Bukwild3
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What would be the best time to come for a week to hunt. In Louisiana it gets better as the season goes by as the hens get bred. Was thinking 2nd week in may.
Turkey hunt Montana
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MThuntr
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I've had better luck closer to the first week of May
Bukwild3
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Why is that? Weather? Hens?
MThuntr
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Mostly because bear season picks up but they seem to be fresh off hens and looking for attention. Weather in Montana that time of year will vary from blizzard to heatwave...sometimes in the same week so I don't think it's that.
I much prefer late season. Less hens, less hunters and usually better weather. Early season can be good, but the weather is way more fickle, not unusual to get snowstorms and lots of rain which makes for really muddy rds and quite woods. Anytime the last 2 weeks is IMO prime time
406LIFE
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FWIW, when the brids will get hot will vary widely. One flock will be on fire and the next drainage over they don't care. Weather is too volatile in the spring to plan on anything. I feel like the early part of the season is best, as I've had my best luck calling in birds then. Even 2 week before the season opens, there are a lot of hot birds. I hunt R2 mainly, but popup to 1 and 3. The birds in the forests will behave differently than those in the riverbottoms. I say come up anytime during the season and you could make it work.
Listen to this guy. He crushes every spring, state wide!!
Bukwild3
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Thanks guys! Looking at maybe May 6-14. That will get me through Louisiana's season and not have the wife divorce me.
H
hobbes
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Here's my 2 cents that respond to both of your posts, MT and NE. Its just my opinion based off of hunting both states.
From your other post it appears that you've switched to NE. You will find a higher concentration of birds in Nebraska than you will in The Breaks of MT ( also mentioned in your NE post) and you'll have a few more conveniences close by in Chadron or Crawford. The birds in the breaks are spread relatively thin over a huge area and you are truly in the middle of nowhere. The roads, even the "gravel" roads, can turn to a mess like you've never seen after a little rain in both places, but the Breaks is a mud that you have to witness to believe. Plan for spending a couple nights letting it dry before you move.
Birds to be had in both states, but if I was comimg from Louisiana to kill my first Merriam's, I wouldn't drive by NE or the Black Hills unless you just want to say that you hunted MT. I like hunting them here in MT, but I dont think its the ideal state for a NR to seek their first Merriam's due to the scattered concentrations of birds with some really long stretches of road between them.
I love the ponderosa pine habitat as much as anyone, but if you want to kill Merriams in therecreal native habitat you meed to hunt them in SW Colorado, New Mexico, or Arizona.
As far as timing goes. I hunt them almost every day that I can get away from work from beginning to end of season. However, I always recommend mid to late season for traveling folks because you are less likely to experience terrible weather. I find toms with hens from beginning to end of season. I saw a tom strutting with a couple hens a week after season ended last year when a week earlier I found toms that had no interest in calls and werent strutting for hens. Your dates will be fine in either NE or MT.
From your other post it appears that you've switched to NE. You will find a higher concentration of birds in Nebraska than you will in The Breaks of MT ( also mentioned in your NE post) and you'll have a few more conveniences close by in Chadron or Crawford. The birds in the breaks are spread relatively thin over a huge area and you are truly in the middle of nowhere. The roads, even the "gravel" roads, can turn to a mess like you've never seen after a little rain in both places, but the Breaks is a mud that you have to witness to believe. Plan for spending a couple nights letting it dry before you move.
Birds to be had in both states, but if I was comimg from Louisiana to kill my first Merriam's, I wouldn't drive by NE or the Black Hills unless you just want to say that you hunted MT. I like hunting them here in MT, but I dont think its the ideal state for a NR to seek their first Merriam's due to the scattered concentrations of birds with some really long stretches of road between them.
I love the ponderosa pine habitat as much as anyone, but if you want to kill Merriams in therecreal native habitat you meed to hunt them in SW Colorado, New Mexico, or Arizona.
As far as timing goes. I hunt them almost every day that I can get away from work from beginning to end of season. However, I always recommend mid to late season for traveling folks because you are less likely to experience terrible weather. I find toms with hens from beginning to end of season. I saw a tom strutting with a couple hens a week after season ended last year when a week earlier I found toms that had no interest in calls and werent strutting for hens. Your dates will be fine in either NE or MT.
Bukwild3
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Thanks a lot. Sounds like a plan. The Breaks was more for....well the breaks.
Longbeard02
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