By Micah Drew DAILY MONTANAN
Following the Thanksgiving holiday weekend, Montana’s 2024 general big game hunting season came to an end on Dec. 1. Hunters across the state had mixed results, with hunters in Montana’s western regions seeing increased harvests compared to 2023, while hunters in many of the eastern regions reported mixed or decreased harvest numbers.
Montana Fish, Wildlife and Parks biologists rely on hunter check stations to collect data on hunter participation and success — though these check stations only capture a snapshot of the overall hunting data as check stations are only manned on weekends in specific areas. However, because many stations have been operated consistently over the years, they provide important harvest trend data. Biologists will also collect information through hunter harvest phone surveys.
“Thank you to all the hunters who stopped and shared information with us season-long,” Lee Tafelmeyer, FWP wildlife biologist in charge of the Bonner station said in a statement. “Hunter harvest information and observations are important input for FWP.”
Here is a roundup of how hunters fared across the state.
Region 1
In the northwest portion of the state more than 10,800 hunters stopped at check stations and roughly 10% of them made successful harvests, up a percentage point from last year.
Hunters bagged 954 white-tailed deer, including 745 bucks, according to counts at the four regional check stations. That was up by nearly 200 deer, and 200 bucks, compared to 2023’s harvest data.
The mule deer harvest across the northwest was down slightly from last year — 92 compared to 97 — but hunters harvested 11 more elk this season.
Region 2
In the state’s west-central region, which comprises the Bitterroot and the I-90 corridor from the Idaho border toward Anaconda, hunters also saw increased success from last year. Over the six weekends of the general hunting season, 9,905 hunters stopped at the region’s check stations and reported a harvest of 288 elk, 119 mule deer and 525 white-tailed deer.
The overall number of hunter stops was down slightly, but harvest number across all three species were higher at nearly all check stations.
Region 3
Across seven hunter check stations operating on intermittent weekends in southwestern Montana, FWP officials met with 6,966 hunters. Hunters reported harvesting 406 elk, including 199 antlered animals. The majority of elk were reported at the Cameron/Ennis check station, where hunter success rates averaged around 9%.
Hunters also reported taking 168 mule deer and 48 white-tailed deer across the region.
The Alder check station saw the highest reported hunter success rate in the region. On closing weekend, 21% of the 208 hunters who passed by the check station reported successful hunts. Hunters also had a 19% harvest rate during the third weekend of the season.
Region 4
Data from Region 4, comprising the north-central part of the state, was not available by Friday afternoon. This piece will be updated.
Region 5
The final hunting weekend for south-central Montana had mild, sunny weather but depressed success rates for hunters. According to an FWP news release, three of the four check stations recorded some of the lowest harvest rates on record for closing weekend and the cumulative mule deer harvest was a record low at three stations.
A total of 4,400 hunters visited the region’s check stations throughout the season and reported 451 total harvested mule deer, 398 white-tailed deer, 271 elk and 54 antelope. The general antelope season closed Nov. 10.
Region 6
The Havre check station reported the lowest number of hunters seen since 2015, when antlerless mule deer licenses were not available or greatly reduced throughout the state. Just 1,657 hunters passed through the check station this year, down 18% from 2023 and 7% below the long-term average.
Harvest rates were also lower for most species throughout the season.
Hunters reported 150 antelope — the antelope season closed on Nov. 10 — down 15% from 2023, but a whopping 39% below the long-term average. Mule deer harvest numbers were also down 31% from last year and 32% below the long-term averages. Mule deer doe harvest was down the most, at just 40% of average.
White-tailed deer numbers were also depressed, with just 118 harvested, 21% below last year.
The region also saw the lowest elk harvest number in two decades, with only 19 elk checked.
Region 7
A colder-than-normal closing weekend in southeast Montana brought down hunter traffic at game check stations in Hysham, Ashland and Glendive.
Final weekend tallies showed the Hysham station reported near average hunter numbers, but harvest success rates were about 26% below normal for closing weekend.
Glendive also saw less action than normal on closing weekend, with just 21 hunters passing by the check station, down 30% from normal.
Comparatively, hunters passing through Ashland saw increased harvest rates with a reported seven elk, 11 mule deer and 15 white-tailed deer.
Muzzleloader heritage season offers upcoming hunting opportunities
While the general rifle season closed on Dec. 1, hunters will have some wintertime hunting opportunities, such as the upcoming muzzleloader season which runs from Dec. 14-22. Find out more: fwp.mt.gov/hunt.
During the muzzleloader heritage season, a person may take a deer or elk with any unused license or permit that is valid on the last day of the general hunting season (i.e., Dec. 1, 2024).
Hunters can use plain lead projectiles and a muzzleloading rifle that is charged with loose black powder, loose pyrodex, or an equivalent loose black powder substitute and ignited by a flintlock, wheel lock, matchlock or percussion mechanism using a percussion or musket cap.
The muzzleloading rifle must be a minimum of .45 caliber and may not have more than two barrels.
During the Muzzleloader Heritage season, hunters may not use a muzzleloading rifle that requires insertion of a cap or primer into the open breech of the barrel (inline), is capable of being loaded from the breech, or is mounted with an optical magnification device.
Use of pre-prepared paper or metallic cartridges, sabots, gas checks or other similar power and range-enhancing manufactured loads that enclose the projectile from the rifling or bore of the firearm is also prohibited.
Many of Montana’s Wildlife Management Areas have seasonal closures from Dec. 2 through May 14. Before heading to the field, hunters should review the regulations for each hunting district they plan to hunt. A list of WMAs and seasonal closure dates are available online at https://fwp.mt.gov/conservation/wildlife-management-areas.
Montana hunters can also thank landowners for access and share stories of their season through an online portal. FWP will collect these expressions of gratitude and share them with the specific landowners at the end of the season. Notes can be submitted online at www.surveymonkey.com/r/thank-a-landowner-2024.
