Above-average Hunter Participation and Success rates for General Season in SW Montana

Montana’s general hunting season for deer and elk kicked off on Saturday with seasonably mild weather and high hunter participation in many areas of southwestern Montana.

Wildlife biologists with Montana Fish, Wildlife & Parks use check stations to collect data on hunter participation and success, as well as the species, sex, and age class of harvested animals. This supplements data collected through hunter harvest phone surveys each year. Hunters are required to stop at game check stations they encounter, regardless of whether they harvested an animal.

Over the opening weekend on Oct. 25 and...