KALISPELL — It’s the final week for general deer and elk hunting season which officially wraps up on Sunday, Nov. 30.
Through the first five weeks of the general hunting season, more than 9,000 hunters have gone through four check stations in northwest Montana.
“Yeah, we’ve heard lots of great hunting stories this year, seen some first-time hunters come through the check stations with their first deer which is always cool,” said Montana Fish, Wildlife and Parks Spokesman Dillon Tabish.
Tabish said overall 10.5 percent of hunters have reported harvesting game, which is almost identical to last season’s rate.
Watch story here:
Across the region, hunters checked 831 white-tailed deer, including 636 bucks, along with 71 mule deer and 46 elk.
“Usually, those success rates pick up those last two weeks of the hunting season so we’re anticipating this weekend to be a busy one at our check stations,” said Tabish.
Tabish said a high rate of hunters have had their harvest tested for Chronic Wasting Disease.
He said the disease has not been detected in new areas in northwest Montana this season.
“We’re really encouraging hunters to consider getting their animals tested it really helps us understand where we might have the disease but also where we don’t have the disease, the more samples we get the more information we have, that’s always better.”
Tabish said the snowy colder weather should help hunters the final week of the season.
“As a hunter increase your odds, you can start doing a little bit more stalking, makes it a little easier to find out where the game is and where it isn’t, so hoping that this weather helps our hunters fill those tags,” said Tabish.
