Northwest Montana hunters see steady harvest

Through the second weekend of Montana’s general big game hunting season, hunter participation in Northwest Montana was slightly lower than last year, but overall success rates and harvest numbers remain strong across region 1.

So far, 3,480 hunters have passed through the four regional game check stations — about 7% fewer than last year, with 276 white-tailed deer, 21 mule deer, and 29 elk reported. The overall percentage of hunters with game rose slightly to 9.4%, up from 8.9% at the same point in 2024. 

The Olney station reported the highest success rate at 12.3%, followed by Thompson Falls at 10.2%, where elk harvest was notably higher than last year. Highway 2 and Swan stations both saw modest white-tailed deer harvests consistent with recent years. 

Check stations provide an important index of hunter effort and harvest but represent only a sample of the total harvest across the region. Hunters are reminded that they must stop at any check station they encounter, whether or not they have harvested an animal. 

The 2025 general deer and elk season runs through Nov. 30, with regional check stations open on weekends from 10 a.m. until approximately 1.5 hours after sunset. Region 1 stations are located on U.S. Highway 2 west of Kalispell, Montana Highway 83 north of Swan Lake, Highway 200 west of Thompson Falls, and Highway 93 near Olney.