West-Central Montana Hunter Check Stations Report Deer Harvest Picking Up

MISSOULA – With two weeks left of general big game general hunting season, Montana Fish, Wildlife & Parks hunter check stations in west-central Montana are collectively reporting harvest totals slightly up from last season for deer and just about the same as last for elk. The deer harvest continues to pick up pace as hunters are beginning to report rutting behavior in white-tailed bucks.

“Harvest increased considerably this weekend, and I expect the rut to be in full swing through the week and into next weekend,” said Lee Tafelmeyer, FWP biologist in charge of the Bonner hunter check station.

The Bonner check station saw over twice as many white-tailed deer this past weekend compared to the weekend before and has seen more hunters this season than average. Elk harvest is on par with last season region-wide, while mule deer and white-tailed deer harvest are up slightly overall.

Ryan Klimstra, Missoula-based wildlife biologist who runs the Fish Creek wildlife check station in Mineral County said that harvest started off slow at his station on Saturday but picked up Sunday along with the rut. “Fog and warm temperatures have been making this hunting season challenging in some places,” Klimstra added.

FWP reminds hunters that hunting for antlered buck mule deer on the general license ended on Sunday, Nov. 16 in Hunting Districts 204, 212, 213, 214, 215, 217, 240, 292, and 298.

Hunters have a few more weeks of the season left. The general big game season closes on Sunday, Nov. 30. Although wildlife check stations sample a relatively small portion of the overall effort and harvest, they capture important trends and biological information, and by stopping to report a harvest or an experience, hunters are helping with wildlife management in Montana. FWP reminds hunters they must stop at all wildlife check stations that they pass, even if they have not harvested any animals.

CWD sampling locations

Hunters can help with chronic wasting disease (CWD) management by submitting samples from harvested deer, elk, and moose for testing. In west-central Montana, the wildlife check stations near Bonner, Darby and Anaconda are all collecting CWD samples, as well as specific CWD sampling locations in Drummond (Friday 10am-2pm; Saturday, Sunday and Monday from 10a.m.-dark), and at the Missoula FWP office (Monday-Friday, 8 a.m.-5p.m.). For a complete list of stations and hours across the state, visit fwp.mt.gov/cwd. Hunter can also take samples themselves and mail them to the wildlife lab for testing.

Although CWD testing is voluntary, samples from hunter-harvested deer, elk and moose are critical to FWP’s understanding of this fatal disease. Most big game hunting districts around west-central Montana are Priority Surveillance Areas for CWD, which are areas where FWP is making a concerted effort to gather more samples. All sampling is offered for free to hunters. Hunters play a key role in understanding CWD by providing data and in minimizing the spread by disposing of wildlife parts properly. Read more: fwp.mt.gov/cwd.

Check station results chart