Final Hunting Numbers Vary for Central Montana in 2025

The general rifle hunting season in Montana wrapped up on November 30, 2025, this year in the state, and while some hunters saw their freezer become full, some weren't that lucky.

via GIPHY

And it appears according to data released by MFWP that some of those hunters chose to not even venture out this year.  Or at least in Central Montana and the Regional Check Station located in Augusta, Montana.

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Final Hunting Numbers Vary for Central Montana in 2025

For 2025, Central Montana hunters' numbers were up slightly from the 5-year average but overall were down from the 10-year average.  Just over 2800 hunters checked in at the MFWP Augusta check station for the 5 weeks of the season.

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Those 2800 hunters were about a 10 percent increase over the 5-year average but a 9 percent decline from the 10-year average.  Weather along the Rocky Mountain Front may have played a part in that with "relatively mild weather for the majority of the season with cooler temps and some snow arriving for the last weekend".

Final Game Numbers for Central Montana Hunters in 2025

Data for the 2025 hunting season showed that when it came to taking game, hunters stayed within the normal averages.

This year in Central Montana MFWP reports that:

Overall harvest finished with 679 deer and elk checked a 6 percent increase over the five-year average but a 7 percent and 19 percent reduction from the respective 10- and 20-year averages. Overall deer and elk harvest success rates this year were in line with success rates of last 20 years at approximately 24 percent.

Hunters with special permits were able to fill all tags within the region this year.  Those included 2 moose, one mountain goat and all of the tags for bighorn sheep also filled within region 4 Hunting District in Augusta.