November 4, 2009 - Montana hunters are bagging big game this season.  Fish, Wildlife and Parks report deer and elk numbers are steady across most of the state.  But if you're planning to hunt deer in the Bitterroot, you may have to  work a little harder.  FWP reports hunters have not killed as many whitetail and mule deer this year.  State officials blame it on a variety of reasons, including hunters not having a lot of access to private land and limits on tags. 

FWP uses hunter check points to compile the stats.  During opening week 6,095 hunters  drove through the Darby, Anaconda and Bonner check points. They killed 245 elk, 132 white tail deer and 54 mule deer.

In northwest Montana, 7,416 hunters traveled through the six check points.  Hunters killed 78 elk, 325 whitetail and,51 mule deer. 

And in the Bozeman area, hunters killed 141 elk, 9 white tail and 30 mule deer. 

---