Bowhunters get the first crack at big game animals, including elk and deer, as the season opens this Saturday in northwest Montana.

There are a few changes, such as mandatory reporting, all hunters should be aware of, particularly in regards to Chronic Wasting Disease.

Hunters that harvest a buck or doe in Hunter Districts 100, 103 and 104 with a Deer B license 199-20 tag in any season must submit a sample to Montana Fish, Wildlife and Parks. 

Also, hunters who harvest a mule deer buck with Deer Permit 103-50 in Hunter District 103, must provide a sample to the agency.

“We’re doing this to help ensure we’re getting enough samples to continue monitoring the CWD in the Libby area,” FWP Region 1 Communication & Education Program Manager Dillon Tabish said.

Hunters have two options to submit samples to the agency. Before the general rifle season, they can bring their animal to the Region 1 office in Kalispell or submit a sample.

All hunters who want their harvested animal sampled can submit samples themselves by following steps on the Montana CWD Submission Guide or by visiting a CWD Sampling Station. 

For more information on collecting and submitting a sample, see https://fwp.mt.gov/conservation/chronic-wasting-disease/get-your-animal-sampled.

Sampling is not mandatory for elk or moose, but still recommended.

CWD has been detected in white-tailed deer, mule deer and moose in the Libby area. Hunters need to be aware of the Libby CWD Management Zone (MZ) and its boundaries, which includes portions of HDs 100, 103 and 104. CWD has been found in a few cases outside the MZ and it is recommended that hunters get deer, elk and moose tested.

The agency is also offering sampling workshops that will provide hands-on training for hunters, including two in northwest Montana.

In Libby, it will be held at 6 p.m. Thursday, Oct. 19, in the parking lot of Libby Sports Center, 204 W. Ninth St.

In Kalispell, it will be held at 6 p.m. Monday, Oct. 23, at the FWP office at 490 N. Meridian.

Complete information about CWD in Montana may be found at https://fwp.mt.gov/conservation/chronic-wasting-disease/management.

Also new for 2024, the end of the archery season for deer and elk will overlap with the youth rifle hunt for deer, meaning all hunters must wear the mandatory minimum blaze orange clothing.

While deer and elk are the focus of most bowhunters, Saturday is also the first day for those holding licenses or special permits for bighorn sheep, black bear, moose, mountain goat, mountain lion and pronghorn antelope.

Bowhunters with wolf tags may harvest the animal from Sept. 2 to Sept. 14. The general wolf hunting season begins Sept. 15 and ends March 15, 2024.

Small game hunters seeking grouse and wild turkeys saw their seasons begin Sept. 1. The first day of pheasant season is Oct. 12.