MISSOULA – With just under a week left in big game general hunting season, Montana Fish, Wildlife & Parks west-central Montana hunter check stations reported a slower weekend, with the mild temperatures and minimal snow dominating the season’s weather so far. Still, harvest totals are similar to last season for both deer and elk.
Deer harvest has been strong season-long in western Montana, with harvest for mule deer up slightly from last year and the five-year average. White-tailed deer harvest is also up from the five-year average and just under the 2024 season at this point.
The deer breeding season, also known as the “rut,” has bumped hunter success over the past few weeks as bucks are moving around more during the day and less cautious. The three wildlife check stations near Anaconda, Bonner and Darby are reporting 128 mule deer collectively compared to 108 last year and 446 white-tailed deer compared to 464.
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.
Mild temperatures and minimal snow, even in higher elevations, has tempered elk harvest in some places this season but it remains on track overall. Collectively, elk harvest is at 245 through the stations, compared to 250 last season.
The Fish Creek hunter check station in Mineral County west of Missoula doesn’t operate every weekend of the season and sees fewer hunters than the other stations but does collect important harvest trends and reports from the hunters that visit. There, hunter traffic and deer harvest are both down slightly compared to 2024.
“Hunter numbers and harvest were down this weekend, likely due to warm weather and no snow,” said Ryan Klimstra, FWP wildlife biologist who spent the weekend at the Fish Creek station. “The rut is definitely still going on and folks are seeing a lot of deer.”
Although wildlife check stations do not log the entire hunter effort and harvest for an area, they capture important trends and biological information, including unique observations from hunters. 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 stations that they pass, even if they have not harvested any animals. The general big game season closes on Sunday, Nov. 30.
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) for one more week, and at the Missoula FWP office (Monday-Friday, 8 a.m.-5p.m.) through Jan. 2, 2026. 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.
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