Hunting numbers still up in Northwest Montana

Hunters in Northwest Montana reported another good weekend of hunting, with hunter success and harvest numbers up from last year in most of the region’s check stations.

According to data from Montana Fish, Wildlife and Parks, the number of hunters stopping at check stations in Region One continued at a record pace over the last week, with more than 6,000 since opening day for general rifle season Oct. 22.

Northwest Montana is also seeing some of the highest deer and elk harvests since 2010.

In a Monday press release, regional wildlife manager Neil Anderson noted that total numbers of white-tailed deer taken this season are likely inflated due to a rule change this year, which allowed hunters to use a general deer license to hunt either-sex white-tailed deer during the first week. During the rest of the season, hunters in most districts may only harvest antlered deer.

Five out of the six game checks in the region reported overall increases in hunter success rates compared with last year. Only the North Fork station posted a decrease, with 3.7 percent of hunters reporting game, down from 5.1 percent by the second hunting weekend in 2015.

The 61 white-tailed bucks harvested in the last week was a significant decline from the 159 shot during opening weekend, but overall deer numbers are still up. To date, 454 white-tailed deer have been harvested in the region, an increase over the record pace of 328 deer one year ago.

Hunters reported harvesting 45 elk so far this year, most of which were brought through the Thompson Falls or U.S. 2 check stations. Mule deer are also up from last year, with 51 killed so far, compared with 38 by the second weekend in 2015.

“Even though the weather cooperated on Saturday, it was a slow day for check stations,” Anderson stated in the press release. “Typically we see a decline in hunter success the second weekend because deer are more wary after having a week of hunters in the field and rut has not yet started.”