The harvest of white-tailed deer and elk continues to lag behind last year, according to results at the six northwest Montana check stations. Through November 11, a total of 15,702 hunters have taken 873 white-tailed deer (388 of these were bucks), 188 mule deer, and 107 elk for a 7.4 percent rate of hunters with game. This compares to an 8.7 percent rate of hunters with game last year at the same point in the season. The total harvest of whitetails is down about six percent; the harvest of whitetail bucks is down 11 percent. Elk harvest is down about two percent and the mule deer take is about the same as last year. Check stations measure only a percentage of the harvest but usually reflect the overall harvest trend. FWP Wildlife Manager Jim Williams expects the harvest to pick up as the deer enter the rut in the coming week. Snow would greatly aid hunters as well.
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