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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 the animals harvested. 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 opening weekend on Oct. 25 and 26, biologists operated six check game check stations in Region 3, including Alder, Cameron, Canyon Ferry, Divide, Gallatin and Silver City. They met with 2,480 hunters, who collectively harvested 148 elk, 40 mule deer and 10 white-tailed deer, among other species.
Hunter numbers were at or above average for opening weekend at the Cameron, Divide, Gallatin and Silver City check stations. Hunter numbers were below average at the Alder and Canyon Ferry check stations. Hunter numbers ranged from 253 hunters at the Gallatin check station to 586 hunters in Cameron.
Hunter success rates were at or above average for opening weekend at the Canyon Ferry, Divide, Gallatin and Silver City check stations. Hunter success rates were below but near average at Alder and Cameron. Success rates ranged from 6 percent in Silver City to 13.4 percent in Divide.