Montana Spring Turkey

[Hem]

Anybody get lucky this year with special permits? I'll probably draw a sheep tag before I ever get a local turkey tag.

 

[The Hedgehog]

I was unsuccessful too. Have never drawn.

 

[MHMT]

Once again, no west side turkey hunting for me this year.

 

[mixedbag]

How tough is a turkey tag to get??I saw plenty of turkeys in the East while deer hunting

 

[Hem]

Mixed,

To simplify, the Eastern half of Montana is a general tag area.Portions of the Western half are either general or special permit.

 

[mtlion]

No permit needed in my neck of the woods. The wife and I will be out on the opener.

 

[mdunc8]

Nope, but I'm heading East in about a month for three or four days. It was pretty rough out there last year. It'll be interesting to see how many birds are around this spring.

 

[mixedbag]

When does your spring hunt start in eastern Mt?Does it run the same times as bear hunts.may be a fun trip for the spring if both could be done

 

[Gerald Martin]

Its crazy. Back before our area was a general tag it took me six years to draw a tag. That was with 50-75% draw odds. Now its OTC and I seem to have lost my interest in turkeys. I did pick up a tag this year. I must say that I enjoyed turkey hunting a lot more back in Virginia than out here. The birds behave differently and it was much more challenging in the east. Back there I would run and gun the ridges covering several miles a day. When you did get a tom to gobble you had a decent chance of calling him in.
Here, the birds are more accustomed to people, stay in bigger flocks and are harder to have a classic call in hunt. Its easy to kill a turkey, not so easy to kill one "properly".
At least they gobble like a proper turkey.

 

[CabinFever]

I'll be heading east as well...

 

[Randy49er]

Sorry to hear about not drawing Turkey tags. Here we've got lots of Turkeys. Didn't draw a deer or elk tag last year, but this year I bought a Turkey tag while I was putting in for Elk. At least I will get out in the woods this year. Here's to better luck next year.

 

[mixedbag]

Gerald,in my area, when a turkey gobbles,you can count on 5 other guys to come running in.I have to hunt turkeys like elk and get as far from parking lots as I can.Otherwise, I may have to worry about being shot.We do have tons of birds though,and 300,000 hunters after then every spring
I'd like to get a bird in Mt,and then maybe go look for a bear in the western parts

 

[Hem]

Gerald,
Interesting comments,but better expressed by saying "in my experience".The one thing that all seasoned turkey hunters will agree upon is you never can predict what any turkey will do with total certainty, and certainly sweeping generalizations such as your post just don't hold water.Last year three out of four birds were classic call-ins,....I guess I should defer to yourself as to if they were "proper",or not. Just sayin.

 

[Gerald Martin]

" In my experience...." Sweeping generalizations,improper rationalization and poor communication duly noted. I sit corrected.
Not trying to diminish the fun of turkey hunting for anyone. Its just hard for me to get as excited about chasing turkeys as I used to. I think its from seeing all the semi-tame birds that depend on wintertime feeding from sympathetic homeowners to get through the winter, roosting on fences and pooping up yards. It doesn't really get my predator juices flowing if you know what I mean. Granted, not all birds are like that, but most of the birds are pretty close to civilization around here. If I've got a gobbler coming in and I'm wondering if a month ago he was eating cat food on someone's sidewalk, its hard to stay focused.
Mixedbag, that was my experience back east too. When you actually killed a bird it was a major accomplishment. I cherish the memory of every successful hunt. One of my most intense hunting experiences ever was when I called a three year old into 17 yards after working him for over 3 hours. If you make it out here I'm sure I can point you into the right direction for some bears and turkeys.
Please take note that my ambivelance about western turkey hunting doesn't mean you can't find wild "proper" turkey hunting around here. Its just that if they are pooping in your neighbors yard all winter, its hard to think of it as a challenging hunt in the spring.
Consequently, I tend to focus on bears instead.

 

[Hem]

G.M.- I hear what you are saying.Guess it seems to me that there always seems to be considerable effort with my Western hunts,...driving long distances,praying for huntable weather,finding birds, and calling them in.Never have come across those tame birds you mention.Sometimes the success seems too easy,but usually it comes from knowledge.With 45 birds tagged i'd like to think I've experienced just about every scenario,but every year there is something slightly different,I suppose that is what fuels my fire.I love being "worked" by a bird and finally out-witting him,but bottom line is I'll do what it takes to fill my tags....been known to do a mob hit now and again.Just don't let me hear you smoked a bear under somebodies apple tree.

 

[theat]

I hunt the same area as Gerald and he is 100% right about those birds. I enjoy a classic set up and call em in type turkey hunt but that is pretty hard to do with these birds. They survive the deep snow of the winters by forming huge flocks and live in peoples yards/barns where they are fed. In the winter there are often turkey jams on the plowed roads that they use to get from one backyard feeding session to the next. This makes for some tough calling as most gobblers have 100+ hens with them and for some reason don't want to leave them for the hen calling from across the field On the other hand these birds are pretty easy to kill by ambushing or spot and stalking them. This is obviously not the case everywhere in Montana but for our little slice of heaven it sure is.

 

[Hem]

Interesting.I have often considered heading up in your part of the state for something different, but it doesn't sound that great from your description.At least there are a bunch of birds.Maybe you should try busting one of these large flocks, take a seat, and see what you can call back in? Worth a try if those gobblers have as many hens as you say.Rise to the challenge fellas.Good luck.

 

[theat]

Tried that and it does work, only problem is that they are usually in someones yard and that is also where they want to meet back up. It just isnt that much fun sitting against a garage or porch hoping the landowner doesn't let the dog out while the gobblers make their way back. The problem with hunting turkeys in this area is mostly due to the fact that they primarily live in residential areas in the winter/spring. If you can find areas to hunt on the outskirts of these residential areas later in the spring you might find some "rouge" birds that are a little more responsive to calling. I do enjoy hunting turkeys although I have not shot one in a few years. I typically sit behind a video camera and call for friends, or I'm out bear hunting.

 

[Hem]

There has to be some birds somewhere up there that aren't backyard pets.No? Well, I get your frustrations.I pretty much go out of my way to hunt areas where I I won't see another human.I feel fortunate to have some spots like this.

 

[Gerald Martin]

Hem, There are some areas where the birds scatter to as the season progresses. Once the hens start laying they put some miles on. I've run into hens miles up into the mountains when I'm hunting bears. If turkeys were the only game in town during the spring, I'm sure I'd be putting in a bunch of effort to kill one that wasn't close to someones yard.
Like Travis said, these birds are pretty easy to ambush, but hard to call in. Some of my most frustrating hunts have been on henned up toms that flew into the same spot in a pasture field every morning and roosted in the same tree every night. It would have been simple to ambush those birds every day, but I wanted to call one in. Those toms would land at the same place in the field and spend all day there with the hens.
I do have a tag this year and I have a couple places in mind that I might be able to get a good hunt in. Who knows I might just get frustrated and bushwhack one as he walks toward the roost.
What time I do have this spring I plan to spend chasing bears with my bow. About the bears under the apple tree..... You got any apple trees?
If you get up this way, I can point you into some good directions to go to find birds. I had about twenty-five in my lawn when I got home this evening. No long beards, but about a dozen jakes.