Deer Harvest Slow for West-Central Montana

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Deer harvest is tallying in behind last year’s numbers and the five-year average at west-central Montana hunter check stations.

Overall at the region’s three check stations through the first two weeks of the season, a total of 9,461 hunters checked 305 elk, 106 mule deer, 182 white-tailed deer, six black bears, one moose, eight bighorn sheep, two mountain goats and eleven wolves for 5.9 percent of hunters with game.

Deer harvest reported at the check stations is approximately 50 percent behind the five-year average for both white-tailed and mule deer.

Most of the decrease in white-tailed deer harvest has been seen at the Bonner check station where totals are half of what they were at this point in the season last year and 56 percent behind the five-year average.  

“We expected to see a lower whitetail harvest through Bonner as a result of an apparent decline in white-tailed deer numbers in the Blackfoot, which prompted us to eliminate some hunter opportunity for antlerless whitetails across the region this year,” said Mike Thompson, Montana Fish, Wildlife & Parks (FWP) Region 2 Wildlife Manager.   “We’re keeping a close watch on harvest to see whether we need to recommend more season adjustments next year.”

The over-the-counter white-tailed Deer B license for rifle hunters in west-central Montana, which was available from 2006-2008, was cut this year.  

Elk harvest reported at the check stations is comparable to last year through the second week of the season and seven percent behind the five-year average.

Elk harvest in the Upper Clark Fork region has been above average this season where the Anaconda hunter check station has seen 47 elk this season—the highest checked at the station during the first two weeks of the season since 2003.

Lower hunter numbers may be part of the explanation for a below-average start to the season.   Hunter numbers are down approximately 10 percent from both last year and the five-year average, and a consistent decrease in hunter pressure has been documented at all three check stations.

Hunters have harvested 17 wolves in Wolf Management Unit (WMU) 2 through Nov. 9, which encompasses most of west-central Montana.   The quota for WMU 2 is 22 wolves.  

Hunters are reminded that they must stop at all check stations that they pass on their way to or from hunting—even if they have not harvested any animals.
 

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