Hunters must stop at all check stations they pass; CWD sampling options are also available
MISSOULA – After three weekends of big game general hunting season, Montana Fish, Wildlife & Parks hunter check stations in west-central Montana are collectively reporting harvest totals for deer and elk on par with last season and just above the five-year average.
There are some localized differences, such as white-tailed deer harvest that is up 30 percent from 2024 at the Bonner hunter check station but average or down slightly elsewhere. The Bonner station uptick in whitetail harvest is due largely to an either-sex harvest opportunity in several Blackfoot hunting districts that was available on the general license for the first week of the season only.
The deer harvest should begin to show more of a bump region-wide over the next few weeks as the deer rut kicks in. Elk harvest is also up slightly compared to last season at this point as reported at the Bonner and Anaconda hunter check stations but down slightly through the Darby station.
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The stations tallied 5,324 hunter stops during the first three weekends of the season, compared to 5,643 during the same period last year. Those hunters checked 78 mule deer, compared to 88 in 2024 and 224 white-tailed deer, compared to 188. Stations are reporting 184 elk, compared to 180 last year.
The general big game season has almost reached its midway point. The season opened on October 24 and runs through Sunday, Nov. 29.
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 Darby and Anaconda are collecting CWD samples during normal weekend hours of operation, as well as a specific CWD sampling locations in Drummond (Friday, Saturday and Sunday from 10 a.m.-dark and Monday from 10 a.m.-2 p.m.), and at the Missoula FWP office (Monday-Friday, 8 a.m.-5 p.m.). For a complete list of stations and hours across the state, visit fwp.mt.gov/cwd. Hunters 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 and management of the disease. A few 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.
Piper Germane and her grandpa stopped by the Bonner hunter check station over the third weekend of the season with two mule deer bucks.
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