BOZEMAN – Hunter harvest rates in southwestern Montana were mixed during the general deer and elk hunting season, according to data gathered by Montana Fish, Wildlife & Parks biologists. Mild weather during much of the general season made it challenging for hunters to find game at some lower elevations.
The general season was held over five weeks and six weekends from Oct. 26 through Dec. 1. During that time, FWP staff operated game check stations at various times and locations in southwest Montana, including stations in Alder, Cameron, Canyon Ferry, Divide, Gallatin Canyon, Silver City and Toston. Collectively, they met with 6,966 hunters who harvested 48 white-tailed deer, 168 mule deer and 406 elk.
Biologists use check stations to collect data on hunter participation and success, as well as the species, sex and age class of the animals harvested. Check station data captures a portion of hunting activity on weekends in specific areas. Hunter numbers and harvest rates can be influenced by weather, changes in hunting regulations from one season to another, and other factors. Biologists also rely on information collected through hunter harvest phone surveys each year.
The Alder check station was open on the first, third and sixth weekends of the general season. Over those three weekends, wildlife staff met with 812 hunters who collectively harvested 16 white-tailed deer, 35 mule deer and 88 elk. The hunter harvest rate for the final weekend was average at 21 percent, an increase from the 9.7-percent harvest rate over opening weekend.
Biologists operated a check station at Canyon Ferry on the first and final weekends of the general season. They met with 338 hunters who harvested 6 white-tailed deer, 11 mule deer and 16 elk. Hunter harvest was 3.9 percent on opening weekend and 8.3 percent on the final weekend.
The Cameron check station was open each weekend during the general season. Wildlife staff there met with 2,935 hunters who harvested 14 white-tailed deer, 60 mule deer and 192 elk over the six weekends. Hunter harvest rates ranged from 6.5 percent on Nov. 2-3 to 10.6 percent on Nov. 23-24. Overall harvest numbers were average for elk, above average for mule deer and below average for white-tailed deer. Snow levels were high enough to make high-country travel difficult for hunters, but not enough to concentrate elk on winter ranges. This, combined with above-average numbers of hunters, meant that individual hunter harvest rates in this area were below the average range.
The Divide check station was also open each weekend during the general season. Biologists there met with 1,406 hunters who harvested six white-tailed deer, 43 mule deer and 63 elk over the six weekends. Hunter harvest rates ranged from 6.4 percent on Nov. 16-17 to 13.4 percent over the previous weekend. This area also saw relatively mild temperatures and snowfall, with minimal elk movement during the general season. The overall hunter harvest rate at this station was 8.7 percent this year, up from 7.8 percent in 2023 but still below the 10-year average of 9.3 percent.
The Gallatin check station operated during the first, second and sixth weekends of the general season. Wildlife staff there met with 500 hunters who harvested one white-tailed deer, five mule deer and 20 elk. Hunter harvest rates ranged from 4.4 percent over opening weekend to 6.5 percent the following weekend. Overall, this season had average numbers of hunters and mule deer harvested and below-average numbers of elk harvested.
The Silver City check station operated on opening and closing weekends of the general season, with hunter harvest rates of 4.4 and 3 percent, respectively. Staff met with 902 hunters who harvested one white-tailed deer, eight mule deer and 27 elk over the two weekends.
The Toston check station was open on Nov. 9, which brought 73 hunters and a harvest rate of 8.3 percent. Those hunters harvested six mule deer.
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