Montana Limits White-Tailed Deer Licenses Amid Disease Outbreaks in Northeast
As Montana’s general rifle season for deer and elk opens this weekend, wildlife authorities have implemented restrictions on white-tailed deer hunting licenses in response to recent disease outbreaks.
Montana Fish, Wildlife and Parks (FWP) reports that localized outbreaks of hemorrhagic diseases, specifically epizootic hemorrhagic disease (EHD) and bluetongue virus (BTV), have impacted pockets of white-tailed deer populations, with the most severe cases concentrated in northeastern Montana.
Regulatory Changes to Deer Licensing
In early October, the FWP Fish and Wildlife Commission approved a regulation to limit the number of white-tailed deer B licenses sold in Region 6 (northeast Montana) to 2,000, restricting hunters to one license each. This policy aims to mitigate hunting pressure amid the heightened disease impact in that area.
Hunters who purchased multiple licenses before October 10, when the new rule became effective, are allowed to use their existing licenses.
Disease Dynamics and Wildlife Implications
EHD and bluetongue viruses are transmitted by biting midges (Culicoides spp.), whose breeding sites are commonly found near rivers and wetlands. These viruses cause internal hemorrhaging leading to rapid mortality in infected deer, often resulting in localized die-offs.
Brian Wakeling, Chief of FWP’s Game Management Division, described the outbreaks as “sporadic and patchy,” noting that while disease presence is now observed in some new areas, the impact is not significant enough to threaten deer populations biologically.
Recent Outbreak Locations and Patterns
- Late summer and early fall outbreaks recorded primarily in northeastern Montana
- Reports of about two dozen deer carcasses near Eureka and a dozen near Plains attributed to hemorrhagic disease
- Additional suspected cases along the Yellowstone River corridor in southeastern Montana and in prairie habitats
- Deaths around Frenchtown and the Clark Fork River west of Missoula also linked to hemorrhagic diseases in early October
Historical and Biological Context
Historically, EHD and BTV outbreaks in Montana have been mostly confined to areas east of the Continental Divide. Notably, EHD was first documented west of the divide in 2013, indicating possible shifts in disease distribution.
These viral hemorrhagic diseases tend to fade with the arrival of winter as freezing temperatures reduce midge activity, thereby interrupting transmission cycles.
Additional reporting and sources from: FWP commission limits white-tailed deer licenses in NE Montana due to disease outbreak
