Hunters report mixed results

The general deer and elk hunting season concluded November 27, and game check stations in northwest Montana reported mixed results.

More than 9,200 hunters appeared at check stations in northwest Montana. The overall number of hunters with harvested elk was up compared to a year ago while the number of hunters with deer was down.

At FWP’s check station in Thompson Falls, 1,128 hunters stopped this year compared with nearly 1300 last year. However, the percentages of hunters with game at the Thompson Falls check station was up, with 11.7% of hunters reporting success.

More mule deer were recorded at the check station this year, 22 compared with 18 in 2021. The number of elk was down slightly to 20 compared with 2021, and the number of white-tailed deer harvested was 90 this year, while in 2021 there were 105 white-tailed deer through the Thompson Falls check station.

FWP operates four check stations in region one, including Thompson Falls, Highway 2, Olney and in the Swan Valley. Combined, the check stations saw 9,239 hunters this season, compared with 9,624 in 2021, and the number of hunters harvesting game was down to 9.7% compared with 11.2% last year.

The counts at the stations represent a sampling of the harvest and do not represent the complete number of animals taken. Hunter-harvest telephone surveys, conducted over the upcoming winter months, will provide more harvest data and information for biologists.

Many of Montana’s Wildlife Management Areas have seasonal closures from December 2 through May 15 at noon to protect big game winter range. For more information, visit https://fwp.mt.gov/conservation/wildlife-management-areas.

While the general hunting season ended, hunters will have opportunities into winter. Certain areas have continued elk hunting opportunities, and Montana’s muzzleloader heritage hunting season for deer and elk ran December 10-18.