Elk Harvest Up in West-Central Montana Opener

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 Elk harvest was up for west-central Montana’s big game opener Oct. 26, while deer harvest lagged behind.   

“The early fall cold snap really spurred elk to move, bringing them down into lower elevation areas that are more accessible to hunters,” said Mike Thompson, Montana Fish, Wildlife & Parks Region 2 Wildlife Manager.

FWP checked a total of 100 elk at the three west-central Montana check stations—located near Darby, Bonner and Anaconda—on Sunday, compared to 82 last year.   Elk harvest was up 28 percent from the five-year average on opening day and the highest number of elk reported region-wide on opening day since 1993.

The Bonner check station reported strong hunter numbers on Sunday as 1,366 hunters passed through the station—the highest number since 1997.

Region-wide, white-tailed deer harvest did not fare as well.   Reported harvest was 36 percent behind the 2008 opener and 54 percent under the five-year average. 

One of the factors that may have contributed to the decline in white-tailed deer harvest is the elimination of the over-the-counter white-tailed Deer B licenses for rifle hunters in west-central Montana (FWP Region 2) this year.   

Mule deer harvest was on par at the Anaconda and Bonner Stations but was lower at the Darby check station, where only three mule deer were checked, compared to 14 last year.            The mule deer harvest decline may also be partly attributed to a decrease in hunter opportunity.   FWP decreased permits and Deer B licenses for mule deer in parts of the Bitterroot Valley, where surveys indicated a downward trend in mule deer numbers and fawn recruitment.

The Darby station checked two wolves on Sunday—both from the Bighole Valley.   A total harvest of three wolves from Wolf Management Unit (WMU) 2, which encompasses most of west-central Montana, was reported on opening day.   The WMU has a harvest quota of 22 wolves.

The check stations reported an opening day total of 2,715 hunters that checked 100 elk, 17 mule deer, 44 white-tailed deer, three black bears and two wolves for 6.1 percent of hunters with game.

-fwp- 

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