The rut is on: White-tailed deer harvest picking up

The onset of rutting activity for white-tailed deer is already benefiting hunters across northwest Montana.

Last weekend a total of roughly 2,100 hunters were tallied at five big game check stations in northwest Montana, bringing the season total up to nearly 7,000 hunters. Harvest numbers have improved at each of the stations.

In the third weekend of the season, the number of white-tailed deer reported at the U.S. Highway 2 check station west of Kalispell nearly doubled the previous weekend’s overall tally, from 77 to 136. The number of white-tailed bucks at the US 2 station jumped from 44 to 99 in a week.

Overall, Montana Fish, Wildlife & Parks Region 1 check stations have tallied 363 white-tailed deer, including 250 bucks, as well as 52 mule deer and 40 elk. The number of harvested mule deer so far is the highest in this region since 2016.

Check stations are open on weekends during hunting season. The counts at the stations represent a sampling of the harvest and do not represent the complete number of animals taken. Hunters must stop at all check stations that they pass, even if they have not harvested any animals.

“Hunter harvest is expected to keep improving with the onset of peak mating activity among deer,” FWP Regional Wildlife Manager Neil Anderson said.

The general big game season runs through Sunday, Dec. 1.

Wildlife officials in Region 2 reported checking 5,588 hunters with a harvest of 171 elk, 181 white-tailed deer, 48 mule deer, three black bears, three bighorn sheep and one moose at its three permanent check stations in west-central Montana during the first three weekends of the general big game hunting season.

Region-wide, numbers show that harvest success for deer and elk is just ahead of last year at the midpoint of the season and on track with the five-year average, but individual hunter check stations each tell their unique part of the story.

For example, the elk harvest of 121 checked at Darby check station is highest for this time in the season since 2015, while the harvest of 27 elk to this point at Bonner is the lowest in the past five seasons. The elk harvest of 23 at Anaconda is on par with the average for this early part of the season.

White-tailed deer harvest is keeping pace with last year’s harvest at all three check stations. Darby is reporting 29 whitetails harvested so far, compared with 22 at this time last year. Bonner shows 131 whitetails checked compared with 138 last year while Anaconda is reporting 21 whitetails, the same as 2017. (The Anaconda check station was not operated in 2018.)

Mule deer harvest is up slightly from last year at this point. The 18 mule deer checked at Darby, 20 at Bonner and 10 at Anaconda are all higher than tallies for mule deer at this time in 2018.

So far, check stations have also been busier with more hunter traffic than last season, and earlier than usual snow and cold have contributed to higher hunter success in some places. Gusty winds and blowing snow forced the Bonner and Anaconda check stations to close a bit earlier on Sunday evening than planned, for the safety of hunters trying to negotiate the hazardous roadways and for the staff at the check stations.