Troy, MT Hunting Report: Northwest Montana & Lincoln County — Week of October 22, 2026

From Troy and the Yaak to Bull Lake, the Kootenai valley, and the Cabinet Mountains, Lincoln County hunters are on the doorstep of the big one: Montana’s general rifle season for deer and elk opens this Saturday, Oct. 24, 2026, and runs through Sunday, Nov. 29 (FWP hunting seasons page, checked Oct. 22). Archery deer and elk closed Oct. 18 and the youth deer weekend wrapped up Oct. 16, so the woods around Troy get a few quiet days before orange shows up. The Region 1 picture going in is still the good one FWP laid out in early September: three mild winters, high harvests of predators, and strong fawn and calf survival. FWP has not put out a weekly “what’s being killed” field report for northwest Montana this week, so we stick to dated forecasts, regulations, and official notices.

Seasons open now or opening Saturday (per FWP, checked Oct. 22):

Deer and elk general rifle: Oct. 24 – Nov. 29 (muzzleloader Dec. 12–20). Mountain lion fall season without dogs: Oct. 24 – Nov. 29. Black bear fall season: open through Nov. 29. Wolf general: open, Sept. 15, 2026 – March 14, 2027 per FWP’s wolf species page (the general seasons page still lists 2026 wolf dates as “TBD,” so check the wolf page and regs). Mountain grouse, partridge, and sharp-tailed grouse: open through Jan. 1, 2027. Ring-necked pheasant: Oct. 10 – Jan. 1, 2027. Pacific Flyway ducks (including mergansers), coots, and geese: Oct. 3 – Jan. 15. Mourning dove: through Oct. 30. Snipe: through Dec. 16. Shoulder seasons, permits, and private-land-only licenses can change the picture in your district, so check the 2026 regulations or the Hunt Planner before you go.

Region 1 outlook:

FWP’s 2026 Northwest Montana Big Game Forecast (Outdoor Wire release, Sept. 2; Flathead Beacon, Sept. 8), echoed by The Western News on Oct. 20, is still the latest official word. Whitetails are the headline: spring surveys showed 29 to 54 fawns per 100 adults across the region, buck harvest has been stable to increasing for four years, and biologists expect more bucks older than three years. Mule deer surveys came in at 41 fawns per 100 adults in HD 103 (Fisher River) and 39 per 100 in HD 101 (Galton Range); FWP expects stable to slightly increasing numbers, with buck numbers about like last season. Region 1 mule deer are antlered bucks only (at least one antler 4 inches or longer) with no antlerless opportunity, and the North Fisher area (HD 103-50) needs a permit plus mandatory CWD testing. For elk, the Clark Fork drainage (Thompson Falls to Noxon) averaged 32 calves per 100 cows, which points to a moderately increasing herd. Lost Trail (HD 103) looked stable to slightly increasing (414 elk counted from the ground), and the Bob Marshall improved to 27 calves per 100 cows but still has low numbers. FWP expects elk regionwide to be similar to or slightly better than last year.

Elk rules to know cold:

Under regulations the Fish and Wildlife Commission adopted in December 2025, antlerless elk are not legal to harvest in Region 1, and all Region 1 Elk B licenses are now valid only on private land (Flathead Beacon, Sept. 8, summarizing FWP). FWP also reminded hunters on Oct. 16 about the new HD 101-50 (North Tobacco) bull elk permit: only 101-50 permit holders can hunt antlered elk in the North Tobacco portion during archery, general, and heritage muzzleloader seasons, while general license holders can still hunt antlered elk in the rest of HD 101. Read your district’s exact wording before you pull the trigger.

CWD testing and check stations:

When the rifle season opens, four Region 1 big game check stations will run on weekends: Highway 2 west of Kalispell, Highway 83 north of Swan Lake, Highway 200 at the west end of Thompson Falls, and Highway 93 near Olney. You are required to stop at every check station you pass, going out or coming back, whether or not you have game (FWP warden tips, Oct. 14). Closer to home, the Libby CWD sampling station is again at the MDT Libby Shop just south of where Big Cherry Creek crosses U.S. Highway 2, around mile marker 35. It will be open Oct. 24 – Nov. 30, Saturdays, Sundays, and Mondays from 10 a.m. to sunset (The Western News, Oct. 20). Stopping there is voluntary, but CWD testing is mandatory for any deer taken on a 199-20 either-sex B license (Libby CWD Management Zone), a 170-20 license (Kalispell zone), or the HD 103-50 mule deer permit. FWP’s Oct. 14 CWD release asks hunters to bag leftover carcass parts for a Class II landfill or leave them at the kill site, never dump them, and report any deer, elk, or moose that looks sick. Questions: FWP Region 1 in Kalispell, 406-752-5501.

Opener reminders from FWP game wardens (Oct. 14):

Carry your licenses, either on paper or downloaded in the FWP app. Get permission before you hunt private land. Don’t shoot on, from, or across a public road. Validate your tag before you move the animal. Follow Block Management rules. Hunt only from a half hour before sunrise to a half hour after sunset. Keep evidence of sex with the carcass when your license requires it. Wear at least 400 square inches of hunter orange above the waist, visible from all sides.

Birds:

FWP’s Roosters for Recruitment board (updated Oct. 19) shows Region 1 releases so far at North Shore WMA (435 birds) and Foys Bend FCA (332 birds, limited hunting by drawing). Wild birds are a different story: FWP’s Aug. 31 upland forecast called it a down year in Region 1, because the cool, wet spring hurt broods and mountain grouse are expected to be below normal. Ducks and geese have been open since Oct. 3. You need HIP and a migratory bird license, plus a federal duck stamp if you’re 16 or older. We found no published northwest Montana waterfowl field report this week.

Bear safety:

The Cabinet-Yaak and the country around Troy are grizzly country, and bears are still out feeding hard this time of year. Carry bear spray where you can reach it, especially while you’re field dressing and packing meat, and don’t leave a carcass unattended longer than you have to. On Oct. 21 FWP reminded hunters that bear spray expires after about three to five years (the date is printed on the can). Check yours before Saturday, and don’t store it below freezing. Separately, FWP reported on Oct. 19 that the Fish and Wildlife Commission approved grizzly bear release sites at its October meeting. The full site list wasn’t in that release; see the commission’s page for details.

Troy weather for the opener:

The National Weather Service in Missoula’s forecast for Troy (updated 2:12 a.m. MDT Thursday, Oct. 22) calls for fog this morning, then mostly sunny and near 74 today. Rain is likely tonight (90 percent chance, low near 42), with a tenth to a quarter inch possible. Friday brings a chance of rain, high near 62, and a low near 29. Saturday’s opener looks mostly sunny after morning fog, high near 60, and Saturday night drops to about 27. Sunday is mostly cloudy with a slight chance of rain and a high near 57, and Sunday night falls to about 24. Plan for frosty starts and damp ground after tonight’s rain. Forecasts change, so check again before you head out.

Kootenai National Forest roads (alerts checked Oct. 22):

Spar Lake Road #384 (Three Rivers District) is still closed to motor vehicles for flood-damage repairs. Ross Creek Cedars Road #398 is still damaged from the December 2025 floods, with access limited. Deep Creek Road #368 (Fortine) is closed for culvert work through this fall. Upper Young Creek Road #7202 (Rexford) is closed by a washout at milepost 3.5–3.6. The Skillet Fire closure is now just a road and culvert repair closure. Watch for timber sale traffic on the Alexander Mountain Trail #270 and FDR #228 near Libby. Check the full Kootenai alerts page and the travel map before you plan a walk-in.

Local meeting note:

FWP will meet with landowners and the public on Nov. 4 in the Ponderosa Room at Libby City Hall to discuss conservation easements, including the Kootenai Valleys and Kootenai Forestlands easements near Libby and Troy (11 a.m.–noon) and Thompson-Fisher (noon–1 p.m.). Those easements cover a lot of the walk-in ground local hunters use (FWP, Oct. 19).

Disclaimer: This report summarizes FWP regulations, forecasts, and dated public sources as of the morning of Oct. 22, 2026. It does not replace the official regulations or FWP’s Hunt Planner. Seasons, closures, and weather can change, so always confirm with FWP and the Forest Service before you hunt. We didn’t find a current FWP field harvest report for northwest Montana and don’t report harvest results we can’t verify.

Sources: FWP Hunting Seasons (checked Oct. 22, 2026); FWP Wolf species page; FWP 2026 Hunting Forecasts; 2026 Northwest Montana Big Game Forecast (Region 1), The Outdoor Wire, Sept. 2026; Flathead Beacon, Sept. 8, 2026; The Western News, Oct. 20, 2026; FWP CWD release, Oct. 14, 2026; FWP CWD hub; FWP warden tips, Oct. 14, 2026; FWP HD 101-50 reminder, Oct. 16, 2026.

More sources: FWP Roosters for Recruitment (updated Oct. 19, 2026); FWP Upland Game Bird Forecast, Aug. 31, 2026; FWP Bear Aware wrap-up, Oct. 21, 2026; FWP Commission meeting release, Oct. 19, 2026; FWP NW Montana conservation easement meetings, Oct. 19, 2026; NWS Missoula forecast for Troy (updated 2:12 a.m. MDT Oct. 22, 2026); Kootenai National Forest alerts (checked Oct. 22, 2026).

Getting ready for Saturday? 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 head out.

Gear up at Booze ‘N Bait: firearms & FFL transfers · ammunition · hunting licenses & tags · suppressors · sporting goods — 315 E Missoula Ave #1, Troy, MT · (406) 295-4415