All agree Montana elk are plentiful this season
There should be no shortage of elk for hunters this fall in north central Montana.
Fish, Wildlife and Parks wildlife biologists from the east front of the Rockies to the Little Belts and on to the Missouri Breaks all agree that elk numbers are good. In some cases, too good.
“There’s lots of elk available,” says Gary Olson, FWP wildlife biologist in Conrad, “and good opportunities.”
Olson’s area includes the Sweetgrass Hills and the Rocky Mountain Front north of the Teton River.
South of the Teton River, Quentin Kujala, FWP wildlife biologist stationed in Fairfield, is seeing lots of animals.
“We have very robust numbers,” Kujala says. “In fact, we’re above target numbers.”
Each winter Kujala counts elk on the Sun River Wildlife Management Area west of Augusta. The target is 2,500 observable, wintering elk. Last year, he counted 2,700 animals.
That’s why the quota of antlerless or brow-tined elk from hunting district 442, north of the Sun River WMA, is at 400. FWP counts the quota at the Augusta check station. Once the quota is reached, the season remains open on brow-tined bull only until Nov. 28.
Many hunters remember elk hunting last year around the Sun River WMA as very good, prompting the question: Were too many elk killed?
“Yes it was a good year last year,” Kujala says. “But it was really just approaching average. We just haven’t had an average year in a while.”
The quota from HD 424 – south of the Sun River – remains at 50.
Elk in the Little Belts south of Great Falls can be summed up in one word: good.
“We still have good populations,” says Adam Grove, FWP biologist in White Sulphur Springs.
Likewise in the Highwood Mountains, which is permit-only during the general rifle season.
“There are lots of bulls,” says Cory Loecker, FWP wildlife biologist in Great Falls. “And there was a good calf crop.”
Around Lewistown the elk numbers should excite everyone lucky enough to have drawn a permit in hunting districts 417 and 410.
“There are lots of animals,” says Tom Stivers, FWP wildlife biologist in Lewistown. “In fact we’re trying to reduce the number of animals.”
And, as always, FWP asks hunters who plan on hunting private land to make sure they have permission before the season starts.
Deer are everywhere. That’s the simple, basic outlook for this fall’s hunting season in north central Montana.
“There are excellent numbers of deer,” says Gary Olson, Fish, Wildlife and Parks wildlife biologist in Conrad. “Mule deer are at or near all-time highs for the 28 years I’ve been here. And that includes a good number of bucks.”
Although Olson doesn’t survey white-tailed deer, he believes they are also in good shape. Olson watches over wildlife north of the Teton River, from the Continental Divide onto the prairie to the Missouri River.
South of the Teton, FWP wildlife biologist Quentin Kujala takes over.
“We continue to see growth and expansion in the mule deer herd,” Kujala says, “both in the mountains and the prairie.”
In the Great Falls area, however, wildlife biologist Cory Loecker sees a different mule deer picture.
“Mule deer fawns didn’t winter well,” he says. “Next year mule deer antlerless tags may be fewer. But for this year, mule deer should be as good as last year.”
Loecker agrees that the white-tailed deer population is fine.
It’s a similar situation in the Little Belts, according to Adam Grove, FWP wildlife biologist in White Sulphur Springs.
“The mule deer doe-fawn ratios are down,” Grove says. “Hunting will be good, but not as good as last year.”