Montana’s 2025 general big game hunting season closed Sunday, Nov. 30 with harvest totals up slightly up from the five-year average for both deer and elk in west-central Montana, despite mild weather for most of the season.

During each of the six weekends of the season FWP operated wildlife check stations near Anaconda, Bonner and Darby, where the season-long tally shows good success and a higher amount of hunter traffic than average. Compared to the 2024 season, elk harvest was nearly identical, harvest was up slightly for mule deer and just under for white-tailed deer.

This season, biologists collectively recorded 10,830 hunter stops and a harvest of 286 elk, 138 mule deer and 508 white-tailed deer. This compares to 9,905 hunter stops, 288 elk, 119 mule deer and 525 white-tailed deer at the 2024 season’s end.

Mule deer harvest was particularly good as reported at the Bonner station, with 76 mule deer checked this season, compared to 46 in 2024. All harvest totals were up from the five-year average. Colder weather and snow at the end of the season’s last week helped bump elk harvest but also slowed hunter traffic in some places.

Another hunter check station in the Fish Creek area of Mineral County operated four weekends of the season. The Fish Creek station sees a lot less hunter traffic compared to the other stations and had lower hunter activity and harvest reported this season compared to last.

Check stations only account for a small percentage of total harvest across the region, but because the stations have been in operation consistently for many years, they monitor important early harvest trends and are an important way to gather biological information on wildlife health and age.

The general rifle season closed on Nov. 30, but some winter hunting opportunities, such as the muzzleloader season (Dec. 13-21, 2025), are coming up. Find out more: fwp.mt.gov/hunt. Many of Montana’s Wildlife Management Areas have seasonal closures that begin Dec. 2. Before heading to the field, hunters should review the regulations for each hunting district they plan to hunt. A list of WMAs and seasonal closure dates are available online at fwp.mt.gov/conservation/wildlife-management-areas.

Montana hunters can also thank landowners for access and share stories of their season through an online portal. FWP will collect these expressions of gratitude and share with the specific landowners. Visit fwp.mt.gov/hunt/thank-a-landowner to learn more.