Planning a trip for 2013...Need Advice!

[hermiehunter]

My brother and I are planning to head out west for spring 2013.  Looking at public ground and/or DIY private ground Merriams and/or Rios.  Nebraska is high on our list at this point because of the possibility of both subspecies if we hunt the eastern and northwestern parts.  Also thinking of South Dakota and possibly Kansas.  At this point, we are in the early stages of planning and are open to many options.

Looking for advice from anyone who has done this in the past.  We are coming from North Carolina, so it will be a long drive to wherever, and we would be looking for a week long hunt at least.  Any information and/or advice from others who have traveled and hunted on a DIY hunt would be greatly appreciated.

[wildduck]

I am from Tennessee and we go to Nebraska every year and Kansas almost every year. We hunt Nebraska on the Sout Dakota line near Butte area and it is all private that we hunt in each state. First off you have to get drawn in South Dakota and good luck we have been trying for two years and still have not b/c we have land there also. I would find some public in Nebraska and start there and then start knocking on doors after your first day there b/c the people there are very nice and will let you hunt. You will see both Merriams and Rios in Nebraska just depends on where you are at. Kansas i would sugguest for a two state hunt with Nebraska and you will not have any trouble getting permission on private just start knocking on doors and tell them for Turkey only. I would suggest central Kansas to be a good starting point. We do this trip every year and the most expensive cost you will have is fuel. I have done the Grand Slam and never paid to hunt anywhere. To me one of the most fun parts of a trip like this is finding the land to hunt on that way you have somewhere to always go back to hunt. Networking is the key to finding the land in both states. I talk to everyone I run into rather its at the gas station, store, or the Cafe as they call it. Good luck and let me know if you need some more help and I can get with you off line.

[hermiehunter]

Thanks!  We would like to start in eastern NE for Rios and if successful there, try to go to the northwest part of NE for Merriams.  Sounds like that is the best chance for more pure white Merriams.

I had read that the Black Hills of South Dakota was one of the better DIY public Merriams areas.  I thought tags were easy to get for the BH areas...is that wrong?  Are you applying for prarie tags?

Definitely not opposed to Kansas for Rios either.  We are thinking of trying to hit a two-state hunt if it would work out as planned.  Just looking for good options and opinions from those who have made the trip.

[wildduck]

You are right on about Nebraska with what you are wanting to do. The area we hunt are very white Merriams on two farms but you can drive 30 minutes east and you are in Rio country. I also stand corrected about South Dakota Black Hills you can buy one tag over the counter, i did forget about that b/c one year we were going to do that but it was just going to be so much driving that we changed our minds. I have had some friends do that with good luck. This year we were in Nebraska on 21st of April and we must have hit it at prime time b/c the turkeys did exactly what we wanted and you could not have asked for better hunting ever, but the weather was right and everything was early. If I had to pick a time to go it would be the first week of May for both states. If you have never hunted Merriams get ready b/c they are like no other and will come to a call from a mile out. If you can hear the faintest of a gobble and they can hear you it is possible to kill him. For the most part where we hunt is center of state on South Dakota line. Yes we put in for Prarie tags b/c we have a killer farm to hunt just cant seem to get drawn but this coming year should be the year if we go back but we just got access to 4 farms in Texas and i believe that is where we are going to head.

[Publicland]

Ive heard the reservation hunts were really great hunts, hopefully with a little time & research we will be out there amongt em next season!