elk hunting

Deer, Elk Harvest Finishes Behind Last in NW Montana
By Hookemharry

Posted: November 28, 2011

Region 1 – Whitetail deer harvest picked up during the last two weekends of the deer and elk hunting season but still finished behind last year’s totals.

According to FWP Wildlife Manager Jim Williams, the number of whitetail deer, mule deer, and elk checked were down from last year. “The results at our check stations are an indication that deer and elk populations are still down throughout northwest Montana. We’ll know the details of total harvest for each hunting district after the telephone hunter surveys are completed this spring.”

At the six northwest Montana check stations through Sunday, November 27, a total of 18,611 hunters checked 911 white-tailed deer (753 of these were bucks), 103 mule deer, and 121 elk for a 6.1 percent rate of hunters with game. The counts at the six northwest Montana check stations represent a sampling of the harvest and do not represent the complete number of animals taken.

Hunters checked 15 percent fewer whitetail bucks, 35 percent fewer mule deer, and 23 percent fewer elk as compared to last year.

Region 1 Check Station Summary – through 11/27/2011
STATION HUNTER
NUMBERS
WHITE-TAILED
DEER
WHITE-TAILED
BUCKS
MULE
DEER
ELK % HUNTERS
WITH GAME
2011 2010 2011 2010 2011 2010 2011 2010 2011 2010 2011 2010
HWY 2 6,265 5,737 316 319 268 272 40 39 39 43 6.3 7.0
SWAN 3,694 3,384 221 308 179 260 3 8 15 24 6.5 10.0
NORTH
FORK
1,317 1,546 29 71 22 60 7 23 3 7 3.0 6.5
THOMPSON
FALLS
2,234 2,216 119 108 93 89 14 21 42 61 7.8 8.6
OLNEY 2,716 2,573 175 189 144 161 12 32 11 10 7.3 9.0
CANOE
GULCH
2,335 2,108 51 60 47 46 27 36 11 13 3.8 5.2
TOTALS 18,561 17,564 911 1,055 753 888 103 159 121 158 6.1
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