Northwest Montana Check Stations Log 3,235 Hunters, About 7% Fewer Than Last Year

Montana Fish, Wildlife and Parks said in a release from Kalispell on Nov. 2 that 3,235 hunters had passed four northwest Montana check stations, about 7% fewer than last year.

Through the second weekend of the general big game season, stations reported 183 white-tailed deer, 24 mule deer bucks and 23 elk. The overall share of hunters with game is 7.1%, compared with 9.3% in 2025. The counts are a sampling of the harvest and not the complete number of animals taken.

“It’s still early to draw any conclusions about how the season will shape up,” said Neil Anderson, regional wildlife manager.

Hunters must stop at any check station they encounter, even if they took no animal. Stations are open on weekends from 10 a.m. to about 1.5 hours past sunset. Two are on U.S. Highway 2 west of Kalispell and Montana Highway 83 north of Swan Lake. The others are on Highway 200 west of Thompson Falls and Highway 93 near Olney.

Testing for chronic wasting disease (CWD) is mandatory for animals taken on three tags tied to CWD management near Libby and Kalispell. Those are White-tailed Deer B License 199-20 in hunting districts 100, 103 and 104, Mule Deer Permit 103-50 in district 103, and White-tailed Deer B License HD170-20 in district 170.

Hunters can have animals sampled at the FWP Kalispell office, 490 North Meridian Rd, Monday to Friday, 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. The Libby sampling station at 35838 US Highway 2 is open Saturday to Monday, 10 a.m. to sunset. The FWP Thompson Falls office, 5427 MT-200, takes samples Mondays, 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Hunters can also collect samples themselves and mail them to the Wildlife Health Lab in Bozeman.

In Region 1, antlerless elk B-licenses are valid only on private property for the 2026/2027 season. Hunters on SPP lands or the Flathead Ridge Ranch Block Management Area must follow new permission requirements. The SPP lands, once run under a single access system, are now three separate block management areas with their own rules.

Montana’s 2026 general season ends Nov. 29, and FWP said it will keep monitoring the data in the coming weeks.