montana hunting

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larue
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montana hunting

Post by larue » Mon Jul 07, 2014 4:15 pm

i am headed out to judge for Dan hokes trial in the end of September and am considering driving and hunting my way out and back.
Montana would be half way point and i have never really hunted birds there much.
so i am looking for any suggestions on where to hunt in Montana I will be on the interstate straight shot from here to spokane.
will be taking 10 days or more on the trip

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drich2244
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Re: montana hunting

Post by drich2244 » Mon Jul 07, 2014 6:59 pm

it can be hit or miss depending on where you go i am an outfitter and guide bird hunts in montana. one of the benefits of hunting with an outfitter is that i have leases that i know well and can get you on birds. other options are public land which can be really good or really bad. then you have door knock which can be more of the same most landowners dont pay as much attention to birds as they do deer or elk so your kind of going blind. but if you had an idea of where you were plaining to hunt id be more than willing to help anyway i can

Scott Linden
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Re: montana hunting

Post by Scott Linden » Mon Jul 07, 2014 9:05 pm

drich +1 but you might start your search near Lewistown MT for Huns and sage grouse, or Big Timber for sharpies.
Follow the hunter with the longest nose!
http://scottlindenoutdoors.com

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mm
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Re: montana hunting

Post by mm » Tue Jul 08, 2014 5:01 am

There is a lot of public land but you can spend days in the wrong spot or luck out and hit good right off. If you have a short time it can be hard to decide where to go. Private land or guides are better if you have a short time but both are hard to find. Private land is impossible unless you know someone already as door knocking is hit or miss like public land. Most guides I found are more into the pheasant season, I guess there is more money in that. Having said that I have been going for about 5 years now and it has always been good for me. I don't kill a lot of birds but we have bird contact almost every day there is plenty of land to hunt , the people are as nice as anyone could be, the land is beautiful, the state does an excellent job in making places available to hunt. Get your walking shoes or your horse and enjoy maybe the best bird hunting left in this country.
MM

larue
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Re: montana hunting

Post by larue » Tue Jul 08, 2014 5:52 am

yeah was looking at all the walk in blm land available.
i am going to contact the blm wildlife managers and pick there brains.
I have hunted the grasslands of the dakotas for years so i know how much walking is involved.
was thinking the miles city area first then the center of the state before the mountins start

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mm
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Re: montana hunting

Post by mm » Tue Jul 08, 2014 8:28 am

I call or stop in every year but never get any real info that pinpoints a place to hunt. The guide only comes out a couple of weeks before the season starts so I usually plan on the fly. I keep a book of every spot I hunt with directions and how I did and other notes so I have my opening day spot in mind already. The fish and game info just comes out to late to help with Sharptails. I try to get info from people that live in the area as they see the birds on the roads early and they know if there are more or less birds. Even though the land is public a lot of it is private owned and if you talk to those owners you can get good info from them.
mm

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drich2244
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Re: montana hunting

Post by drich2244 » Tue Jul 08, 2014 7:21 pm

you should also look at block management ive found lots of birds on some block management on the high line from havre to sidney its prolly out of your way but there some great hunting up there

nevermind
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Re: montana hunting

Post by nevermind » Wed Jul 09, 2014 8:49 am

I haven't hunted along I-90, but I woundn't spend much time researching anything from Missuola west unless youre planning on grouse hunting. Areas off Hwy 2 east of the Rockies to N. Dakota I find good bird hunting. A couple of winters ago Montana lost alot of upland birds in many areas due to weather and they are still rebounding, so call fish and wildlife for bird numbers in the area youre considering....have a safe trip!

Vman
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Re: montana hunting

Post by Vman » Wed Jul 09, 2014 2:42 pm

Dennis if you can get a guide for a couple of days or a local do it. If not, you would probably be best off to hunt the Fort Peck reservoir area. Block and BLM land. Or go to town and talk with some local ranchers down at the bar, they will know where the birds are. Good Luck!

41magsnub
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Re: montana hunting

Post by 41magsnub » Thu Jul 10, 2014 11:32 am

nevermind wrote:I haven't hunted along I-90, but I woundn't spend much time researching anything from Missuola west unless youre planning on grouse hunting. Areas off Hwy 2 east of the Rockies to N. Dakota I find good bird hunting. A couple of winters ago Montana lost alot of upland birds in many areas due to weather and they are still rebounding, so call fish and wildlife for bird numbers in the area youre considering....have a safe trip!
Agreed. I live in Missoula and head NE for bird hunting towards Conrad and Cut Bank. The only reliable spot around here is 9 pipes up north a way on Hwy 93.

tailcracken pointer
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Re: montana hunting

Post by tailcracken pointer » Sun Jul 13, 2014 8:04 pm

drich2244 wrote:it can be hit or miss depending on where you go i am an outfitter and guide bird hunts in montana. one of the benefits of hunting with an outfitter is that i have leases that i know well and can get you on birds. other options are public land which can be really good or really bad. then you have door knock which can be more of the same most landowners dont pay as much attention to birds as they do deer or elk so your kind of going blind. but if you had an idea of where you were plaining to hunt id be more than willing to help anyway i can
hi i sent you a pm drich hopefully you got it i would love to hire you as a guide help me out for huns and sharptail i have never hunted them thanks Bryan

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drich2244
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Location: Montana

Re: montana hunting

Post by drich2244 » Tue Jul 15, 2014 7:27 am

hey tail cracker
tailcracken pointer wrote:
drich2244 wrote:it can be hit or miss depending on where you go i am an outfitter and guide bird hunts in montana. one of the benefits of hunting with an outfitter is that i have leases that i know well and can get you on birds. other options are public land which can be really good or really bad. then you have door knock which can be more of the same most landowners dont pay as much attention to birds as they do deer or elk so your kind of going blind. but if you had an idea of where you were plaining to hunt id be more than willing to help anyway i can
hi i sent you a pm drich hopefully you got it i would love to hire you as a guide help me out for huns and sharptail i have never hunted them thanks Bryan
Never got your message i sent you one hopefully you got it

tailcracken pointer
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Re: montana hunting

Post by tailcracken pointer » Tue Jul 15, 2014 5:10 pm

got it thank you

larue
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Re: montana hunting

Post by larue » Sun Aug 17, 2014 5:19 pm

just looked at the walkin area map for 2014,looks like northern Montana is the place to go

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Rik
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Re: montana hunting

Post by Rik » Thu Oct 02, 2014 5:41 pm

You are probably already in Montana, so this may not be any help. But I had spectacular success(after Hunting Lewistown for a week unsuccessfully) hunting eastern Montana around Miles City. I talked to the guys in the local sporting goods/hardware store and they pointed me to a dozen small ranches and farms that are 'Feel Free To Hunt' and even told me what brand of Bourbon the ranchers preferrred...

The area is not heavily hunted and many of the farms and ranches are still small scale family operations and not leased to outfitters. Great hunting for pointing dogs, Rolling grasslands cut up by small creeks, brushy draws, small copses of trees, mixed with grain fields. Pheasant, mostly Sharptails, lots of Huns, a few Sage Grouse.

I took each of the ranchers a few of the Sharpies we bagged and got invited back anytime, even got advice on where to find the birds.

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