Headed out to South Dakota and Wyoming for the past week to try my hand at these beautiful merriams. Here's a few pics from the trip.
Those look a little like they may have a bit of Rio in 'em from the colors on the tails?
Irrespective, nice birds in beautiful country! Congrats.
Honestly I couldn't tell you. They were killed in the northern part of the hills so I'm hoping that is not the case. The game warden for the area said that 90 percent of them are this color. And it was beautiful country for sure. I'm finding it hard to load up the truck.
Nice bird and great picture.
Congrats on some beautiful birds. Going next year will be my first time. I already can't wait. I ordered a map of the BH waiting on it to come in so I can start studying.
This was my first time too and I'm thinking about moving out here. Beautiful place, lots of game and great people. A word of advice, come as late as you can. I got here on Friday and they had a snowstorm going on and the highs were in the 40's and 50's until Tuesday. I spent 5 days running ridges and driving roads with only hearing one bird gobble and only seeing the one I bagged in the snow picture. The temps hit the 70's and 80's the past couple of days. I heard 8 different gobblers yesterday. Only on one road. The weather will make a huge difference. The other bird I killed just over the state line in Wyoming. Same deal. No gobbles for 5 days and then I hit the call yesterday when I saw a hen, he gobbled, and was in my lap in 5 minutes. Quickest hunt I've ever been on.
I just got back a few weeks ago from there... near Devils tower. Crazy amount of turkeys.. and everything else for that matter. One of the most scenic places I have ever seen..
Thanks for the advice. We are shooting for mid may. Is devils tower part of the BHNF ot it a different reserve ?
There is some national forest 15-20 minutes from there. I didn't hear or see any on that section though. But again it was bad weather when I went to that part.
I'm debating on getting the wyoming tag as well since I'm going to be there.
For $72 you get an extra turkey and a reason to explore more of the country. I drove a long way so an extra tag was a no brainier for me.
Yea, it's a heck of a drive for me also. 21 hours coming from louisiana. But the plan is to hopefully score early in the BHs and work back through kansas and hunt there also for a couple of days. Can you buy the wyoming tag over the counter there or do you have to get it online like SD?
Yeah that and the conservation stamp should be over the counter. I got mine online in February.
Nice. Congrats
Awesome! I'm leaving next weekend to do the same thing as you (got my SD tag already and plan on getting a WY tag if I tag out early enough in SD). Plan on hunting more so in the southern portion of the hills though. Fingers crossed it goes well!
Great job. Definitely on my to do list
Good luck! Seemed like they were getting fired up.
Good to hear. Any tips or tricks? Not looking for specific areas or anything, but I've never been to that part of the country before and this will be my first out of state trip for turkeys.
Awesome! :icon_thumright: :icon_thumright:
Quote from: WisTurk on May 05, 2016, 04:17:46 PM
Good to hear. Any tips or tricks? Not looking for specific areas or anything, but I've never been to that part of the country before and this will be my first out of state trip for turkeys.
This was my first out of state trip too. Just the usual things you would do with your usual turkeys. Roosting, patience, etc. the second one i killed I got at 1:15 in the afternoon. Wasn't even really hunting. Traveling down a forest road and saw a hen. Pulled off and hit the call to see how she would react. He starting gobbling and I grabbed my call, gun and camo jacket and tucked in the woods real quick. He came in on a string to 10 yards in about five minutes. I was wearing blue jeans. It seems like they may be dumber than eastern when they're in the mood. Also, get in shape. The hills can be rough walking. You'll find that a lot of the guys hunting don't like to get off the main roads. I saw a lot of turkeys by getting off the main road and hitting the side roads and trails. They love to gobble, when the weather is right. They're everywhere. It didn't seem like they were at a certain elevation. In fact it seemed like more gobblers were in the lower elevations, which is the opposite of what I had read.
Sorry for all the typos. I'm heading home and typed that up real quick.
Quote from: VA Gobble Addict on May 05, 2016, 04:33:11 PM
Quote from: WisTurk on May 05, 2016, 04:17:46 PM
Good to hear. Any tips or tricks? Not looking for specific areas or anything, but I've never been to that part of the country before and this will be my first out of state trip for turkeys.
This was my first out of state trip too. Just the usual things you would do with your usual turkeys. Roosting, patience, etc. the second one i killed I got at 1:15 in the afternoon. Wasn't even really hunting. Traveling down a forest road and saw a hen. Pulled off and hit the call to see how she would react. He starting gobbling and I grabbed my call, gun and camo jacket and tucked in the woods real quick. He came in on a string to 10 yards in about five minutes. I was wearing blue jeans. It seems like they may be dumber than eastern when they're in the mood. Also, get in shape. The hills can be rough walking. You'll find that a lot of the guys hunting don't like to get off the main roads. I saw a lot of turkeys by getting off the main road and hitting the side roads and trails. They love to gobble, when the weather is right. They're everywhere. It didn't seem like they were at a certain elevation. In fact it seemed like more gobblers were in the lower elevations, which is the opposite of what I had read.
Thanks for the info! I just can't wait to go now. Have a safe trip home :icon_thumright:
Looks and sounds like an awesome trip! Congratulations!
I've been through the Black Hills about a half dozen times on the way to Montana to do some Muley hunting. Definitely a beautiful area. Have a safe trip home.
Congrats!!
:icon_thumright:
Beautiful birds for sure! Congratulations. Did you hunt any of the areas I had suggested? Yeah, getting off the main roads gets you into a whole bunch more turkeys and a whole lot less hunters. Not that there are many anyway. Glad you got a window of good weather to get the birds a little more fired up. It is crazy how quick the weather can change out there.
Congrats! Looks like they may be a hybrid but who cares, bet it was a fun trip.
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They don't look all that different from Merriam's from historically intact populations here in New Mexico. The first Merriam's transplants to Wyoming came from here.
Quote from: birdman24 on May 06, 2016, 02:08:22 PM
Beautiful birds for sure! Congratulations. Did you hunt any of the areas I had suggested? Yeah, getting off the main roads gets you into a whole bunch more turkeys and a whole lot less hunters. Not that there are many anyway. Glad you got a window of good weather to get the birds a little more fired up. It is crazy how quick the weather can change out there.
Yeah man I tried the areas you suggested. Thanks again for that. The weather had them all messed up though, although I wasn't far from there when I got the one in SD. Thank god for the two days of good weather! And honestly I don't really mind if it's a hybrid or not. It was the trip of a lifetime. If hey are hybrids it just gives me an excuse to head back out there. ;)
I'd take Rapscallions word for the fact that they look like his originals.
Quote from: spaightlabs on May 06, 2016, 03:17:46 PM
I'd take Rapscallions word for the fact that they look like his originals.
Merriams it is! :jackson: :z-winnersmiley:
We have killed plenty of true merriams in the pine ridge area in north west Nebraska and it is about 50/50 with the super white fans vs the more buff colored ones. Coloration doesnt mean much. Sounds like a fun trip. Takes some getting used to that high pitch drawn out gobbling (compared to easterns). You keep thinking they kinda sound like jakes until a tom comes in.
Yeah man the first one I heard I wasn't even sure it was a gobble.