Eastern Montana

[longbeards]

Headed to Eastern Montana this spring,,,no experience hunting there,,,anyone have any suggestions as to where to start? thanks longbeards

[Deputy 14]

I've never turkey hunted it and don't know what are you'll be in so take this for what it's worth, but where I pheasant hunted around Sydney there was very little timber anywhere except the river bottoms. So if you're in that area that's where I would start.

[hobbes]

Are you planning to hunt public land? 

If so, the largest tracts are Custer NF.  I've never hunted the Ekalaka area of the NF.  I have hunted near Ashland.  The turkeys near Ashland were hammered by deep snows and cold wet springs a couple years ago, so I've not seen the numbers that were reported back in 2007/08 time frame.  There are still turkeys there, but I spent four days covering a tremendous amount of ground there last season and we heard 2 birds the first of four mornings and killed one of those.  In 2012 I spent four or five days and heard three the first day in one flock then one on the last day.  My son may have killed that one last season because that is where we killed the single bird on that hunt. Probably not, but the lack of sign made it feel like it.

The part that discouraged me the most was the lack of tracks.  We covered a lot of dirt roads and trails that should have shown tracks.  Also, Merriams aren't known for keeping quiet when they hear a call.  They like to gobble, but other than the two we didn't raise a gobble the whole four days. 

I did kill two birds in 2013, one near the Missouri River Breaks and one between there and the NF I mentioned.  The birds there were spread out quite a bit also. 

Both tracts of NF, Ekalaka and Ashland, had big fires in 2012.  These aren't fires that recover in a couple years and make things better.  Fires out here devastate the trees and leave nothing but black toothpicks and heat the ground enough that nothing grows for a while.  There is still plenty of timber to hunt, but it is something to be aware of. 

The Powder River bottom (cottonwoods) is known for lots of birds but the majority of it is leased by outfitters.  Most of the riverbottoms have birds, but will require access to private. 

My best advice is get a DeLorme Atlas of Montana and looking at the Montana Cadastral website for yellow(blm), blue (state), and green (NF) blocks to hunt.  Review Montana's map of turkey distribution from FWP and compare to the Cadastral and Delorme.  Cadastral will allow you to look at public property boundaries then change to "satellite" to see if that block has timber.  The majority of BLM is antelope country.  Most of the riverbottoms will have turkeys but will be private.  I've not had a chance to knock on any doors, so I'm not sure if that is productive or not.  If there isn't a county road running up to or through the public land and its surrounded by private......there is no access.

If you get in on a honey hole on private, you could be done quickly, but be prepared to cover lots of ground if not.  Montana has plenty of turkeys but they are spread out in pockets.   

I've not hunted in NE Wyoming but understand their numbers are down also.  I'm not certain about the SD BlackHills, but know they have been hammered with some really deep snows and cold wet springs as well.  NW Nebraska isn't a bad option either, but a lot of NF was toasted by fires there in 2012 also.

Good Luck.

[longbeards]

Hoppes,

THANKS,,I have decided on trying some block management land. Limited access,,but will not know much about it till I get there,,,BUT, I have 10 days to find them, then on to WY for another 12!!
A good friend and fellow turkey hunter and I are making a trip we have wanted to for years,,we are starting in Fla,,and hunting North and West!!

With Kind Regards,
Longbeads
Just wish we could find a good spot in Fla!!

[Turkeyman11]

 Sounds like you have an awesome Spring lined out.  I love road tripping like that.  Just wanted to give you my two cents.  If you happen to hunt the part of Wyoming that borders South Dakota you need to hunt there also.  I killed a gobbler in the Black Hills last year and was only about a dozen miles from Wyoming.  Next time I go I'll plan better and do both states.

[Rokhal07]

Sounds like you have an awesome Spring lined out.  I love road tripping like that.  Just wanted to give you my two cents.  If you happen to hunt the part of Wyoming that borders South Dakota you need to hunt there also.  I killed a gobbler in the Black Hills last year and was only about a dozen miles from Wyoming.  Next time I go I'll plan better and do both states.

First time we went out several years ago we were hunting Wyoming and decided to get black hills tags "just in case". Well a couple of us killed early first morning and were VERY fortunate to drive across the state line and killed black hills birds same afternoon. So yes, I agree its a good idea to have both tags.