Troy, MT Hunting Report: Northwest Montana & Lincoln County — Week of November 12, 2026

Three weekends into Montana’s general rifle season, hunters around Troy and across Lincoln County, from the Yaak and Bull Lake down the Kootenai valley and into the Cabinet Mountains, are still hunting a slower year than 2025 by FWP’s regional numbers, though mule deer bucks are now running ahead of last year. The general deer and elk season opened Oct. 24 and closes Sunday, Nov. 29, which leaves three weekends, including Thanksgiving weekend (FWP hunting seasons page, checked Nov. 12). FWP’s Region 1 release from Kalispell, dated Nov. 9, says 4,832 hunters have now passed through the four northwest Montana check stations, compared with 5,162 at the same point last year, and 7.2 percent of them had game, compared with 8.3 percent in 2025. None of those stations is in Lincoln County, and FWP hasn’t published a Lincoln County harvest figure or Libby CWD station counts, so we can’t tell you exactly what’s been taken closer to home. Here’s the official regional picture, the latest CWD sampling numbers for the Libby-area districts, this week’s forecast, and the notices that matter.

Through the third weekend (FWP Region 1, released Nov. 9, through Nov. 8):

The four Region 1 stations have checked 269 white-tailed deer (180 of them bucks), 48 mule deer bucks, and 32 elk. At the same point in 2025 they had 349 whitetails (204 bucks), 42 mule deer, and 37 elk. Compared with FWP’s Nov. 2 totals, the third weekend added about 1,600 hunters, 86 whitetails, 24 mule deer, and 9 elk. The U.S. Highway 2 station west of Kalispell, on the main route between Libby and Kalispell, has checked 2,489 hunters, 125 whitetails, 24 mule deer, and 16 elk, with 6.6 percent of hunters with game (7.2 percent last year). The Highway 200 station west of Thompson Falls is at 519 hunters, 25 whitetails, 13 mule deer, and 9 elk (21 elk last year), with 9.1 percent success, the same as 2025. FWP says warm weather is likely slowing the harvest because deer are less active and moving more at night, and it expects harvest to pick up as the weather cools and the rut approaches. Check stations only sample the harvest and don’t count every animal taken.

Check stations and CWD testing:

Region 1 check stations are open weekends through the general season from 10 a.m. to about 1.5 hours after sunset: U.S. Highway 2 west of Kalispell, Highway 83 north of Swan Lake, Highway 200 west of Thompson Falls, and Highway 93 near Olney. You have to stop at every check station you pass, whether or not you have game. Closer to home, the Libby CWD sampling station at the MDT Libby Shop (35838 U.S. Highway 2, just south of where Big Cherry Creek crosses the highway) is open Saturday through Monday, 10 a.m. to sunset. You can also get an animal sampled at the FWP Kalispell office (490 N. Meridian Rd., weekdays 8 to 5) or the Thompson Falls office (Mondays 8 to 5), or collect the samples yourself and mail them to the Wildlife Health Lab in Bozeman. Testing is mandatory for animals taken on the White-tailed Deer B License 199-20 (HDs 100, 103, and 104), the Mule Deer Permit 103-50 (HD 103), and the White-tailed Deer B License 170-20 (HD 170).

FWP’s online CWD sampling dashboard (current-season data last updated Nov. 10) lists these 2026–27 totals for the Libby-area management districts: HD 100, 35 samples with 1 positive (a mule deer); HD 103, 97 samples with 2 positives (both whitetails); and HD 104, 37 samples with 1 positive (a whitetail). Neighboring HD 101 shows 33 samples and no positives. These are dashboard counts by hunting district, not a news release, so they don’t say which station took the samples. FWP hasn’t published a separate Libby station tally. Results are posted as tests come back, so the numbers will change. You can check your own animal’s result on FWP’s CWD page.

Region 1 rules worth repeating:

Region 1 antlerless elk B licenses are valid only on private land for 2026–27. If you hunt SPP lands or the Flathead Ridge Ranch Block Management Area, follow the new permission rules: the old SPP single-access system is now three separate BMAs, each with its own requirements. Before you hunt a district, read the far-right “Opportunity Specific Details and/or Restrictions” column in the regulations. In Region 1, mule deer hunting is for antlered bucks only, and the North Fisher area in HD 103 requires the 103-50 permit. FWP’s Nov. 4 reminder still stands: hunting over bait and feeding wildlife are illegal in Montana. Report violations to 1-800-TIP-MONT.

Around the state:

FWP’s other regions reported midseason numbers Nov. 9 and 10. In west-central Montana, the Anaconda, Bonner, and Darby stations are on par with last year and just above the five-year average: 5,324 hunter stops (5,643 in 2025), 224 whitetails (188), 78 mule deer (88), and 184 elk (180). On the Rocky Mountain Front, the Augusta station has checked 289 deer and elk, 15 percent above the long-term average, including 110 elk (more than 20 percent above average), though hunter numbers have slipped slightly below average. In southwest Montana, the Alder, Cameron, and Divide stations met 759 hunters on Nov. 7–8, who had 39 elk, 29 mule deer, and 2 whitetails, and FWP says the mild weather is keeping herds spread out at higher elevations. In south-central Montana, 2,198 hunters have come through the stations (2,248 last year), and biologists at Lavina noted that several harvested bucks appeared to be in the rut. That region also reports 10 CWD positives out of 373 samples so far. Antelope season closed Nov. 8. We didn’t find any new FWP hunting closure notices in the news listings since the Nov. 2 HD 502 bighorn sheep closure, but check FWP’s Restrictions and Closures page before you go.

Seasons open now (per FWP, checked Nov. 12):

Deer and elk general: through Nov. 29, with muzzleloader Dec. 12–20. Black bear fall season: through Nov. 29. Moose, mountain goat, and bighorn sheep general (license or permit holders): through Nov. 29. Mountain lion (without dogs): through Nov. 29, and the winter season opens Dec. 1. This year there’s a single Mountain Lion License for both fall and winter seasons, and you have to check the quota status of your Lion Management Unit. Residents who want to hunt bobcats need a Bobcat Hunting License by Nov. 30. Wolf general: Sept. 15, 2026 – March 14, 2027, per FWP’s wolf species page (the general seasons page still lists 2026 wolf dates as “TBD”). Wolf trapping opens Nov. 30 only outside the area covered by the federal court order and Jan. 1 inside it, so check the 2026 wolf regulations for which applies where you trap. Mountain grouse and other upland birds: through Jan. 1. Pacific Flyway ducks, coots, and geese: through Jan. 15. Bison opens Nov. 15, but that’s not a northwest Montana hunt. Shoulder seasons and permits vary by district, so check the 2026 regulations or the Hunt Planner.

Bird hunters and bears:

On Nov. 6 FWP reminded bird hunters that avian influenza is still around in Montana and infected birds don’t always look sick. Don’t take or handle birds that are obviously sick or found dead, keep dogs away from sick or dead waterfowl, wear gloves when cleaning birds, and cook game to 165 degrees. Bears are still out too. FWP’s southwest region reported black bear and grizzly tracks this week, and the Region 1 release repeats the carcass rules: don’t hang a carcass near a house or garage, and hang it at least 10 feet off the ground and 4 feet out from any upright support. Carry bear spray where you can reach it. Black bear season runs through Nov. 29, so be sure of your target.

Troy weather this week:

The National Weather Service in Missoula’s forecast for Troy (updated 1:01 a.m. MST Thursday, Nov. 12) calls for patchy morning fog today, then mostly cloudy with a high near 57 and a low around 37 tonight. Friday turns sunny in the afternoon, high near 53. Saturday has a 40 percent chance of rain, high near 53. Sunday is partly sunny, high near 55, with a 20 percent chance of rain after 11 a.m., and rain is likely Sunday night and Monday, with Monday’s high near 52. It cools off after that: Tuesday’s high is near 49 with a low around 32, and Wednesday’s high is near 48, with the snow level forecast at 2,900 feet rising to 3,900 feet. That could mean a little fresh snow on higher ground midweek, but the Troy forecast doesn’t call for snow in town. It’s still mild for mid-November, so get meat cooled quickly. Forecasts change, so check again before you go.

Kootenai National Forest roads (alerts checked Nov. 12):

Spar Lake Road #384 (Three Rivers District) is still closed to motor vehicles while flood damage from December 2025 is repaired. Ross Creek Cedars Road #398 still has storm damage from those floods, and access is limited. Upper Young Creek Road #7202 on the Rexford District is closed at milepost 3.5 to 3.6 because of a washout. The Timberlane Campground closure (Libby District) is still in effect. Expect timber sale traffic near the Alexander Mountain Trail #270 off FDR #228, where part of the trail runs through the Fleetwood Jack sale. The forest’s December 2025 flood alert about inaccessible areas is also still posted. Check the alerts page and the travel map before a walk-in.

Disclaimer: This report summarizes FWP regulations, news releases, the FWP CWD dashboard, and dated public sources as of the morning of Nov. 12, 2026. It doesn’t replace the official regulations or FWP’s Hunt Planner. Check station figures are a sample of the regional harvest from stations outside Lincoln County, not a complete count, and the third-weekend numbers above are our math from FWP’s Nov. 2 and Nov. 9 releases. CWD dashboard counts are preliminary and change as results come in. We didn’t find Lincoln County harvest or Libby CWD station numbers and don’t report results we can’t verify. Seasons, closures, and weather can change, so confirm with FWP and the Forest Service before you hunt.

Sources: FWP, Harvest activity continues across northwest Montana as general season progresses, Nov. 9, 2026; FWP, Northwest Montana reports slightly lower harvest numbers through the second week of general season, Nov. 2, 2026; FWP, west-central Montana check stations, Nov. 9, 2026; FWP, north-central Montana (Augusta), Nov. 10, 2026; FWP, southwestern Montana check stations, Nov. 10, 2026; FWP, south-central Montana check stations, Nov. 10, 2026; FWP, License reminders, Nov. 10, 2026; FWP, Reminder: Take precautions when handling sick-looking wildlife, Nov. 6, 2026; FWP, Reminder: baiting and feeding game animals is illegal in Montana, Nov. 4, 2026.

More sources: FWP Hunting Seasons (checked Nov. 12, 2026); FWP Wolf species page; FWP Chronic Wasting Disease; FWP CWD sampling dashboard (data updated Nov. 10, 2026); FWP Restrictions and Closures; NWS Missoula forecast for Troy (updated Nov. 12, 2026); Kootenai National Forest alerts (checked Nov. 12, 2026).

Heading out for the final weekends? Stop by Booze ‘N Bait at 315 E Missoula Ave in Troy for guns, ammo, and gear, and check our best hunting days before you go.