FWP Region 2 hunter check stations saw steady traffic on opening weekend

The 2026 Montana big game general hunting season opened Saturday, Oct. 24, and a slightly above average number of hunters passed through the Montana Fish, Wildlife & Parks wildlife check stations near Anaconda, Bonner, Darby and Fish Creek. At the hunter check station just outside of Bonner, there was slightly more hunter activity than in the past five years, with 930 hunter stops logged at the station over the weekend, compared to an average of 820. The total number of deer and elk checked was also up slightly. “We have a new opportunity for either-sex white-tailed deer harvest on the…