Hunting opener average in Northwest Montana

Hunters took to the field on Sunday across northwest Montana for the opener of the general deer and elk season. At the six northwest Montana check stations, a total of 2,958 hunters checked 185 white-tailed deer, 21 mule deer, and 30 elk for an 8 percent rate of hunters with game. This compares to a nearly identical 8.1 percent rate of hunters with game last year.

Hunters checked greater numbers of whitetails, fewer mule deer, and more elk as compared to last year's opening day. Of the whitetails checked, 74 were bucks and 111 were antlerless. The check station at Highway 2 west of Kalispell had the largest number of hunters and largest number of deer and elk taken. The Olney check station had the highest percentage of hunters with game.

Tim Thier, the FWP biologist at the Olney Check Station, reported that the harvest was at least average, with a 12 percent rate of hunters with game. He noted that the harvest will pick up as the season goes along.

"I think the whitetail populations are as high or higher than they've ever been. There's plenty of deer to go around, that's for sure," Thier remarked.

Thier said that one of the high points for him was when a brother and a sister who were hunting together came through the check station with their parents. The kids had each taken a cow elk under the youth antlerless opportunity.

FWP wardens reported a quiet opening day.

"A lot of people just seemed happy to be out," said Warden Captain Lee Anderson. "Our wardens checked some whitetail bucks and a few elk, and we found very few hunting violations."

Hunters are reminded that either-sex whitetails are legal game through Sunday, Nov. 4. After that, the regulation is buck-only for whitetails until the last four days of the season (Nov. 22-25) when either-sex whitetails are legal again. Mule deer hunting is buck-only all season; elk is brow-tined bull only. These regulations apply in most Region One hunting districts.

Young hunters age 12-15 may take antlerless whitetailed deer and antlerless elk season long in most Region One hunting districts. Check the Montana hunting regulations for the planned hunting district.