Rating:

0.0 (0 votes)

KALISPELL- The opening day of hunting was pretty much on par with previous years, according to the attendants at the hunter check station just west of Kalispell.

But reporter Tara Oster found out they did find couple of anomalies over the weekend, which hopefully means hunters are in for a good season.

Check station technicians usually don't start seeing lots of elk come through until later in the season, but hunters bagged four on opening day.

"Three of them were bulls and one cow - pretty nice 6 point bull one of them," FWP check station technician Ray Washtak explained.

He added that officials also saw a pair of black bears come in first thing Sunday morning.

"That's a little unusual to get two in a row here but the hunters are out there and they're after them so it's looking pretty good so far this year," he said.

It's looking pretty good for 19-year-old Jessie Compton who just shot her first elk on Sunday.

"We just went up and over the notch and there was like 8 cow elk and we waited and up came the bull and I shot him as soon as he stepped out in front of the tree," she told us.

It's a proud moment for Compton who's been trying her luck for a few years now.

"I was so excited because I've been trying for like 3 years; I shot a tree, I just couldn't find any, so finally I got something so I was super excited," she said laughing.

This season hunters should also be on the lookout for another animal. FWP wants hunters to be keeping their eyes peeled for moose because they're about to start a big research project.

"We love getting as many moose sightings as possible. So if folks see them while they're out in the woods, it's good to let us know about them," check station technician Lindsey Stutzman told us.

As for the rest of the game animals being hunted, incoming weather has Washtak hopeful for a good season.

"Tracking weather is coming. We've got a front coming in here this week so I anticipate that it's just going to get better as the season goes on," he said.