Montana Fish, Wildlife & Parks just wrapped up their annual springtime game of “I Spy” from helicopters, and the results for south-central Montana (Region 5) are a total mixed bag.

The Good News: Nature’s Daycare Thrived

The winter of 2025-2026 was incredibly mild. Because it wasn’t a freezing nightmare, a ton of fawns survived their first winter (what biologists call “recruitment”). In many areas, the babies are doing great.

The Bad News: Total Numbers Are Still Low

While the babies survived, overall adult deer numbers across most of the region are still well below average. Here is the neighborhood breakdown:

• Roundup (The Overachievers): The only spot where numbers actually went up. The Big Coulee area is flexing with deer numbers 150% above average.
• Big Timber (Future Growth Loading): Total numbers are still down 53% to 60%, but high fawn survival means a future population spike is on the way.
• Billings (The Slump): Fawn survival here was a disappointing 31% below average.
• Red Lodge (Low on Purpose): Numbers hit historic lows here. It’s partly intentional—FWP keeps deer density low here to stop the spread of Chronic Wasting Disease.

Why it matters: FWP uses these aerial counts to set hunting season rules and license numbers. The high fawn survival gives us hope, but for now, the herd is still rebuilding.

Read FWP’s full press release here.

^{Photo credit: Gateway Graphic Design and Photography}