The general deer and elk hunting season is down to the final week.

Montana Fish, Wildlife and Parks’ game check stations in Northwest Montana have logged more than 9,000 hunters through the first five weeks of the season, showing participation comparable to last year while harvest patterns continue to vary by species and location.

Across the region, hunters checked 831 white-tailed deer, including 636 bucks, along with 71 mule deer and 46 elk. Of the elk total, 25 were checked at Thompson Falls and 15 at the station on U.S. 2 west of Kalispell. 

The Olney check station has the highest success rate so far at 12.3%, followed by Thompson Falls at 11.4%. Overall, 10.5% of hunters reported harvesting game, almost identical to last year’s rate. 

West-central Montana hunter check stations reported a slower weekend, with the mild temperatures and minimal snow dominating the season’s weather so far. Still, harvest totals are similar to last season for both deer and elk.

Deer harvest has been strong season-long in western Montana, with harvest for mule deer up slightly from last year and the five-year average. White-tailed deer harvest is also up from the five-year average and just under the 2024 season at this point.

The deer breeding season, also known as the “rut,” has bumped hunter success over the past few weeks as bucks are moving around more during the day and less cautious. The three wildlife check stations near Anaconda, Bonner and Darby are reporting 128 mule deer collectively compared to 108 last year and 446 white-tailed deer compared to 464.

FWP reminds hunters that hunting for antlered buck mule deer on the general license ended on Sunday, Nov. 16 in Hunting Districts 204, 212, 213, 214, 215, 217, 240, 292, and 298.

Mild temperatures and minimal snow, even in higher elevations, has tempered elk harvest in some places this season but it remains on track overall. Collectively, elk harvest is at 245 through the stations, compared to 250 last season.

The Fish Creek hunter check station in Mineral County west of Missoula doesn’t operate every weekend of the season and sees fewer hunters than the other stations but does collect important harvest trends and reports from the hunters that visit. There, hunter traffic and deer harvest are both down slightly compared to 2024.

“Hunter numbers and harvest were down this weekend, likely due to warm weather and no snow,” said Ryan Klimstra, FWP wildlife biologist who spent the weekend at the Fish Creek station. “The rut is definitely still going on and folks are seeing a lot of deer.”

The 2025 general deer and elk season runs through Nov. 30, with regional check stations open on weekends from 10 a.m. to approximately 1.5 hours after sunset.

Hunters still have opportunities into winter. Certain areas have continued elk hunting opportunities, and there's also Montana’s Muzzleloader Heritage season for deer and elk, Dec. 13-21, 2025.

As the season wraps up, hunters can thank Montana landowners for access and share stories through an online portal. Montana Fish, Wildlife & Parks is offering this opportunity to say thank you to landowners who have provided access and helped to make your hunting season great. FWP will collect these expressions of gratitude and share them with the specific landowners at the end of the season. Notes can be submitted online at https://fwp.mt.gov/hunt/thank-a-landowner.