Montana deer, elk seasons begin Saturday
For those who aren’t archery or grouse hunters, the big day is Saturday when Montana’s general elk and deer seasons begin.
Big game check stations will be open in Region 1 on weekends during the general season — Highway 2 west of Kalispell, Highway 83 north of Swan Lake, Highway 200 on the west end of Thompson Falls and Highway 93 near Olney.
The Canoe Gulch check station near Libby is no longer in operation and has been replaced by the Libby CWD sampling station located on the south end of Libby (mile marker 35 on Highway 2). Hunters are required to stop at game check stations but stopping at the Libby CWD sampling station is voluntary.
The Libby CWD station is open Saturday, Sunday and Monday from 10 a.m. to one hour after shooting light.
In recent years, FWP has detected CWD in white-tailed deer, mule deer and moose in the Libby area. Hunters need to be aware of the Libby CWD Management Zone (MZ) and its boundaries, which includes portions of HDs 100, 103 and 104. In 2020, a single CWD-positive whitetail buck was detected outside the zone near the Thompson Chain of Lakes and another CWD-positive was discovered outside the zone in 2021.
Testing for CWD is voluntary and hunters wishing to have harvested deer, elk and moose tested can submit samples themselves, visit the Libby CWD Sampling Station (Montana Department of Transportation shop on U.S. Highway 2, mile marker 35) on weekends during the general season, or stop by the Region 1 Headquarters in Kalispell (490 North Meridian) during business hours Monday through Friday.
FWP staff’s ability to collect samples at game check stations will be limited and will occur only if it can be done safely and check stations are not busy. Hunters are encouraged to submit samples for testing, particularly in the Libby CWD MZ, so FWP can better assess the status of CWD in northwest Montana.
Also, hunters should be aware of the mule deer buck harvest restriction in the North Fisher portion of Hunter District 103. It is a limited draw, permit-only section.
There are no restrictions in the section for white-tailed deer or elk.
State officials are also urging to continue to be aware of the presence of grizzly bears in the region. They suggest the following tips for dealing and avoiding grizzlies:
Carry and know how to use bear spray. Keep it within easy reach and be prepared to use it immediately;
Stay alert, especially when hearing or visibility is limited. Watch for environmental indicators of recent bear activity. If there is abundant fresh sign of grizzly bears in the area, consider hunting elsewhere. Let other hunters know when bears and/or fresh sign are observed;
Avoid carcass sites and concentrations of ravens and other scavengers;
Carry the equipment needed to process a carcass and get it out of the field as quickly as possible;
If you harvest an animal, remove it from the field as quickly as possible.
Grizzly bears are still protected under federal Endangered Species guidelines.
Black bears are legal game for those with a license. All successful bear hunters are required to report the harvest within 48 hours on the Harvest Reporting Line (1-877-FWP-WILD or 406-444-0356) or through the MyFWP portal.
Successful hunters in Region 1 are required to submit a premolar tooth, the sex of the harvested bear, bear management unit number and general location of the harvest within 10 days of harvest. This regulation applies only to Region 1.