Fewer hunters in the Coeur d’Alenes so far this elk season makes the Idaho Department of Fish and Game wonder.

After a week of the general elk season in the Panhandle, biologists at check stations in Enaville are scratching their heads at what appears to be a shortage of hunters. The percentage of successful hunters however remains about the same as in the past.

“Harvest success was average,” state biologist Barb Moore said. “It was similar to previous years.”

Moore didn’t know why fewer hunters came through the weekend station at Enaville, but said preliminary figures usually don’t tell the whole story.

After-season reports give a better overall picture of trends.

Overall 19 deer and elk were reported at the Enaville check station last weekend, where 361 hunters stopped for a mandatory check and to report what they saw — or what they killed.

The harvest included 13 elk, four mule deer and two whitetails.

That is down from the 668 hunters who checked 35 animals last year during the first weekend of the general elk season, but both years showed around a 5 percent success rate.

“There were just fewer people hunting, so there were fewer animals,” Moore said.

Although check stations draw from a small pool of hunters over a two-day period, the information provides a snapshot of the early season hunting giving biologists important data from the field.

A total of 360 hunters came through the St. Maries check station, where 15 elk, five mule deer and three whitetails were checked.

Last year’s total for opening weekend was 369 hunters taking 24 deer and elk.

A lot of the harvested elk were raghorns, Moore said, contrary to what the department had forecasted. Biologists speculated earlier that because of a couple hard winters that took their toll on young animals, this year’s harvest would see more mature bulls, which survive better in winter.

“There were quite a few spikes and young bulls at both check stations,” Moore said. “That’s always pretty good to see. A lot of young animals means good recruitment.”

Hunters are required to stop at check stations whether or not they harvested an animal. Fish and Game uses the stations to survey hunters, answer questions and collect data, Roger Phillips of IDFG said.

“Many check stations are “management stations” where the main goal is to collect data from harvested animals,” Phillips said.