According to results at the six northwest Montana check stations, whitetail deer and mule deer harvest through November 18 is nearly identical to last year at the same point in the hunting season. A total of 19,580 hunters have taken 1,219 whitetails (662 of these were bucks), 237 mule deer, and 127 elk for an 8.1 percent rate of hunters with game. These harvest figures for deer are nearly identical to last year, while elk harvest is down 23 percent. “Elk numbers are good but snow would sure help the harvest,” said Bruce Sterling, FWP Wildlife biologist in Thompson Falls. Sterling anticipates more elk coming through the check station the last week of the season. Based on biologists and hunter reports, deer have entered the rut. Harvest is expected to pick up over the last week of the general big game hunting season especially if hunting areas receive snow.
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