Deer hunters had a good year as the hunting season in Montana came to a close Sunday. At the six northwest Montana check stations through the end of the season a total of 17,656 hunters checked 1,494 white-tailed deer — 1,069 of these were bucks, 146 mule deer, and 72 elk for an 9.7 percent rate of hunters with game. This is slightly higher than the 8.2 percent of hunters with game last year. The number of hunters passing through check stations in northwest Montana was down four percent.

Why the number of hunters going through check stations was down isn’t entirely clear.

This season saw a more liberal season than the past few years. Hunters were able to take a doe across the region in the first week and in the last week, they could shoot a doe on private land outside of large timber company holdings.

Hunters checked in 425 does this year. The numbers are just an indication of how the season went.

Montana Fish, Wildlife and Parks biologists do telephone surveys to get a better and more accurate picture of hunter takes and success rates.

Hunters were most successful coming through the Olney Check Station, with 12.6 percent having game. The North Fork had the lowest success rate, with just 5 percent of hunters with game.

The North Fork also had the lowest take, with 45 deer reported, down from 61 the year before.

Region One Wildlife Manager Neil Anderson noted that FWP has been tracking several years of good fawn survival in Northwest Montana, and the check station sample this year confirms that hunters were able to see and take good numbers of white-tailed deer despite mild hunting conditions. Elk numbers at the check stations were down slightly and mule deer numbers were up.

Last year 86 elk were reported, this year, 72.

On the wolf side of things, Region One hunters have taken 34 wolves. Statewide, 106 wolves have been taken. These totals are up slightly from last year at the end of the general deer and elk season. The wolf hunting season continues until March 15. Hunters can still purchase a wolf hunting license, but there is a 24-hour waiting period before it is valid. Wolf trapping begins on Dec. 15. Wolf trappers must purchase a furbearer trapping license and have completed the wolf trapping certification course to trap wolves. The bag limit is five wolves per hunter/trapper in any combination of hunting or trapping.