EBS STAFF
On Sept. 9, Montana Fish, Wildlife and Parks published a hunting forecast for the fall hunting season in seven regions across Montana.
“It’s fall and hunting season is upon us,” FWP stated in a press release. “Soon the mornings will be crisp and cold and the leaves will be turning. Under the Big Sky, this is the season many of us spend the whole year looking forward to.”
FWP noted that southwest Montana’s forecast is consistent with a statewide trend: big game herds are still rebounding from the “tough winter” of 2022-23. The forecast described trends for elk, mule deer, white-tailed deer and pronghorn (antelope).
Elk populations rebounded during the mild winter of 2023-24, and are “strong” in the Bozeman, Butte, Dillon, Helena, Sheridan and Livingston areas.
Mule deer also experienced a “broad positive impact” from last winter’s warmth, but populations are “a mixed bag” across the region. The forecast warns mule deer hunters to pay attention to several regulation changes in southwest Montana.
Pronghorn also struggled in winter 2022-23, and numbers remain down in most hunting districts, with some improvement.
“In the Butte area, some hunting districts are showing some robust counts, but with the majority of animals on private lands,” the forecast stated. “This is a theme for the entire region—getting access to private land is critical for pronghorn success.”
White-tailed deer are slower to rebound since the harsh winter nearly two years ago, but biologists are seeing improvement in many areas, the forecast stated.
“Of particular note is the Ruby Valley, where populations have been reduced in response to high prevalence of chronic wasting disease (CWD),” the forecast stated. “Outside of the Ruby Valley, whitetail populations throughout southwest Montana remain stable or increasing. CWD continues to spread among white-tailed deer throughout the Ruby River watershed. Outside of the lower portion of the Ruby Valley, prevalence remains relatively low but is increasing.”
“Hunters concerned about consuming deer with chronic wasting disease should have white-tailed deer from anywhere in southwestern Montana tested prior to consuming,” the forecast stated.
FWP added a note on chronic wasting disease research, asking hunters to submit samples of harvested deer, elk or moose to biologists in southwest Montana for CWD testing.
“These sampling efforts help FWP understand the prevalence and distribution of the disease through time, which informs wildlife management for healthy herds,” the forecast stated.
