six Northwest Montana check stations through Sunday, a total of 16,708 hunters checked 1,138 white-tailed deer (988 of these were bucks), 139 mule deer and 50 elk for a 7.9 percent rate of hunters with game.

That compares to 7.1 percent of hunters with game last year. The number of hunters in Northwest Montana was down 9 percent from last year. 

The Olney check station had the highest percentage of hunters with game at 10.8 percent. 

Wildlife biologist Tim Thier said this year was one of the best seasons for harvesting bucks since 1994.

Region One Supervisor Jim Williams said Fish, Wildlife and Parks has been tracking three years of good fawn survival in Northwest Montana and the check station sample this year confirms that hunters were able to see and take good numbers of deer. 

The elk harvest is always dependent upon snow in Northwest Montana and ended up being similar to last year.  

Williams added that Fish, Wildlife and Parks for the first time will compile general land ownership (Plum Creek, Stoltze, Department of Natural Resources and Conservation, U.S. Forest Service or private) statistics for the check-station deer and elk harvest. 

That analysis should be completed in a few weeks.

The counts at the six northwest Montana check stations represent a sampling of the harvest and not the complete number of animals taken. Details of total harvest for each hunting district will be known after telephone hunter surveys are completed this winter. 

Wolf harvest: Through the end of the general deer and elk season on Sunday, hunters in Northwest Montana had taken 23 wolves. Statewide, 81 wolves have been taken.

These numbers are down from last year at the end of the general deer and elk season. The wolf hunting season continues until March 15. 

Hunters can still purchase wolf hunting licenses but there is a 24-hour waiting period before they are valid. Wolf-trapping season begins Dec. 15. Wolf trappers must purchase a furbearer trapping license and have completed the wolf trapping certification course. The bag limit is five wolves per hunter/trapper in any combination of hunting or trapping.