MISSOULA – The Big Game hunting season is now over in the Treasure State, with Montana Fish, Wildlife and Parks reporting that the harvest was down in the West-Central part of the state.
The numbers collected at three regional check stations show that the elk harvest was down 27% from last year, and hunting trips were down by about 1,500 in large part because of changes in regulations.
The decrease was expected because the new restrictions were implemented in hopes of increasing the deer and elk populations.
“We’ve been very deliberate about trying to reduce harvest in these last couple of years and 2012 was a good example of that. So that in the future we can see the recovery and we can see higher harvest,” explained FWP Region 2 Wildlife Manager Mike Thompson.
“That’s just the reality of hunting in Western Montana right now, that there’s places that were historically hot spots that aren’t hot spots anymore, or you’re not allowed to hunt there anymore,” observed Joe Cummings with Classic Journey Outfitters.
“I think lots of people are impatient at this point and they should be. I mean, we’re all a little bit worried,” Thompson concluded.
A lack of snow fall also hurt the harvest, as did an increase in the number of mountain lions and wolves in the area.
Most of the region’s elk harvest is accounted for at the check station near Darby, where the numbers were down 24% from last year and 40% below the five-year average.
Most hunters needed a permit, obtained through special drawing, to hunt for elk in the southern Bitterroot districts this year, due to elk numbers that are below objective.
Wolf rifle season continues through Feb. 28, and statewide wolf harvest totals sat at 81 on Monday morning, with 22 from west-central Montana. The general deer and elk rifle season closed on Sunday, Nov. 25.