Fish & Wildlife Commission Adopts Emergency Deer Hunting Rule Change in Region 4

Deer hunters this fall will not be allowed to use their general deer license to take antlerless mule deer in five northcentral Montana hunting districts, the Fish and Commission decided at its October meeting.

The change will take place in HDs 400, 401, 403, 404, and 406. The emergency change is due to a disease hitting white-tailed deer. Epizootic hemorrhagic disease, EHD, is currently widespread in Montana, including FWP Region 4. EHD primarily affects whitetails.

Because of EHD, there was a concern that hunters in those five districts will find fewer whitetails and shift to hunting antlerless mule deer, which were legal with a deer A license. 

Landowners and sportsman have reported finding dead white-tailed deer throughout the districts since late July.