General Big Game Season Ends in North-Central Montana

In the Augusta area of north-central Montana, the five-week general rifle season began with mild weather for the first three weeks of the season, followed by cooler weather and some snow arriving over the last two weeks of the season. Despite that favorable weather, the overall harvest finished approximately 10 percent below the recent average with 695 big game animals checked at the station during the 2024 season. A total of 2,650 hunters stopped at the check station, representing an approximate 16 percent and 24 percent reduction from the 10 and 20-year averages respectively, although still slightly higher than the last two years. Despite the lower numbers, overall hunter success rates were slightly above average with 25 percent of hunters successfully harvesting big game. Resident hunters tallied 74 percent of the total harvest, with 71 percent of the total harvest coming off public lands. Operated along Main Street in Augusta, the station is the only biological check station in Region 4 and operates seven days a week during the season. Region 4 thanks check station staff members Kerry Bouchard, Devon Rauscher, Max Evans, and Tim Twardoski for their help operating the Augusta check station in 2024. Their efforts in helping collect biological data, attention to detail, and serving as a source of local information for hunters is invaluable. Thanks also to area game wardens for their assistance, patrolling, and responding to calls in the area. White-tailed deer For much of the season, white-tailed deer harvest trended from average to slightly below average levels. White-tailed deer harvest finished with a total of 271 deer checked, approximately 8 percent below the 10-year average and 13 percent below the 2023 harvest. Of those deer able to be aged, adult bucks greater than 2.5 years old made up 27 percent of the total white-tail harvest, with an average age of 3.7 years old, four antler points on each side, and an average field dressed weight of 143 pounds. Of the does able to be aged, adult does greater than 2.5 years old made up 21 percent of the total white-tail harvest, with an average age of 4.6 years old, and a field dressed weight of 96 pounds. Mule deer Harvest success on mule deer was above average for much of the season, with 237 mule deer checked. This is 13 percent above the 10-year average and the highest harvest since 2017. As in recent years, most of the mule deer harvest this year consisted of antlered bucks, which comprised 76 percent of the total mule deer harvest. Of the mule deer able to be aged, adult bucks greater than 2.5 years old made up 38 percent of the total mule deer harvest, with an average age of 3.9 years old, four antler points on each side, and a field dressed weight of 139 pounds. Of the does aged, adult does greater than 2.5 years old made up 48 percent of the total mule deer harvest, with an average age of 4.6 years old and a field dressed weight of 107 pounds. Elk Elk hunting success this year was generally best during the first weeks of the season. Some initial movement of migratory Sun River elk arrived at the Sun River Wildlife Management Area (WMA) beginning mid-season, and it was estimated that just under half the Sun River herd was present in Hunting District (HD) 425 by the end of the season. Total elk harvest for 2024 was approximately 32 percent below the 10-year average, and the lowest overall harvest since 2021. Antlered elk made up less than half the total harvest at 42 percent of the total. Of those elk able to be aged, adult bulls greater than 2.5 years old made up 32 percent of the total elk harvest with an average age of 4.9 years old, five antler points on each side, and an average dressed out weight of 440 pounds. Of the cows able to be aged, adult cows greater than 2.5 years old made up 33 percent of the total harvest, with an average age of 7.2 years old and an average dressed out weight of 377 pounds. The HD 442 quota closed on November 15 and finished with 29 antlered and 34 antlerless elk harvested, very similar to the previous two year’s total harvest in the HD. The HD 424 quota was not met and finished with a harvest of nine antlered elk. A total of 28 antlerless elk were checked from the Sun River WMA and adjacent lands in HD 425. Total ‘Sun River elk’ harvest from HDs 424, 425 & 442 at the check station amounted to 42 antlered and 28 antlerless, very similar to the total harvest seen in the previous two years. A total of 23 antlered and 29 antlerless elk were checked from HD 422. Other species Both of the hunters with moose and mountain goat licenses on the southern Rocky Mountain Front were successful this fall. Of the eight area bighorn sheep license holders, seven were successful in harvesting sheep. Average age of the rams harvested on the southern RMF was 7.2 years old. One wolf was checked at the check station and a total of six have been harvested in wolf management unit 400 area by the end of the general rifle season. An additional 11 antelope and various game birds were also brought to the check station. Note that hunting district regulation changes for deer and elk over time can have effects on harvest comparisons from year to year and compared to long-term averages. Also, harvest success is not always necessarily a reflection of current local big game populations since annual weather patterns, big game distribution, access and hunter effort also have heavy influence on hunter harvest success.