Season Opener Slow in Southwest Montana

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The beautiful weather was abundant during the southwest Montana big game season opener, while hunter numbers and harvest of elk, mule deer, and white-tailed deer were all down.

 

Overall on opening weekend, 2,711 hunters passed through the six check stations with 114 elk, 17 mule deer, and 7 white-tailed deer. 5.1%

 

Elk harvest was up slightly at the Ruby south of Sheridan and Cameron south of Ennis. Hunter numbers were up at Blacktail south of Dillon, Ruby, and Divide south of Butte.

 

Three check stations in southwest Montana have been closed this year, including Horse Prairie southwest of Dillon, Gallatin south of Bozeman, and Feely south of Butte.

 

While some hunters were disappointed with the lack of harvested game, one hunter who passed through the Divide check station noted, “It was a nice day for a walk in the woods!”

2008 check stations Weekend 1
2008 check stations Weekend 1.xls