Deer hunting success near average, elk below average for north-central Montana during third week of general season
GREAT FALLS – Through the third week and ending on the fourth Sunday of the general rifle season, 1,730 hunters have come through FWP’s Augusta check station which is slightly below recent average but six percent higher than last year at this point of the season. Overall hunting success remains near average with 22 percent of hunters reporting they have harvested an animal, although hunters report that recent warm and dry weather has made conditions difficult to find deer and elk.
With two weeks left in the general rifle season, a total of 385 deer and elk have come through the station, which is 3 percent below the ten-year average and 11 percent below last year at this time.
After near-average elk harvest in the early days of the season, elk harvest has now dropped to 36 percent below average with a total of 94 elk checked thus far this season, down from the ten-year average of 145 elk. This is likely due in large part to mild weather benefiting elk and their ability to remain in difficult to access areas and higher elevation habitats. In addition, a strong number of migratory Sun River elk have arrived at the Sun River WMA where a more restrictive elk hunting opportunity is in place for the latter half of the season.
Hunting district 442 elk hunting has been slow but the elk quota there remains open to antlerless and brow-tined bull elk hunting. The hunting district 424 elk antlerless quota has closed but remains open to brow-tined bull hunting opportunity. For hunting district 442 elk quota status updates, hunters should check with the Augusta check station at 406-562-3467.
Total deer harvest remains above the ten-year average and similar to overall deer harvest at this time last year, with just under 300 deer checked so far this season. For mule deer, 121 antlered and 19 antlerless deer have been recorded, which is 30 percent above average numbers, with much of the increase coming from increased harvest of antlered bucks. 82 antlered and 69 antlerless white-tailed deer have been recorded, which is slightly above average.
An additional four bighorn sheep, six antelope, one mountain lion, one mountain goat, one black bear and variety of game birds have also been checked through the station so far this season.
Hunters are reminded that they must stop at any check station they pass while hunting, whether or not they have harvested game. Biological check stations like the station in Augusta are intended primarily to gather trends and statistical information about animals and hunters. Although biological check stations sample a relatively small portion of the overall hunter effort and harvest, they capture important hunter and harvest trends and other information, and by stopping to report a harvest and other information, hunters are helping with wildlife management in Montana.
The general deer and elk seasons run through Sunday, Nov. 30. The check station operated by FWP along Main Street in Augusta is the only biological check station in Region 4 and operates seven days a week from 5:30 a.m. to 9:30 p.m. on weekdays and 10 p.m. on weekends.
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