How Opening Weekend Big Game Hunters Did in West-Central Montana

The opening weekend of the general big game rifle season is a ritual celebrated by thousands of Montana hunters.

Things got underway this past Saturday, October 25. Montana Fish, Wildlife and Parks tells us that harvest totals were on track with last year’s opener for elk and just above normal for deer in the west-central part of the state. That's, according to data collected at Montana FWP wildlife check stations near Anaconda, Bonner, Darby and Fish Creek.

A little wind, rain, and snow over weekend didn't seem to slow anyone down. That is according to Kirstie Yeager, FWP wildlife biologist in the upper Clark Fork, who said,  “Hunters enjoyed their time in the woods and brought in a few nice animals.”

A LOOK AT CHECK STATION NUMBERS

At the Anaconda hunter check station hunters checked nine elk and five deer. On the other side of the region, the hunter check station near Darby saw 87 elk and 23 deer, compared to 72 and 18 on last year’s opening weekend.

It was a slower start on Saturday due to weather, but the weather wasn't as bad as initially forecast, so the harvest picked up on Sunday. That's according to Rebecca Mowry, FWP wildlife biologist in the Bitterroot Valley, who said, “We had a couple kids come through the Darby station with their first elk, as well as one adult."

Elk harvest in the Blackfoot Valley was below last year’s opener, as measured at the check station near Bonner, however a steady flow of whitetail deer came through the check station both Saturday and Sunday along with a handful of mule deer. Males of all three species tended to be on the younger side; however, biologists also reported checking two older buck mule deer at the station.

HIGHER PARTICIPATION AGAIN

For the second year in a row, more hunters passed through the check stations collectively on opening weekend compared to the year before. The Fish Creek station in Mineral County was busy with hunters and checked eight white-tailed deer, including five bucks and three does.

Overall, west-central Montana’s four wildlife check stations saw 2,549 hunters collectively. Those hunters checked 105 elk, compared to 107 in 2024; 27 mule deer, compared to 18 last year; and 80 white-tailed deer, compared to 66.

READ MORE: Red Alert: Montanans Want to Avoid Being Sprayed by Bloody Tears

ALL HUNTERS MUST STOP

Montana FWP reminds hunters they must stop at all check stations that they pass, even if they have not harvested any animals. Although wildlife check stations sample a relatively small portion of the overall effort and harvest, they capture important trends and biological information, and by stopping you are helping with wildlife management in Montana.

Good hunting to all as the 2025 general big game season rolls on through November 30!