Montana

First known deer tick in Montana found on couple's dog after hunting trip

Published

1 year ago

April 11, 2025

First known deer tick in Montana found on couple's dog after hunting trip

When a Montana hunter discovered an unusual looking tick on her dog, she submitted it to a research lab where they soon discovered that this was a tick that had never been seen before in Montana.

“We don’t want to sit at home, worrying about ticks; we want to get out there,” said Kim Kotur.

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First deer tick in Montana found on couple’s dog after hunting trip

Mel and Kim Kotur were petting their dog, Maisie, after a hunting trip in eastern Montana when they felt something in her fur.

“I was petting her and just felt something on there. At first I thought maybe it was hounds’ tongue or some kind of weed seed, and turns out looking at it, it was a tick,” said Mel Kotur.

“It was right on her collar, on the front of her neck,” said Kim.

When the Koturs discovered the tick, they noticed it didn’t look like the ticks they’re used to seeing.

“You know, being outside a lot, we’ve seen a lot of ticks. They’ve all been wood ticks; this one just looked a little different,” said Mel.

MTN News

Mel and Kim Kotur

What the Koturs didn’t know at the time was that they had found the first documented Black Legged Tick, commonly called the deer tick, in Montana. Until this point, the tick has only been seen as far west as North Central North Dakota and is now the first tick in Montana that can carry Lyme Disease.

“What’s happening is that these ticks might be moving into Montana looking for hosts like a deer maybe in these riparian water corridors and then that’s kind of helping them migrate into the state,” said Marni Rolston.

Rolston is a Lab Diagnostician at the MSU Schutter Lab. The lab mainly focuses on plants, but they also work to identify ticks.

“These ticks were removed from a dog, and they’re full blood engorged,” said Rolston.

Deer ticks are much smaller than the usual kinds of ticks found in Montana.

“The nymphal stage can be small; it’s about only as large as a poppyseed and then the adult stages are a bit larger. But they’re still pretty small compared to our normal ticks. The adult stages tend to be the size of a sesame seed,” said Rolston.

While these ticks can carry Lyme Disease, not all of them have it. The ticks must be infected by another Lyme disease-carrying animal to keep spreading the disease. Luckily, infection doesn’t happen immediately.

“It needs to blood feed for at least 24 hours before it can transmit the disease to you. So you have 24 hours to try and find these ticks once they’ve attached to you,” said Rolston.

The Koturs always take extra precaution when going on their hunting trips, using sprays and special clothing made for warding off ticks.

“So you put that over your socks and you put that over the outside, and the ticks crawl up and get stuck in there and they come all the way up your leg,” said Kim.

Ticks are most present in the early summer months, but deer ticks may extend this time period.

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Montana

Montana Lottery Powerball, Lotto America results for May 11, 2026

Published

2 hours ago

May 12, 2026

Press Room

The Montana Lottery offers multiple draw games for those aiming to win big.

Here’s a look at May 11, 2026, results for each game:

Winning Powerball numbers from May 11 drawing

24-30-37-56-64, Powerball: 07, Power Play: 3

Check Powerball payouts and previous drawings here.

Winning Lotto America numbers from May 11 drawing

16-19-22-34-46, Star Ball: 01, ASB: 02

Check Lotto America payouts and previous drawings here.

Winning Big Sky Bonus numbers from May 11 drawing

21-22-26-31, Bonus: 04

Check Big Sky Bonus payouts and previous drawings here.

Winning Powerball Double Play numbers from May 11 drawing

09-13-34-42-59, Powerball: 01

Check Powerball Double Play payouts and previous drawings here.

Winning Millionaire for Life numbers from May 11 drawing

42-45-46-48-56, Bonus: 03

Check Millionaire for Life payouts and previous drawings here.

Feeling lucky? Explore the latest lottery news & results

When are the Montana Lottery drawings held?

Powerball: 8:59 p.m. MT on Monday, Wednesday, and Saturday.
Mega Millions: 9 p.m. MT on Tuesday and Friday.
Lucky For Life: 8:38 p.m. MT daily.
Lotto America: 9 p.m. MT on Monday, Wednesday and Saturday.
Big Sky Bonus: 7:30 p.m. MT daily.
Powerball Double Play: 8:59 p.m. MT on Monday, Wednesday, and Saturday.
Montana Cash: 8 p.m. MT on Wednesday and Saturday.
Millionaire for Life: 9:15 p.m. MT daily.

Missed a draw? Peek at the past week’s winning numbers.

This results page was generated automatically using information from TinBu and a template written and reviewed by a Great Falls Tribune editor. You can send feedback using this form.

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Montana

Half a million absentee ballots sent to Montana voters for primary election • Daily Montanan

Published

14 hours ago

May 11, 2026

Press Room

Half a million absentee ballots sent to Montana voters for primary election • Daily Montanan

Ballots for Montana’s June 2 primary began to hit voters’ mailboxes this weekend.

According to the Secretary of State’s website, 509,399 absentee ballots were mailed to voters. As of Monday morning, 358 voters had already returned their ballots.

“Montana’s 2026 Primary Election is well underway, and the Montana Election Team is honored to serve our voters,” Secretary of state Christi Jacobsen said in a press release. “As a reminder, Montanans can view their sample ballot, track their absentee ballot, confirm their voter registration information, and much more at VoteMT.gov.”

Voted ballots must be received by 8 p.m. on Election Day, Tuesday, June 2nd.

The Montana Election Team reminds absentee voters to sign, date, and add their birth year when returning their absentee ballot. County election officials provide instructions in the ballot packet, and more information is also available online at https://votemt.gov/absentee-ballot/.

The first ballots for Montana’s June 2 primary election have begun to trickle in, with 358 voted ballots received by the Secretary of State’s office as of May 11.

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Montana

Montana Lottery Big Sky Bonus, Millionaire for Life results for May 10, 2026

Published

1 day ago

May 11, 2026

Press Room

The Montana Lottery offers multiple draw games for those aiming to win big.

Here’s a look at May 10, 2026, results for each game:

Winning Big Sky Bonus numbers from May 10 drawing

06-22-28-31, Bonus: 08

Check Big Sky Bonus payouts and previous drawings here.

Winning Millionaire for Life numbers from May 10 drawing

01-03-20-35-46, Bonus: 05

Check Millionaire for Life payouts and previous drawings here.

Feeling lucky? Explore the latest lottery news & results

When are the Montana Lottery drawings held?

Powerball: 8:59 p.m. MT on Monday, Wednesday, and Saturday.
Mega Millions: 9 p.m. MT on Tuesday and Friday.
Lucky For Life: 8:38 p.m. MT daily.
Lotto America: 9 p.m. MT on Monday, Wednesday and Saturday.
Big Sky Bonus: 7:30 p.m. MT daily.
Powerball Double Play: 8:59 p.m. MT on Monday, Wednesday, and Saturday.
Montana Cash: 8 p.m. MT on Wednesday and Saturday.
Millionaire for Life: 9:15 p.m. MT daily.

Missed a draw? Peek at the past week’s winning numbers.

This results page was generated automatically using information from TinBu and a template written and reviewed by a Great Falls Tribune editor. You can send feedback using this form.

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