Weather for the closing weekend of general deer and elk season brought cold temperatures, wind and snow in some areas. Conditions got animals moving a bit more, and hunters visiting area check stations on Sunday were generally satisfied with their experience. Weather also stranded a semi and blocked the entrance to the Hysham check station, preventing access and data collection for most of the day.

Ashland Check Station

Bitter temps and snow in the Ashland area likely increased daytime activity of wildlife and the snow likely helped hunters better locate groups of animals. Most hunters were happy with their outings and have been observing more deer than over the last few years, according to wildlife biologist Ryan DeVore.

A total of 44 parties and 82 hunters came through the Ashland check station, with a harvest success rate of 40 percent (near average). The number of hunters is 24 percent below average. Harvest included six elk (one branch-antlered bull, four cows, and one bull calf), 11 mule deer bucks, 19 white-tailed deer (11 bucks, eight does), and one pheasant.

Glendive Check Station

The weather this past weekend in Glendive was windy and cold, with temperatures around 10 degrees at the check station there.

A total of 12 parties and 21 hunters came through the check station. Of the hunters checked, five were successful, yielding a harvest success rate of 24 percent to match last year’s number. Four mule deer bucks and one white-tailed buck were brought through. All the hunters who stopped in reported being satisfied with their hunts.

Hysham Check Station

With the cold weather, staff at the Hysham-area check station expected most harvested animals coming through to be frozen. But they didn’t get to check many parties because a semi-truck broke down at the entrance to the rest area due to the low temperatures.

The trailer brakes locked up and prevented the rig from moving. Concerned about there being too little room for vehicles to navigate around the truck , the Treasure County Sheriff’s Office closed access to the rest area at about 10:30 a.m. Unfortunately, repairs took much longer than expected, and access remained blocked until about 3:30 p.m.

Because of the closure, staff were only able to check nine parties and 12 hunters. Animals checked included two mule deer bucks, one white-tailed buck, one white-tailed doe, and one cow elk. Anecdotally, based on the number of rigs observed passing by with feet and antlers visible in pickup beds, hunter success this weekend appeared to be high.

Due to the rest area closure and limited sampling, this weekend’s check station data will be omitted from comparison analysis FWP conducts every season.