Ammo and camo flew out the doors of Helena area retailers Friday as hunters prepared for Sunday's opening of the general big game season.

The excitement -- as well as the testosterone -- were readily apparent at Capital Sports and Western as the predominantly male customers checked out new rifles, made sure their old ones were in working order and scoped out whatever else they might need when heading into the hills for the six-week season.

"We're selling a lot of game bags and game saws," noted Bart Bratlien, one of the many store clerks helping customers on Friday. "Prices are up dramatically on ammo this year, but we're still selling a lot."

Bratlien, who plans on heading into the woods himself on Sunday, said the main topic on everyone's mind is the weather.

"I would love to see some snow on Sunday," he said. "That would be the ultimate opening day."

Quentin Kujala, Montana Fish, Wildlife & Parks wildlife management bureau chief, said the snow already covering the mountainsides bodes well for this year's hunting season, although he agrees that colder and wetter weather would be welcome.

"This kind of snow at this time of year probably isn't significantly influencing wildlife distribution, but it does help with the stealth component and tracking, or following up on a wounded animal," Kujala said. "It takes those deep snows, those crusted snows, to bring critters down and make them more available."

Don Emanuel, a meteorologist with the National Weather Service in Great Falls, said the forecast calls for highs in the upper 40s to near 50s today, which translates to temperatures in the upper 30s in the mountains and a 50 percent chance of snow.

"We're not expecting a major system, but there's enough moisture and unsettled atmosphere that we could see some light snow in the mountains," Emanuel said. "We're starting to dry out on Sunday, with only a 20 percent chance of precipitation."

While remaining cool on Sunday, temperatures will begin to rise with highs in the 60s called for by Wednesday.

That means hunters should be sure to get their animals hung up and cooled down quickly to ensure that the meat doesn't spoil.

Kujala said elk and deer numbers in the greater Helena area, as well as throughout Montana, are "robust."

"Conditions have been good the past several years and deer have responded with good winter survival and good fawn production," Kujala said. "Hunters are going to see very healthy populations of elk and liberal hunting opportunities. If the weather works in hunters' favor and they do some advance work to gain access where it's needed, we should see a very successful harvest."

He added that hunters need to bear in mind that big game populations may have shifted location or be using the landscape differently in areas where wildland fires burned recently.

More than 200,000 Montanans hold a big game licenses. Coupled with out-of-state hunters, they contribute $262 million to Montana's economy each year, notes Rob Brooks, a FWP economist.

"That figure is resident and non-resident expenditures that includes gas or transportation costs, food and beverages, lodging, miscellaneous purchases associated with hunting trips -- like if you forget your box of bullets -- and guide fees," Brooks said. "It doesn't include license fees or durable items, like rifles or packs, those things that last for years and years because there's no way to assign the cost of a rifle over however many years you own it."

One of the hottest-selling items this year isn't anything new, Bratlien said.

"Bear spray. Everybody's buying bear spray this year," Bratlien said, referring to the five grizzly-hunter clashes that have taken place in Montana this year. "Everybody's heard about those recent attacks."

Montana's general big game hunting season closes Nov. 25.

Reporter Eve Byron: 447-4076 or eve.byron@helenair.com