Looking for opinions

[TTG]

On where you would recommend going for a merriams out of my options. I recently moved from the southeast to NW Iowa and am planning on doing trips to go after a merriams. I'm looking at 3 states...South Dakota, eastern Wyoming, and northwest Nebraska. I've heard that portion of SD is VERY crowded, but have heard many great experiences. I believe I've heard about the same for NW Nebraska. Western border of SD is right at a 6 hour drive. I won't be here in Iowa for more than a handful of years, so I'd like to make the most of it. I have not been to any of the states other than a family trip to Yellowstone which was a long time ago.


In a perfect world, I'd be able to have some success and make the following trips to the other states to experience them all. But for starters, any input on where you'd recommend to begin this quest? I know SD might be the most crowded, but I could also find time to do some sight-seeing at some point around the area too. Just wondering mainly if it's worth driving an extra hour or two to hunt NE or WY.


Thanks for any input.

[deerhunt1988]

Nebraska will be way more crowded than South Dakota. I'd head to the Black Hills and buy a tag for SD and WY.

[Crghss]

Last year was my 1st hunt out west to SD. I went the last week of the season. I didn't see one hunter in the field. Saw a couple guys driving around. I stopped and talk to a guy and kid as they came out of the woods. That was in 5 days of hunting.

If I was lucky and got a turkey early enough then I was going to hunt WY.

[TTG]

Thanks for the info. How was your trip that late in the season?

[Crghss]

I was successful, got a 2 yr old (I think). Had a blast. Beautiful country. I lost some weight and worked out more then usual to prepare for trip. Glad I did. Going from 5ft elevation flatland (FL) to 5,500ish hilly is a deference.

I drove around for a few days and saw some hens. Decided that wasn't for me. Hit the trails until I found some good turkey sign. Up early next morning hit that area and got lucky.

Spent next two days visiting parks, cave, driving needles highway. Stayed in deadwood a night, good food, won a little at Blackjack tables.

They extend the season till Memorial Day weekend. If they hadn't I would have been there the week before. That week was totally snowed out.

Hope I didn't use up all my luck on this trip.

[ddturkeyhunter]

From MN but I hunt SD Black Hills every year for turkeys, eight HR drive for me. I go opening day every year if can, and fight mother nature a lot of the years. Last year sixteen inches of snow or more on ground open day. A lot of the birds moved back down off the hills to the valleys, you just need to follow. Makes things interesting, I always have snow camo and heavy boots when I go out there. But in 2018 I did hunt late season out there just because I went out there four different times. Was working at finishing a double single year Grand Slam that year and needed to get my SD bird to do it. So ended shooting it on May 18, I definitely could tell there wasn't as many gobblers sounding off in the morning in areas I normally hunt. So a lot of the dummer satellite two year olds birds do get shot off first. But the gobbleing you hear depends a lot on what stage the hens are in with there egg laying. But if you hit it just right when they are moving back up and dispersing and forming flocks. They will be gobbleing every where and hunts of a life time, but most of my hunts out there have always been. Think you just need to pick any state and an area and go for it and have a hunt of a life time yourself. Good luck

[TTG]

Wow, that's awesome! Thanks for the info everyone.

Yeah - this will be a trip purely for the experience! I have a crazy spring and summer and will be taking more days off than I'd like to to fly out for some friends weddings along with my own and our honeymoon. As a result of that, I probably won't be taking days off for turkey hunting this spring. My plan is that I can get off early on Friday, drive to the Black Hills, sleep in the car, and hunt Saturday and most of Sunday then head back. I hope to make 2 or 3 trips if the fiancé gives me that many weekend passes. Filling my tag would be amazing, but if not, I at least hope to have a better idea of where to go the next spring when I will be able to take off some more days and have a buddy fly out to go with me and have maybe even a full week to chase some birds.