seeking Montana and Wyoming turkey hunting opportunities

[jeffpg]

Hey fellas,

I’m here in Billings, Montana working for a couple of months. I’m from Mississippi but I spend a lot of time out west for both work and play. I have a lot of hunting experience for big game during the normal fall hunting seasons in most of the western states, but I haven’t hunted during any spring season yet.

I would really like to hunt spring turkeys nearby this year. I will be pretty busy until about May 1, at which time I will hope to have a nice block of time off. I have no idea of where to start learning about where to go, but I’m guessing that there should be public land access and possibly private as well. Any and all tips & info will be greatly appreciated.

I would also be interested in hunting in Wyoming when I head south from Montana sometime after May 1.

I am also very interested in hunting spring black bear, but I will make a separate post about that.

I have some fantastic turkey and axis deer hunting opportunities on a 5k acre archery only ranch in west Texas to offer in return for your help.

Thanks,

Jeff

 

[R.K.]

I would start here.

FWP :: Montana Hunt Planner

 

[Djfan]

I would start here.

FWP :: Montana Hunt Planner

Agreed. Wyoming isn't known for it's turkey hunting. Not really a destination for that here. Try Nebraska or Kansas. I've had great luck there.

 

[Southern Elk]

Welcome to Montana from another Mississippian. I've lived in SW MT for 4 years. I would like to chase some turkeys this spring too. I haven't hunted them since we left MS. Most of the best turkey hunting will be east of Billings.

 

[Busyfarmin]

I would look into the black hills in north east Wyoming. There is a good of amount of land to hunt with Black Hills national forest and scattered parcels of state and blm. I have never turkey hunted it but seen alot of them while deer hunting there.

 

[DrH]

I hunted the Custer NF northeast of Ashland a few years ago and found plenty of turkeys. Ditto S and SE of Ashland on the NF. You can also have a combo WY-SD hunt in the Black Hills NF, but have to get the SD Black Hills license from the headquarters in Pierre via the online application system. They are very quick to get the license to you. WY general license can be bought at any license dealer. Where you can hunt always depends on spring thawing and spring snow or rain storms. Roads NE and SE of Ashland turn to grease with rain, as they do in parts of the Black Hills. New land S of Beulah in Black Canyon down to Moskee opened via mining company land being purchased, and you can access the SD side via Boundary Gulch road off the Black Canyon road. OnX map or NF map helps. Various gulches on the WY side have roads up them, with turkeys scattered everywhere up to snow line. Stuff south of Beulah opens up sooner than the NF north of Sundance, usually.

 

[MT Bound]

Hunting out west is pretty straight-forward for the public land guy. As said above, review maps for public land access, and focus on river bottoms and rolling pine hiills with open areas for turkeys in MT. Then get in the truck and confirm, then get out of the truck and put your boots on the ground to confirm, that's the fun in it, learning new areas.

If you're a turkey hunter, you will find them, doesn't matter if you're from Miss., IN, VA, or wherever, you'll find them.

 

[Wyominghunter]

How was your turkey hunt?

 

[Schwanzman89]

The northern Black Hills in WY are great for turkeys!