Northwest Montana hunter traffic steady, white-tailed deer harvest up slightly as big game season wraps up
KALISPELL — The general deer and elk hunting season wrapped up in Montana and game check stations in northwest Montana reported activity levels nearly identical to last year while harvest totals reflect small shifts among species.
White-tailed deer harvest remained the backbone of the region’s big game season, according to the check station information. Hunters checked 1,009 white-tailed deer, including 784 bucks, slightly ahead of last year’s buck harvest. Mule deer and elk harvests were down modestly compared to 2024.
Across all stations, 10.9 percent of hunters had harvested game, up slightly from 10.2 percent last year.
Check stations were open on weekends during general hunting season and only sampled a small portion of hunter participation and harvests across the region. They help biologists track monitoring trends and collect information on wildlife age, health, and other observations from the field. Telephone surveys, conducted over the upcoming winter months with hunters, will gather definitive harvest data and information. Harvest reports from each season are posted online and regional species reports are posted on the Region 1 webpage.
Hunters still have opportunities into winter. Certain areas have continued elk hunting opportunities, and there’s also Montana’s Muzzleloader Heritage season for deer and elk, Dec. 13-21, 2025.
As the season wraps up, hunters can thank Montana landowners for access and share stories through an online portal. Montana Fish, Wildlife & Parks is offering this opportunity to say thank you to landowners who have provided access and helped to make your hunting season great. FWP will collect these expressions of gratitude and share them with the specific landowners at the end of the season. Notes can be submitted online at https://fwp.mt.gov/hunt/thank-a-landowner.
Muzzleloader Heritage Hunting Season
The Muzzleloader Heritage hunting season is Dec. 13-21, 2025.
- During the muzzleloader heritage season, a person may take a deer or elk with any unused license or permit that is valid on the last day of the general hunting season.
- Hunters can use plain lead projectiles and a muzzleloading rifle that is charged with loose black powder, loose pyrodex, or an equivalent loose black powder substitute and ignited by a flintlock, wheel lock, matchlock or percussion mechanism using a percussion or musket cap.
- The muzzleloading rifle must be a minimum of .45 caliber and may not have more than two barrels.
- During the Muzzleloader Heritage season, hunters may not use a muzzleloading rifle that requires insertion of a cap or primer into the open breech of the barrel (inline), is capable of being loaded from the breech, or is mounted with an optical magnification device.
- Use of pre-prepared paper or metallic cartridges, sabots, gas checks or other similar power and range-enhancing manufactured loads that enclose the projectile from the rifling or bore of the firearm is also prohibited.
- Many of Montana’s Wildlife Management Areas have seasonal closures from Dec. 2 through May 14. Dates may vary depending on the site. Before heading to the field, hunters should review the regulations for each hunting district they plan to hunt. A list of WMAs and seasonal closure dates are available online at https://fwp.mt.gov/conservation/wildlife-management-areas.
Northwest Montana Game Check Station Results
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