Montana Fish, Wildlife and Parks’ Havre hunter check station was active over the weekend (Oct. 26-27) of general deer and elk opener, with the number of hunters checked a little below average. This was the third weekend that the check station has been open, as the station began collecting data Oct. 12-13, corresponding with the opening weekend of pheasant and general antelope.
“Hunter numbers may have been down slightly this weekend due to the cool, windy weather, and because of the youth deer hunt being a week earlier,” said Havre-area biologist Scott Hemmer, who manages the check station.
There were 201 hunters in 102 parties checked, which was down 11% from average. Over the three weeks the check station has been open, overall hunter numbers (597) are up 7% from last year and are 11% below the long-term average.
Mule deer harvest during the weekend was down from last year, with 28 bucks and 25 does brought through. The 53 deer were 10% below the long-term average during opening weekend.
White-tailed deer harvest over the weekend was around 20% below both last year the long-term average. However, for the year, white-tail harvest at the check station is 17% more than last year, and 15% more than the long-term average.
“Even though deer harvest was down this weekend, hunters reported they are seeing good numbers of both mule deer and white-tailed deer,” adds Hemmer. “The deer harvest numbers may just be lower because of the lower hunter numbers seen over the weekend.”
Antelope harvest is up from last year, with 74 antelope checked in since general antelope season opened. This is a 37% increase from 2018, but still 68% below long-term average.
“The lower numbers for antelope harvest is primarily due to lower antelope license opportunity and reduced antelope hunter participation,” says Hemmer. “In addition, antelope hunter reports have been mixed this fall, which may have been due to early snow events resulting in antelope grouping up and perhaps even moving to traditional winter range.”
There have been three elk brought by the check station this year, as three bulls were checked over the weekend. This is below the long-term average of around 7 elk.
For the first three weeks that the check station has been open, the pheasant harvest of 406 birds is above last year (+51%), but still below the long-term average (-28%). Sharp-tailed grouse was above last year but below the long-term average, and Hungarian partridge was slightly below last year and well below the long-term average.
“Upland bird reports this year have been mixed, but most hunters have reported seeing more birds than last year, but fewer than in some previous years,” said Hemmer. “There have been good numbers of juvenile pheasants in the harvest, indicating better nest success and brood survival this year.”
Please remember that all hunters are required by law to stop as directed at all designated check stations on their way to and from hunting, even if they have no game to be checked.
Also this year, hunters harvesting animals in the Chronic Wasting Disease (CWD) Management Zones will be asked to voluntarily submit samples for testing. Harvested animals can be brought to weekend check stations (in Havre, Malta, or Plentywood) or to FWP offices during the week. Hunters harvesting an animal outside the Management Zone may have their animal tested as well, but there may be a wait time at check stations. Go to fwp.mt.gov/CWD for more information on CWD.
