Big game forecast for Northwestern Montana

In the northwest corner of Montana, the story for 2017’s hunting season was really started last winter with deep snowfall across much to the region.

The snowpack, in some areas, was exceptional making for low survival rates in some areas for elk calves and deer fawns.

For elk, calf recruitment was lower than in previous years and as such the number of antlerless licenses was reduced for the 2017 season. However, the impact of the hard winter didn’t seem to be as dramatic as initially thought. Bull and cow ratios across the region remain stable.

Northwest Montana is unique white-tailed deer country. While most of the state is dominated by mule deer, that’s not the case up here. White-tailed deer can be found from river bottoms and agriculture land to evergreen forests and high country.

However, fawn recruitment was impacted by the winter. That’s the bad news. The good news is adult survival was good and if we see a normal winter this year, hunters won’t notice a dip in deer numbers.

White-tailed deer numbers were most impacted in the north fork of the Flathead River.

Mule deer counts in the region remain at about their long-term average.

Elk numbers in western Montana are robust. FWP wildlife biologists counted 26,226 elk this spring, the second-highest total in 53 years of annual aerial surveys.

Numbers of bull elk in the surveys were notably strong, probably reflecting the light harvest last fall.

Dry weather and fires in the region will contribute to more elk in irrigated crops on private land. Hunters hoping to participate in shoulder seasons this fall or winter should secure permission on private land now, and purchase an elk B-license now for private lands where B-licenses are valid. Hunting regulations are the same as last year; please read the regulations for your area carefully.

White-tailed deer numbers appear to be on an upward trend, owing to the past couple years of excellent fawn production and average-or-better winter survival. It seems that most does had twins, this year and last. Biologists noticed more good bucks in the velvet over the summer. Dry weather and fires in the region will tend to concentrate deer, like elk, in irrigated crops on private land even more than usual. Fresh burns could be good places to hunt if fall rains come and if a fall green-up occurs.

Opportunities to hunt mule deer are somewhat limited in western Montana. Many districts require the hunter to have obtained a permit or B-license through the statewide application process. Hunters with buck permits or hunters hunting in districts where a special permit is not required for a buck should plan to go high in the mountains to match their stamina with the biggest bucks.

Antelope hunting is a minority sport in western Montana, where numbers have increased to about 400, following transplants by FWP to the Deer Lodge vicinity in the 1940s.

Hunting is limited to a few hunters with permits obtained in the statewide drawing process.