Mild weather leads to more hunters but lower success for opening weekend of big game season in Region 4

GREAT FALLS - In contrast to last year’s blizzard and bitter cold conditions on opening weekend, this year’s general rifle season opener was met with mild weather across north-central Montana, leading to below average harvest success, although overall hunter numbers stopping at the Augusta check station were slightly higher than average. Mild weather typically leads to conditions making big game hunting more difficult. 

The total number of successful and unsuccessful hunters checked for the weekend was 8% above the 10-year average.  But the number of successful hunters was down 17% from the 10-year average. 

White-tailed deer harvest was approximately 9% below recent average, and mule deer harvest was 15% lower than the recent average.  Total deer harvest includes a handful of deer that were checked from successful youth hunters during the two-day youth deer season on Thursday and Friday. Overall deer harvest was reasonably well distributed from along southern Rocky Mountain Front hunting districts. 

Elk harvest amounted to only about 1/3 of normal for opening weekend, and the lowest harvest level of the past 10 years.  Given the mild weather, elk in the migratory Sun River herd (Hunting districts 424, 425 and 442) do not yet appear to be making any initial movements towards their winter range on the Sun River WMA.  The few elk that were checked over the weekend primarily came from more ‘resident’ and non-migratory elk located in the broader area. 

In addition to the deer and elk, five antelope, one mountain goat and a variety of game birds were also checked.

The general deer and elk seasons runs through Nov. 28. The check station operated by FWP along Main Street in Augusta is the only biological check station in Region 4 and operates seven days a week from 5:30 a.m. to 9 p.m. Hunters are reminded that they must stop at any check station they pass while hunting, whether or not they have harvested game. Biological check stations are intended primarily for biologists to gather statistical information and trends about animals and hunters.