Check station traffic down slightly final weekend despite fairer weather

MILES CITY – The weather was a bit milder for the final weekend of the general hunting season, but hunter traffic was still down a bit at check stations on Sunday in southeast Montana.

Hysham check station

The number of hunters passing through the Hysham check station was below what is typical for the closing weekend of the general deer and elk season. A total of 61 parties (average = 70) and 98 hunters (average = 138) were contacted by FWP staff. Although the hunter numbers were slightly down, the harvest rate was 11 percent above the 10-year average for close of the general season. Big game animals that were checked included 39 mule deer (36 bucks, three does), 21 white-tailed deer (16 bucks, five does) and four bull elk.

Glendive check station

The Glendive station saw 24 parties and 48 total hunters, who harvested a total of 11 mule deer bucks, three mule deer does, seven whitetail bucks and two whitetail does. Seven hunters harvested 31 total birds (24 pheasants, four sharp-tailed grouse, and three Hungarian partridge). The overall hunter success rate was 47.9 percent.

Ashland check station

Hunter traffic at the Ashland check station was lighter than typical for the closing weekend of the general deer and elk season, with a total of 46 parties (average = 59), or 96 hunters (average = 112). The hunter success rate was 32 percent, moderately below the five-year average of 39 percent for this weekend of the season. Harvest included 15 mule deer (11 bucks, four does), 11 white-tailed deer (seven bucks, four does), five elk (one bull, four cows) and one turkey.

Broadus-based wildlife biologist Ryan DeVore manned the Ashland check station. Although it was slightly less busy than normal for the closing weekend, DeVore was happy to note that many of the hunting parties that came through Ashland Sunday were families enjoying the fair weather afield together.

Sometimes challenging conditions for hunters this season

Several factors combined over the season to make it a challenging one for hunters.

“The 2022 season started with mild conditions,” said Baker-based wildlife biologist Melissa Foster. “The fall rains and subsequent green-up and available water on the landscape was great for wildlife but made for difficult hunting, as animals tend to be dispersed on the landscape, in smaller groups, and more difficult to pattern.

“Exacerbating that was the fact that numbers of both mule and white-tailed deer were down following last year's extreme drought and hemorrhagic disease outbreaks,” Foster said. “Lower-than-average numbers combined with better-than-average conditions makes for very difficult hunting.”

Then the weather abruptly turned bitterly cold, which served to concentrate deer into habitat that offered thermal cover. Foster noted many days with blowing snow and wind and sub-zero temperatures that created miserable conditions for hunters to be afield.

“Deep snow drifts in places limited travel and crusty snow made sneaking a challenge with the crunch of footsteps making it difficult to get close to quarry undetected,” she said.

The end of the season saw more mild conditions and lots of hunters afield, but mud from melting snow still made for difficult travel through a lot of the area, Foster noted.

“Many hunters reported seeing better numbers of deer toward the end of the season, even though numbers overall are down from previous years,” Foster said. “Age structures were good, with 85 percent of harvested bucks checked closing weekend at Glendive being 3.5 years of age or older.”

According to Forsyth-based wildlife biologist Steve Atwood, who manned the Hysham station, “The feedback from hunters was that in general mule deer numbers were down from last year, but most reported having a chance to harvest deer and valued their opportunities to hunt in eastern Montana.”

“Hunters pursuing white-tailed deer reported seeing good to average numbers and harvest success was quite good on whitetails,” Atwood said.