Wyoming Help

[Buckdailey]

Heading to The Black Hills in Wyoming next week, looking for some helpful tips on Merriams as I've only hunted Easterns in my home state of PA and a few other states. not looking for anyones honey hole as the hills are big enough I'll find em I just need some tips on Calling, Ect. Also any interesting places around the Sundance area to check out as well. TIA! goodluck this season to everyone.

[PalmettoRon]

Call them like any other birds. It's pretty open country so use the terrain to move around.

If your schedule is flexible, I would delay your hunt until at least the first or second week week in May. The weather out there is very unpredictable and you could well have to deal with snow either already on the ground or get dumped on.

It's pretty country, get off the Forest Service roads, do some hiking in to high spots and you'll find some birds.

Good luck!!

[NOmad]

Try to put your eyes on as much ground as possible. I am from Alabama and there were spots on the map I checked off with "aint no way a turkey could live in that crap" and then you get out there and see a gobbler strutting on a rock bluff over a nearly 90 degree grade hillside. Those turkeys will travel a long ways and go through some crazy ground to get there. Its beautiful country, make sure you stop, slow down, and look around a couple times.

[RutnNStrutn]

Keep an eye out for roosting sign. Feathers, poops and scratching. Those birds travel long distances but they'll roost up together. If you find a roost be there late afternoon and first thing in the morning.
Bring comfortable boots, you're going to do a lot of walking. Bring quality binoculars and glass frequently. You're very likely to spot them, and then you can make your move. Use the terrain to your advantage when you do.
Merriams in general love to hear themselves talk. They're definitely not Easterns. Good luck!!
Be sure to take time to visit the Badlands, they're spectacular!!

Sent from my moto z4 using Tapatalk

[deathfoot]

Love the Black Hills. Be ready to see snow. Keep an eye on the snow depth map. Link below. I watch it every year because I just love the area. They seemed to not have as much snow as normal but they just got dumped on recently. Even if all of it melts before you get there, chances are good it'll snow while you're out there.

Don't fret. Look at my profile pic. That was black hills South Dakota with about 6-8 inches of snow on the ground and they were hammering hard.

Like others have said..the birds will travel. Which can also be good because I've called them in from a long ways off. Locate one and do what you would normally do. I was in black hills of Wyoming last year, first of May. It got way too crowded for me on the weekend so if you can hunt week days you'll be better off. I had turkeys all around me but didn't close the deal out there last year.

Best of luck.

Here's that link:

https://weatherstreet.com/city_snow_depth/57799-Black-Hills-State-University-SD-snow-depth.htm

[joey46]

Did the Wyoming Black Hills thing in May 2022.  Flew into Denver, rented a car and drove north.  When I hit Lusk WY ran into snow and thought "Wow hope I'm ready for this".  Ended up with beautiful weather and a nice Merriam that followed a hen I had made mad with a little K-H Lonesome hen call.  My current profile picture also.  If the picture works will be from the Lusk WY rest area 5/2/2022.  Other picture of what it looked like when in the Black Hills.  Enjoy it.  Wish I was going with you. 

[POk3s]

Hate to give you any dead set rules that are different from easterns but seemingly I get more aggressive with the calling and when they're going away, I waste no time chasing them down. They will gobble going away. A lot of merriams will make you look like the greatest turkey hunter in the world, but a few will gobble as they run off making you wonder what in the world is going on.

[GobbleNut]

Hate to give you any dead set rules that are different from easterns but seemingly I get more aggressive with the calling and when they're going away, I waste no time chasing them down. They will gobble going away. A lot of merriams will make you look like the greatest turkey hunter in the world, but a few will gobble as they run off making you wonder what in the world is going on.

Yep, and don't assume that just because they answer your calls that they are eventually going to show up.  You can sit and watch the grass grow for a really long time by using that approach to hunting Merriam's gobblers.   

[Yoder409]

They will gobble going away.

And depending on the hunting pressure where you are........ MOST of them will BE going away. 

Hunted a tract of public in Wyoming several years ago with my brother.  Over 5 days, I'll bet (combined) we set up on 15-20 birds gobbling on their own, only to have them walk away.......gobbling the whole time.  It was MADDENING.  The 6th morning, I killed a beautiful bird about 5 minutes after he flew down.  A mile away and an hour later my brother killed an awesome snow-tip. 

Perserverence to the N-th degree.  Don't give up on 'em.

[Buckdailey]

Thanks for all the tips everyone, About 15ish hours to go, Long trek from PA! weather looks cold all week but if the birds are hot their hot. my buddy killed one last year in the same area we're heading to and he specifically made sure to tell me numerous times to guess their travel route and cut them off! Seeing a different terrain and the true West will be fun itself and getting a bird is just the icing on the cake!