Montana's big game general hunting season opened October 24 with mild weather in south-central Montana. Fish, Wildlife & Parks operated check stations in Big Timber, Columbus, Lavina, and Billings, recording 1,077 hunters over the weekend with above-average success rates ranging from 18 to 35 percent across all stations.
Southeast Montana check stations at Hysham, Ashland, and Glendive recorded slightly fewer hunters than average during opening weekend, though harvest success rates remained near or above average. Antelope harvest was strong while mule deer numbers declined due to conservative license allocation, though hunters reported seeing more deer overall.
Montana's Protect the Hunt program invites hunters 18+ to complete a Hunter-Landowner Stewardship Video Guide and Test for a chance to win an exclusive guided hunt with Montana Outfitting Company or other prizes from partners including Weatherby, Maven, onX, and Sitka. Eleven winners will be randomly drawn in Spring 2027.
The Ohio Wildlife Council approved spring 2027 wild turkey hunting seasons with separate youth dates for south and northeast zones, and simplified bass fishing regulations that remove site-specific restrictions effective March 1, 2027. The Ohio Department of Natural Resources Division of Wildlife also approved an online game check option for river otter trapping beginning December 26.
Montana Fish, Wildlife & Parks' Havre check station reports 755 hunters through the first three weekends, with antelope harvest up 10% above long-term average. Mule deer, white-tailed deer, and elk harvests remain below averages, while upland bird reports are mixed across Region 6.
The Arkansas Game and Fish Commission's Becoming an Outdoors-Woman Program is hosting three overnight deer hunting camps for women new to the sport. Applications are open for December and January hunts at C.A. Vines 4-H Center in Little Rock and Clinton, Arkansas, with a February archery hunt opening in late December. Registration is $75 and includes instruction on firearm safety, shot placement, and field-dressing.
The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers Beaver Lake Project Office and Arkansas Game and Fish Commission are hosting a two-day alternative firearms deer hunt for veterans with service-connected disabilities on December 9-10, 2026. Four hunters will be selected via random lottery, with mandatory safety meetings and firearms checks required beforehand.
Arizona's small game and waterfowl hunting seasons are now open. Dr. Larisa Harding, AZGFD's small game program manager, encourages quail hunters to practice restraint and harvest fewer birds to support population recovery from recent drought conditions.
The Montana Fish & Wildlife Commission has closed Black Bear Management Unit 420 to all black bear hunting effective one-half hour after sunset on Friday, October 30, 2026.
The Pennsylvania Game Commission announces fall 2026 turkey season begins October 31 in 20 of 22 Wildlife Management Units, with varying season lengths through November. Game Commission Wild Turkey Biologist Reina Tyl notes improved statewide turkey recruitment and larger brood-flocks expected this season.
The Arizona Game and Fish Department will make 2,655 over-the-counter nonpermit-tags available for nonresident archery deer hunters beginning November 2, 2026, at 8 a.m. Arizona time. Online-only sales will be first-come, first-served, with special provisions for Pioneer, Lifetime, Benefactor, and Disabled Veteran license holders.
The Arizona Game and Fish Department has posted leftover hunt permit-tags from the 2027 Spring Draw. Paper applications are accepted by U.S. mail only beginning Monday, Nov. 2, and must be sent to the AZGFD Phoenix office.
The FWP game check station in Augusta reported a four percent increase in hunters during the 2026 general rifle season opening weekend, with 235 hunters stopping by. Overall elk harvest was 83 percent above the ten-year average with 22 elk checked, while deer harvest was 11 percent above average with 31 total deer reported.
Montana Fish, Wildlife & Parks check stations near Anaconda, Bonner, Darby, and Fish Creek reported slightly above average hunter traffic during the 2026 big game season opener on October 24. Wildlife managers Liz Bradley, Rebecca Mowry, and Kirstie Yeager noted increased either-sex white-tailed deer harvests and strong elk numbers across the region.
Montana's general deer and elk hunting season opened in northwest Montana with nearly 1,900 hunters at Montana Fish, Wildlife & Parks Region 1 check stations. Opening weekend showed a 7.4% hunter success rate, with lower overall harvest numbers for white-tailed deer and elk compared to 2025. The season runs through November 29.
Montana Fish, Wildlife & Parks operated six game check stations in southwestern Montana during opening weekend, meeting 2,200 hunters who harvested 146 elk, 41 mule deer, and 18 white-tailed deer. Hunter participation and success rates varied across locations, with favorable conditions reported including new snowfall and calm weather.
The North Dakota Game and Fish Department is requesting deer hunters to submit lower jaws from harvested deer to help biologists determine age structure of deer populations in each hunting unit and guide future management decisions.
Hunters who harvest a deer during Vermont’s November 7 and 8 youth and novice deer hunting weekend are encouraged to bring their deer to one of 18 biological reporting stations to help state wildlife biologists gather data on the health of Vermont’s deer population.
Hunters should follow safety precautions when harvesting and handling birds this season as bird flu has become an annual occurrence among wild bird populations. Nebraska Game and Parks recommends wearing gloves, avoiding sick birds, cooking meat thoroughly, and reporting abnormal wildlife through OutdoorNebraska.gov.
The Arizona Game and Fish Department (AZGFD) has released 2027 spring hunt draw results. Applicants must check their AZGFD portal account to view results and bonus points. Hunt permit-tags will be mailed by November 25, or delivered electronically through the Arizona E-Tag mobile app for eligible users.