FWP game wardens provide 11 essential reminders for hunters as general deer and elk season opens October 24, including carrying licenses, obtaining landowner permission, following tagging rules, and wearing hunter orange to ensure legal compliance.
Montana Fish, Wildlife & Parks operated biological check stations in Big Timber, Broadview, and Billings during the October antelope season opener. Winter weather impacted hunter participation, with the Big Timber station recording 213 hunters and 120 harvested antelope, while Broadview saw record-low numbers at 126 hunters.
Antelope hunters in southeast Montana reported improved numbers during the rifle season opener despite cold, rainy Sunday conditions. Check stations at Hysham, Broadus, and Mosby reported harvest success rates between 53-61 percent, with wildlife biologist Steve Atwood noting poor upland bird conditions due to drought and record July heat.
Nebraska's 100th pheasant season opens Oct. 31 with optimism high following statewide spring counts that increased 11% from 2025. The Northeast, Panhandle, and Southwest regions should support the highest bird densities. Nebraska Game and Parks Commission encourages hunters to use the Public Access Atlas and Stubble Access Guide to find over 1.3 million acres of publicly accessible hunting lands.
Nebraska offers abundant fur harvesting opportunities for furbearers and coyotes with long seasons statewide. Regulated harvest provides wildlife management benefits, outdoor recreation, and potential income. Residents ages 16 and older need a fur harvest permit and habitat stamp, available through OutdoorNebraska.gov or Nebraska Game and Parks' Lincoln office.
Vermont Fish and Wildlife reminds hunters to wear fluorescent orange for safety. Fish and Wildlife Commissioner Jason Batchelder and Hunter Education Program Coordinator Nicole Meier emphasize that orange visibility keeps hunters safe in the woods, while deer are unaffected by the color.
The Arizona Game and Fish Department alerts Prescott-area hunters that the Rough Rider gravel bike race will occur October 30 through November 1, coinciding with the second weekend of general deer season across multiple Game Management Units. Hunters, cyclists, and recreationists are encouraged to use extra caution and be aware of one another while sharing these areas.
Arkansas's alternative firearms deer season opens October 17, now in its third year allowing straight-wall cartridge firearms alongside traditional muzzleloaders. AGFC Deer Program coordinator Ralph Meeker reports early harvest is up despite heat, with the deer herd in good shape and hunters encouraged to harvest does to balance population before the rut.
Oklahoma's deer muzzleloader season runs October 24 through November 1, requiring a deer muzzleloader license and annual hunting license. Youth hunters need only a youth annual super hunting license, which also covers youth deer gun season October 16-18 and all other licensed hunting in Oklahoma.
Youth hunters under 18 years old can participate in a dedicated deer gun season October 16-18 with adult mentors before the general season opens. This opportunity allows experienced sportsmen and women to mentor young hunters on hunting fundamentals and techniques.
Whitetails Unlimited has launched a Sight-In Target Initiative providing free shooting range kits to help hunters and shooting enthusiasts safely and accurately sight-in their firearms before deer season. Each complimentary kit includes three 100-yard targets with grids, a center highlight ring, and a firearm safety poster. Contact Whitetails Unlimited at 920.743.6777 or nh@whitetailsunlimited.com to order.
Utah residents can begin applying for 2027 sportsman permits on October 20 at 8 a.m. MDT through the Utah Division of Wildlife Resources. Only one permit is offered per species including bison, elk, moose, and bighorn sheep, with application fees of $10 per species and permit fees ranging from $40 to $564.
The Nebraska Game and Parks Commission reminds upland hunters to prioritize safety as pheasant, quail, and partridge seasons approach. Kyle Gaston, Nebraska hunter education coordinator, emphasizes essential safety practices including proper firearm handling, hunter orange visibility, and zone-of-fire awareness.
The Wyoming Game and Fish Department urges hunters to practice responsible land ethics during hunting season. The Access Yes Program, coordinated by Jon Desonier in the Lander Region, enrolls over 700,000 private acres from roughly 450 landowners to provide hunting opportunities while protecting critical wildlife habitat.
Montana Fish, Wildlife & Parks reminds hunters that the general big game hunting season begins October 24, with an early youth deer hunt October 15-16. Licenses can be purchased online, at FWP offices, or through the new License Ambassador Program at local businesses and libraries.
The Hunters Feeding Michigan program allows hunters to donate deer at participating processors or donation drives, with each deer providing approximately 160 meals. Through partnerships with the DNR, Feeding America, and statewide processors, venison donations support Michigan residents in need. Non-hunters can also contribute monetary donations to help cover processing costs.
Wyoming hunters are donating harvested big game through the Food from the Field program, a statewide partnership launched in 2020 by First Lady Jennie Gordon. Since 2020, hunters have donated 78,529 pounds of wild game meat, with the Wyoming Game and Fish Department and Wyoming Department of Agriculture coordinating with meat processors to support anti-hunger efforts.
Nebraska's Oct. 24-25 youth pheasant, quail and partridge season for hunters ages 15 and younger offers mentoring opportunities. Bryan O'Connor, upland game program manager for the Nebraska Game and Parks Commission, highlights the low-pressure environment for building skills and confidence. Special Youth Hunt locations across the state will have rooster pheasants released for youth and accompanying adults.
Pennsylvania's pheasant season begins with a junior hunt on October 10 and statewide season on October 24. The Game Commission will stock approximately 232,000 birds through early January, with expanded hunting dates including all 21 Sundays and overlap with firearms deer season, providing nearly 30 additional hunting days.
The Vermont Fish and Wildlife Department is requesting hunters to submit incisor teeth from harvested deer to gather biological data on the state's deer population. Biologists will cross-section teeth to determine age and help estimate population size, growth rate, health, and mortality rates, with results posted next spring.