Deer, Elk Seasons Slow to Average

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Blame it on the warm weather or call it the mid season doldrums, but state wildlife officials in north central Montana say the deer and elk hunting season appears to be going slow to average.

“It’s kinda quiet,” says Wendy Kamm, Fish, Wildlife and Parks game warden in Fort Benton. “It’s the mid season lull, although people who are out are finding animals.”

With the general deer and elk season continuing until Nov. 25, it’s too early to tell how the season will end, and FWP in north central Montana, Region 4, has only one wildlife check station. That’s in Augusta, which gathers data mostly from six hunting districts around the Sun River Wildlife Management Area.

Nonetheless, conversations with hunters afield seem to indicate a wait and see attitude.

“Hunter enthusiasm is clearly related to weather and snow, or lack of snow.” Says Graham Taylor, FWP regional wildlife manager in Great Falls.

Adds Kamm: “A lot of people are waiting for snow, but they may wait themselves out of a season.”

On the Rocky Mountain Front data collected at the Augusta check station indicates a steady harvest of elk. There, hunters are taking elk at a pace better than the long-term average, especially antlerless elk.

Hunters have checked in 70 antlerless elk, well above the 10-year average of 42.

The bull elk harvest, too, is ahead of the long-term average, though only slightly. About half way through the season hunters have checked in 68 bull elk. The 10-year average at this point of the season is 55 bulls.

“We’re still having a lot of folks coming through the check station,” Lonner says, “even with the mild weather.”

Deer numbers on the Front are much closer to the long-term average.

Hunters have brought in 81 mule deer bucks and 25 does, compared with the average of 86 bucks and 10 does. For white-tailed deer, hunters have checked 48 bucks and 37 does at Augusta, compared to the average of 37 bucks and 44 does.

With less than half of the five-week season left, most wildlife officials predict a renewed effort from hunters, especially if the temperature turns colder or it snows.

“It’s the luxury of a five-week general rifle season,” says FWP wildlife manager Taylor, “that people can sit and play the waiting game with the weather.”