Usually at this time of year, there will be between 10 and 20 inches of snow high in the Bitterroot Mountains, but this year, there is still no snow recorded (as of Monday, November 7).  Montana FWP public information officer Vivaca Crowser says she believes the weather is mostly to blame for a slow hunting season.

"The unfortunate thing for hunters here, in a season that is nearly half-way through is that that warmer sunny weather and the lack of snow in higher elevations has really translated into a slow start. It's not terribly off compared to numbers in the last two years, we are down from last year in our elk harvest, but we're about in line with 2014."

So far, the number of hunters heading out on the hunt has also declined.

"We actually are sitting a little bit under where we were last year, so far, through the three check stations we are reporting 6,180 hunters compared to 6,694 at this point in the season last year. Success rates for those passing through is also a little bit below."

The success rate for hunters passing through the check stations this year is at 6.9 percent which is down from the same time last year, when 7.3 percent of hunters were successful.

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