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Tough Winter: Expect Fewer Deer and Antelope Tags in Montana

May 23, 2011.

From Montana Fish, Wildlife and Parks:

With more than 1,000 antelope already known to have succumbed to northern Montana's brutal winter, Montana Fish, Wildlife and Parks is cautioning hunters early to expect significant reductions in antelope permits and quotas this fall.

"We know for sure — just from casual observation — that more than 1,000 antelope have died along Montana Hi-Line from Malta to Glasgow," said Quentin Kujala, FWP's wildlife management supervisor in Helena. "We're also sure the region lost hundreds of deer to winterkill."

The temperature dipped below minus-35 degrees for days at time along the Hi-Line last winter and the area set a record for snowfall, charting more than 105 inches of snow, which made it often impossible for wildlife to find forage. Additionally, hundreds of antelope that tried to find refuge along snow-cleared railroad tracks were killed by trains.

While FWP doesn't estimate the number of deer and antelope that die over winter, it does estimate the number of animals that remain on the prairie each spring and summer.

FWP biologists are now flying over deer trend areas for those counts and the annual antelope surveys are set for early July. With that trend information in the books, biologists will then propose license quotas for the upcoming season.

"We're a few months away from having our antelope and deer population estimates complete,” Kujala said, “but we want hunters who annually plan trips to northern and eastern Montana to understand why we're expecting population declines and thus fewer permits in 2011."

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