Montana’s youth deer-only hunt kicks off the beginning of expanded seasons across the state.

The youth hunt, which does not include elk, will be held Thursday and Friday, coinciding with the state’s annual two-day teachers’ convention, which are no-school days for most public school students.

The youth hunt is open to legally licensed 12-15-year-olds who have completed hunter education and who are accompanied by a non-hunting adult at least 18 years of age. It is also open to properly certified and legally licensed apprentice hunters 10-15 years of age who are accompanied by a non-hunting adult "mentor" at least 21 years of age.

The Apprentice Hunter program allows anyone 10 or older to hunt for up to two years without completing a hunter education course. Certain restrictions apply, and anyone certified as an Apprentice must be accompanied by a certified Mentor. 

Apprentice hunters may not obtain a black bear, mountain lion or wolf license.

The general rifle season for deer and elk begins the following week, Saturday, Oct. 25. 

Hunting seasons for wolves, black bear, antelope, upland game birds, waterfowl, mountain lion and wild turkeys as well as those holding special permits for moose, bighorn sheep and mountain goat have already begun.

Montana Fish, Wildlife and Parks officials say big game survival and recruitment in northwest Montana was good last winter with good recruitment in elk and deer. Winter temperature and snow conditions were generally mild, other than a brief cold snap, resulting in favorable conditions for fawn and calf survival. 

Four big game check stations will be open in Region 1 on weekends during the general season from Oct. 25 to Nov. 30. They include Highway 2 west of Kalispell, Highway 83 north of Swan Lake, Highway 200 on the west end of Thompson Falls and Highway 93 near Olney. 

In the Libby area, there is a CWD sampling station located on the south end of Libby (mile marker 35 on Highway 2). Hunters are required to stop at game check stations but stopping at the Libby CWD sampling station is voluntary. 

Elk

Calf survival and recruitment in the Clark Fork Drainage (Thompson Falls to Noxon area) averaged 32 calves per 100 cows in 2025 spring surveys. This is lower than what was observed last year but still indicative of a moderately increasing elk population. Calf recruitment in HD 103 (the Lost Trail area) was approximately 20 calves per 100 cows, which is more indicative of a stable population. 

With the exception of the Bob Marshall Wilderness Area, which is still experiencing low elk numbers, hunters should expect elk populations to be similar to slightly better than last year.

White-tailed deer

White-tailed deer numbers in northwest Montana should continue to increase this year due to a mild winter and good fawn survival and recruitment observed during spring surveys. Wildlife biologists observed whitetail recruitment, ranging from 39 to nearly 70 fawns per 100 adults during the 2025 spring surveys across the region. We have experienced an overall increasing trend in buck harvest within the region over the last three years and expect to see that trend continue this season. 

New this year: CWD was detected in Flathead County and a new CWD management zone has been established with either-sex B licenses available for white-tailed deer in the CWD management zone. Hunters are encouraged to consult the FWP website or contact the Kalispell regional office for more details. 

Mule deer

The mild winter of 2024-25 resulted in good fawn survival based on aerial surveys in HD 103 (Fisher River) and ground surveys in HD 101 (Galton Range). These surveys resulted in 38 fawns per 100 adults and 34 fawns per 100 adults in HDs 103 and 101, respectively.  

Officials expect stable to slightly increasing populations in much of the region, with buck numbers similar to last season. Only antlered bucks (i.e. a deer with an antler or antlers at least 4 inches long as measured from the top of the skull) may be harvested in Region 1. No antlerless harvest opportunity exists in the region. 

The North Fisher area in HD 103 requires a permit to hunt mule deer (HD 103-50), and CWD testing is required for any deer harvested with this permit.  Permits area also required to hunt mule deer bucks in last half of the season in HD 101.

Moose

Moose populations in the region appear to be stable in much of northwest Montana, based on past research and hunter harvest metrics. Overall numbers are below historic highs, and the moose population looks to have stabilized at the current level. The number of moose licenses were decreased in HD 101 (Purcells) in 2024 to address declining harvest rates in that district.