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Big Game Hunting Season Opens This Weekend

By Beacon Staff

This weekend marks the start of the general rifle season for big game in Montana.

The season for deer and elk opens for 37 days starting Oct. 26 and ending Dec. 1. Based on early estimates this should be a favorable hunt in Northwest Montana.

“I’m excited about this coming season because I think it will be a really good one,” says FWP Region 1 Wildlife Biologist John Vore. “I’m anticipating a good harvest.”

Every hunting season, some individuals unwittingly or knowingly violate the state’s game laws, including a persistence of poaching and trespassing violations, according to Montana Fish, Wildlife and Parks.

State officials are urging hunters to review the hunting rules and regulations and report violations during the season. Any violation afield can be reported to TIP-MONT at 1-800-TIP-MONT (1-800-847-6668). You can also report a violation online.

Also, FWP is reminding hunters to stop at the nearest check station after going afield.

Here are some of the most common hunting violations, according to FWP:

— Failure to obtain permission from landowners before hunting on private property.

— Wasting part of a game animal suitable for food.

— Failure to properly validate a license/tag or to securely fasten the tag in a visible manner to a game animal immediately after it is taken and before it is moved or transported from the kill site.

— Taking game from the wrong hunting district.

— Using someone else’s tag on a game animal you killed, or tagging a game animal that someone else killed.

— Shooting game animals on or from any public highway or public right-of-way.

— Taking game without a license or the proper permit.

— Failure to validate a big game tag.

— Not leaving evidence of the sex or species of the game animal attached.