Busy opening weekend for hunters

The Libby Canoe Gulch hunter check station saw an increase in hunter stops and harvested white-tailed deer this year compared to last year, according to officials with Montana Fish, Wildlife and Parks (FWP)

Opening weekend, Oct. 26 and 27, brought 375 hunters to the Canoe Gulch Ranger Station, approximately 25 more than last year. Of the hunters who stopped, 12 reported harvesting a white-tailed deer (four bucks, eight does), up seven from last year’s opening weekend count. There were also four mule deer harvested and three elk.

Percentage-wise, about five percent of hunters came away with harvests on opening weekend. The previous year, opening weekend saw three percent of the 351 hunters who stopped at the check station leave with a harvest.

The opening weekend numbers were up for the Libby area, but down overall across the state for white-tailed deer.

“Region-wide, elk harvest was slightly better than last year for opening weekend. Our overall white-tailed deer harvest was lower than it has been for the last few years,” said FWP Region 1 Wildlife Manager Neil Anderson. “After three years of moderate-to-low white-tailed deer recruitment, this wasn’t surprising, but we expect the harvest to improve as the season progresses.”

Closer to town, the CWD sampling station has seen a lot of traffic. Officials collected 32 samples from inside the CWD Management Zone on opening weekend.

“There have been 20 positive tests of CWD to date in the Libby area, and all of those have been in the urban center of town,” said Dillon Tabish, FWP regional information coordinator.

FWP reminds hunters that they must stop at all check stations they pass, even if they did not harvest an animal. FWP officials also remind hunters that hunting mule deer buck along the North Fisher district 103, outside of Libby, is permit only.

More information about regulations can be found in the 2019 hunting guide booklet.