Montana Hunting Report — Week of October 8, 2026
Whether you’re swinging through Troy for coffee, a box of shells, or one more look at the regs before the weekend, here’s the straight scoop for the second week of October 2026.
Bottom line: Archery deer and elk has about 10 days left (it closes Sunday, Oct. 18). Pheasant opens this Saturday, Oct. 10, for residents. Pacific Flyway ducks and geese have been open since Oct. 3. Youth deer weekend is next Thursday–Friday, Oct. 15–16, and general rifle deer/elk opens Saturday, Oct. 24. Bears are on the move: a grizzly was killed at close range near Trego on Oct. 1. FWP still hasn’t posted a fresh weekly “what’s getting shot” field bulletin, so the Aug. 31 forecasts are the best official intel. We date every claim and stick to what the sources actually said.
Where the seasons sit today (Thursday, Oct. 8, 2026)
Per FWP’s 2026 season date card, the FWP hunting seasons page, and the migratory bird page (checked Oct. 8):
Deer & elk archery: Sept. 5 – Oct. 18 (open now; about 10 days left).Youth deer only: Oct. 15–16.Deer & elk general rifle: Oct. 24 – Nov. 29. Muzzleloader: Dec. 12–20.Mountain lion: archery through Oct. 18; fall (without dogs) Oct. 24 – Nov. 29.Black bear fall (through Nov. 29) and wolf general (through March 15, 2027): open.Mountain grouse: open since Sept. 1 (through Jan. 1, 2027).Pheasant: opens Saturday, Oct. 10 (through Jan. 1, 2027). Nonresidents on public land or FWP access-program land (including Block Management) can’t start until Oct. 20.Pacific Flyway ducks (including mergansers), coots & geese: Oct. 3 – Jan. 15 (open; check the 2026 migratory bird booklet for species and bag details).Mourning dove: through Oct. 30. General antelope opens Oct. 10 (mostly an east-side trip for Troy folks).
Always double-check your hunting district in the Hunt Planner or the regs. Shoulder seasons, permits, and private-land-only tags can change the picture.
Region 1 outlook: still the Aug. 31 forecast
No new Region 1 survey numbers since last week. FWP’s Northwest Montana Big Game Forecast (Aug. 31; Outdoor Wire reprint, Flathead Beacon Sept. 8) still credits three mild winters plus heavy wolf and lion harvest for good fawn and calf survival.
Whitetails: the strongest R1 story. Recruitment ran 29 to 54 fawns per 100 adults, buck harvest has been stable to rising for four years, and FWP expects more bucks over 3 years old.
Elk: the Clark Fork (Thompson Falls to Noxon) averaged 32 calves per 100 cows, a moderately increasing herd. Lost Trail (HD 103) looks stable to slightly up. The Bob Marshall improved to 27:100 but numbers are still low. Regionwide, expect elk similar to slightly better than last year.
Mule deer and moose: 41 fawns per 100 adults in HD 103 (Fisher River) and 39 in HD 101 (Galton), with buck numbers expected about like last year. R1 mule deer are antlered-bucks-only (an antler at least 4 inches). North Fisher (HD 103-50) needs a permit plus a CWD test, and HD 101 needs a permit for bucks in the last half of the season. Moose are stable but below historic highs, and HD 111 licenses dropped from 10 to 8.
Rule reminders that will save you a ticket
Elk: the Flathead Beacon (Sept. 8) reports that under rules the Fish & Wildlife Commission set in December 2025, antlerless elk are not legal to harvest in Region 1, and all Region 1 Elk B licenses are now private-land-only. Read your district’s exact language in the regs before you squeeze.Deer: per FWP’s 2026 regs page, residents are capped at three deer licenses per license year, and many mule deer B licenses are now private-land-only.CWD testing is mandatory, per FWP’s 2026 CWD page, for animals taken on a Deer B 199-20 (Libby CWD zone, HDs 100/103/104) or Deer Permit 103-50. FWP’s R1 forecast also lists testing as required for the 170-20 Kalispell-zone B. Elsewhere it’s free and voluntary. Bring the head unfrozen with 2–4 inches of neck, plus GPS coordinates.Libby CWD sampling station: south end of Libby, Highway 2 mile marker 35 (voluntary stop). Once rifle season opens, the four weekend check stations (Hwy 2 west of Kalispell, Hwy 83 north of Swan Lake, Hwy 200 west end of Thompson Falls, Hwy 93 near Olney) are mandatory stops.
Bears: busy season, and a close call near Trego
On the morning of Oct. 1, a Trego-area landowner shot and killed a male grizzly at close range after going outside to check on noises, per FWP (via Montana Outdoor, Oct. 2). He wasn’t hurt, and the U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service is investigating. The Flathead Beacon (Oct. 2) reported the bear was radio-collared and had tried to get into an enclosed outbuilding. FWP Director Christy Clark said fall “is an especially active time for bears as they move more in search of food.”
FWP followed Oct. 6 with a “Stay safe in bear country” bulletin, including tips on carrying bear spray during archery season. Spray is still your call: the Daily Inter Lake reported Oct. 3 that the Commission unanimously rejected a petition (heard Sept. 24) to require it for hunters and trappers in grizzly habitat. FWP still recommends it. Quartering an elk in the Yaak or the Cabinets? Keep it on your belt, not in the pack.
Worth watching: FWP’s grizzly bear release sites, including a Cabinet-Yaak list, are on the Oct. 14 Commission agenda (8 a.m., Zoom).
Birds this week: pheasant Saturday, ducks open
Pheasant opens Saturday, Oct. 10. FWP said Oct. 6 it is releasing more than 3,500 pheasants statewide this week (15,000-plus this fall). Region 1 release sites: North Shore WMA and Foys Bend FCA (drawing only).Wild birds: FWP’s Aug. 31 forecast still calls R1 a down year. The wet spring hurt broods, and mountain grouse are expected below normal. Nontribal hunters on the Flathead Reservation need a reservation upland license.Ducks and geese open since Oct. 3. You need HIP, a migratory bird license, and a federal duck stamp if 16+. We found no published NW Montana opener report, so we won’t guess.
Local note (not an FWP bulletin): EHD on the Flathead Reservation
We found nothing newer than CSKT’s EHD confirmation in Mission Valley whitetails (Lake County Leader, Oct. 1). EHD isn’t contagious to humans, and outbreaks usually ease after the first frosts. Report suspected new outbreak areas on the reservation to CSKT (406-275-2774). FWP notes EHD alone usually doesn’t cause long-term declines. This is not a Troy/Libby bulletin.
Weather, access & fire
Weather: the NWS Missoula forecast for Troy (issued early Oct. 8) calls for sun near 80 today, then rain chances Friday afternoon (50%) through Saturday (70%, high near 55), with lows near 26 Saturday night and 22 Sunday night. Pack for both.Fire: Kootenai NF fire danger read Low on Oct. 8. Lincoln County fall open burning (outside the Libby control area) runs Oct. 1 – Nov. 30, no permit (Western News, Sept. 25). FWP’s BMA page still warns of possible closures or restrictions, so check the Region 1 PDF or call before you go.Roads (Kootenai NF alerts, checked Oct. 8): Spar Lake Rd #384 is closed to motor vehicles past Whoopie Creek bridge (about MP 18), but open to foot and bike. Ross Creek Cedars Rd #398 is closed to motor vehicles (December 2025 flood). Lower Quartz Creek Rd #601 near Libby is closed for salvage work. FS Rd 315 (Skillet Fire) and Deep Creek Rd #368 on the Fortine district are closed.Log trucks and smoke: per the Sept. 25 Kootenai update (Hagadone/Western News), watch for logging traffic on Southside Rd 4402, Long Meadows Rd 593, South Fork Yaak Rd 68, and Vinal Lake Rd 746. Possible prescribed burns are listed near Troy and in the Spread Creek area northwest of Yaak. Burning may run into November or December and can close areas for a few days.
What we’d hunt from Troy this week
Finish archery strong on whitetails: R1’s best forecast, and about 10 days left (ends Oct. 18).Elk on public land: numbers look okay to slightly better, but know the Region 1 antlerless and Elk B rules cold.Pheasant opener Saturday if you’ll drive to North Shore WMA, or ducks and geese closer to home.Youth deer Oct. 15–16: get the kids’ rifles sighted in this weekend.Rifle prep for Oct. 24: walk your access, check road closures, and plan your CWD sample if you hold a 199-20 or 103-50.Bear and wolf if that’s your program. Carry spray, and follow 2026 reporting rules.
Shop plug
Need blaze orange for the youth hunt, shells for the pheasant opener, or one more set of eyes on your tag before daylight? Stop in at Booze ’N Bait, 315 E Missoula Ave in Troy. We’ll get you geared up, point you to the right FWP pages, and keep the Hap’nings coming all fall. Hunt safe, respect landowners, and pack out what you pack in.
Sources
Montana FWP — 2026 Season Date Card (PDF)Montana FWP — Hunting Seasons (checked Oct. 8, 2026)Montana FWP — Hunt By Species: DeerMontana FWP — Hunt Regulations (2026 highlights)Montana FWP — Hunt By Species: Migratory BirdsMontana FWP — 2026 Hunting Forecasts hubThe Outdoor Wire — 2026 Hunting Forecast: Northwest Montana Big Game (Region 1), FWP release reprint, Sept. 2026Flathead Beacon — Mild Winters Fuel Strong Big Game Forecast for Northwest Montana, Sept. 8, 2026Montana FWP — Upland Game Bird Forecasts, Aug. 31, 2026Montana FWP — Roosters for Recruitment (pheasant release sites)Montana Outdoor (FWP release) — Pheasant hunting season to open October 10, Oct. 6, 2026Montana Outdoor (FWP release) — General antelope season opens October 10, Oct. 7, 2026Montana FWP — CWD Management, 2026 announcementsMontana Outdoor (FWP release) — Grizzly bear killed in close encounter in Trego area, Oct. 2, 2026Flathead Beacon — Landowner Kills Collared Grizzly Bear in Close Encounter Near Trego, Oct. 2, 2026Montana FWP bulletin — Stay safe in bear country, Oct. 6, 2026Daily Inter Lake — Wildlife commission cans petition to require hunters carry bear spray, Oct. 3, 2026Montana FWP — Fish and Wildlife Commission meeting, Oct. 14, 2026Lake County Leader — Hemorrhagic disease again causing deer deaths on reservation, Oct. 1, 2026National Weather Service (Missoula) — Forecast for Troy, MT, issued Oct. 8, 2026Kootenai National Forest — Alerts and fire danger status (checked Oct. 8, 2026)Kootenai National Forest — Spar Lake Road #384 closed to motorized vehiclesKootenai National Forest — Ross Creek Cedars road closure & storm damage updateHagadone News Network / The Western News — Timber salvage, prescribed burns highlight fall work on Kootenai, Sept. 25, 2026The Western News — Fire Adapted Kootenai prepares for fall burn season, Sept. 25, 2026Montana FWP — BMA Fire Restrictions & Closures
Disclaimer: Regulations and closures change. This post summarizes published FWP forecasts, regulations, and dated public sources as of Oct. 8, 2026. It is not a substitute for the official regulations booklet or the Hunt Planner. We found no fresh weekly FWP field hunting bulletin for Region 1 this week.
