After two weekends, hunter check station totals on par with last season in west-central Montana >

CWD sampling stations available in several locations

MISSOULA – After the first two weekends of big game rifle season, Montana Fish, Wildlife & Parks hunter check stations near Anaconda, Bonner and Darby in west-central Montana are collectively reporting elk and deer harvest totals and hunter numbers on par with this point in the 2025 season.

Overall, west-central Montana’s three regularly held wildlife check stations saw 3,875 hunter stops collectively during the first two weekends of the season, compared to 3,897 during the same period last year. Those hunters checked 141 elk, compared to 151 last year. They also reported 42 mule deer, compared to 51 in 2025 and 149 white-tailed deer, compared to 123.

Elk harvest totals are down slightly from last season and the five-year average at the Darby hunter check station but a bit above last season at the Anaconda and Bonner stations.

Each station saw some happy hunters over the weekend, some with their first ever elk or deer and even a few in the Halloween holiday spirit. A young hunter in a game warden costume visited the check station near Bonner, along with her sister, also in costume.

For more hunting season reminders and to track hunter success, stay tuned to the FWP weekly check station reports over the next four weeks. The general big game season runs through Sunday, Nov. 29.

CWD sampling locations

Hunters can help with chronic wasting disease (CWD) management by submitting samples from harvested deer, elk, and moose for testing. In west-central Montana, the wildlife check stations near Darby and Anaconda are collecting CWD samples during normal weekend hours of operation, or stop by specific CWD sampling locations in Drummond (Friday, Saturday and Sunday from 10 a.m.-dark and Monday from 10 a.m.-2 p.m.) and at the Missoula FWP office (Monday-Friday, 8 a.m.-5 p.m.). For a complete list of stations and hours across the state, visit fwp.mt.gov/cwd. Hunter can also take samples themselves and mail them to the wildlife lab for testing.

Although CWD testing is voluntary, samples from hunter-harvested deer, elk and moose are critical to FWP’s understanding and management of the disease. A few big game hunting districts around west-central Montana are Priority Surveillance Areas for CWD, which are areas where FWP is making a concerted effort to gather more samples. All sampling is offered for free to hunters. Hunters play a key role in understanding CWD by providing data and in minimizing the spread by disposing of wildlife parts properly. Read more: fwp.mt.gov/cwd.

R2 Hunter Check Station Totals through second weekend 2026

Bri Sweten dressed as a Montana game warden on Halloween

Local hunter, Bri Sweten, visited the Bonner hunter check station dressed as a game warden on Halloween.

Albert Elias with mule deer Anaconda hunter check station

Albert Elias had a successful mule deer hunt in Upper Clark Fork Hunting District 211 over the second weekend of the season.

Bull elk harvested in HD 250

Kayla Cook with her first ever elk along, along with the crew that helped her pack it out. Cook harvested the elk in Bitterroot Hunting District 250 during the second weekend of the general season.

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