My buddy and I are planning a 2021 Merriams hunt. We would love to go to the black hills but are open for any good input. We would like to make this a DYI hunt. The amount of area in SD, WY and NB is quite overwhelming. If you have any good info on any of these areas especially in the last year or 2 we would greatly appreciate it! Thanks
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Black hills or NE. Both areas get pressure. Late season may be your best bet due to weather.
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Hoyt, I sent you a PM with the info you requested. Let me know if you need anything or have any questions.
All I can say is get as far away from Rapid City as possible. My buddy and I went there this past season and everywhere within an hour of rapid city was receiving tons of pressure....and not just hunting pressure. Hikers, joggers, dog walkers, air soft wars, atv riders...unlike anything I've ever seen
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There is some pressure close to Rapid City, but with the size of the Black Hills, once your away from RC, you're good. I've hunted a few times south of Custer. There weren't as many birds down there last year as I would have thought. When I go back in 2021, I may shift gears and try up closer to Sturgis this time. I do like hunting the southern part of the Black Hills though. The suggestion you'll get about being able to go later is correct, but there is going to be luck involved with the weather. Last year we hunted April 25th to May 1st with awesome weather. It snowed the next week
X2 on getting lucky with weather
Week prior to me getting there they had 18" of snow. Which caused flooding the week I was there. But weather cleared up and I had a blast. Can't wait for 2021.
Every reply on this forum to public land info postings starts with something like - "too much pressure" "too many people" ...lol. Unfortunately this will only get worse every year.
As for weather.. yes it can swing quick. Last time I was there.. still some snow on ground when we arrived... then warmed up in the 80's... the almost a blizzard when we were leaving. All in the course of 5 o 6 days...
Thanks everyone! Keep em coming. I've been doing a lot of research and been looking at topos to the point of my pupils touching haha
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Tough hunt. I went two springs ago and it snowed 5 out of 7 days we were there. We struck out and didn't end up getting one. Not as many birds and a lot of pressure as others have said. That said, it was a fun hunt and I would like to try it again.
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The native range of the Merriams is in AZ,NM and Colorado. There is a ton of public land out there. It's high country and the birds are scattered, but with a little research, you can get into birds and the weather is typically better than in SD,MT,WY,NE, etc. Having said that, I've been snowed on hard even in mid May. Contact the game departments, correspond with the biologists and you can narrow your focus. The Indian reservations can be good too at times. It's gorgeous high country. Good luck.
Second week of April, 2013 in Merriam's country.
(https://live.staticflickr.com/4695/39598051494_97fffcb307_k.jpg)
(https://live.staticflickr.com/7886/46247469665_a37268e1fa_k.jpg)
(https://live.staticflickr.com/4723/39412051485_01f4854b1d_k.jpg)
Quote from: Yoder409 on September 18, 2020, 08:45:04 PM
Second week of April, 2013 in Merriam's country.
(https://live.staticflickr.com/4695/39598051494_97fffcb307_k.jpg)
(https://live.staticflickr.com/7886/46247469665_a37268e1fa_k.jpg)
(https://live.staticflickr.com/4723/39412051485_01f4854b1d_k.jpg)
Oh wow!
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