Deer harvest ahead of last season

Deer harvest in northwest Montana wrapped up Sunday slightly higher than last season.

According to Fish, Wildlife and Parks season totals, 16,708 hunters checked 1,138 white-tailed deer (988 of these were bucks), 139 mule deer, and 50 elk for a 7.9 percent rate of hunters with game.

This is slightly higher than the 7.1 percent of hunters with game last year. The number of hunters in northwest Montana was down nine percent as compared to last year.

The Olney check station reported the highest percentage of hunters with game at 10.8 percent.

Wildlife Biologist Tim Thier reports that this year was one of the best seasons for buck harvest since 1994.

Some real nice bucks came through on Saturday and Sunday, Thier said.

Region One Supervisor Jim Williams notes that FWP has been tracking three years of good fawn survival in northwest Montana and the check station sample this year confirms that hunters were able to take good numbers of deer.

Elk harvest is always dependent upon snow in northwest Montana and ended up being similar to last year.

New this year, FWP will have the general land ownership location of the check station deer and elk kill sample. That analysis should be completed in a few weeks.

Hunters in northwest Montana have taken 23 wolves. Statewide, 81 wolves have been taken.

This is down from last year at the end of the general deer and elk season. The wolf hunting season continues until March 15.