Author Topic: where to even start looking for birds.  (Read 6405 times)

Offline mt.redneck

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where to even start looking for birds.
« on: Mar 28, 2014, 09:12:51 AM »
I would like to start turkey hunting but my biggest problem is not knowing what to look for when trying to find an area that might hold birds. most of the time I see them in no hunting area's. I live in Montana and my only thought is to try some of the fishing accesses that allow hunting around them. any help would be appreciated thank you.
God bless and be safe

Offline loonyone

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Re: where to even start looking for birds.
« Reply #1 on: Mar 28, 2014, 05:56:04 PM »
I am not sure where you are in Montana but by any of the creeks they hang and roost near.  That's where I see most of the turkeys I ran across.  They also hang out with the cows in the cow pastures as well.  In Glacier Mountains I actually see them hang out on the ridges high above me where the mountain goats hang and just bee low.  They seem to like the tree lines near the creeks and river beds.  Hope that helps some.  (they like cow poop to dig and eat, crickets, bugs, grass seed, birdseeds, any type of thistle as well, you might even find them around the berry bushes and trees.  Higher up in your huckleberry patches).  Oh and I love Montana. 

Offline Montana89

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Re: where to even start looking for birds.
« Reply #2 on: Mar 29, 2014, 12:02:44 PM »
Where you live in the state is important. The turkey out in western Montana seem to have a much different lifestyle than the ones in southeastern Montana. Turkey's will travel similar routes on a daily basis going from there roosting tree to there feeding grounds. Ideally I try to catch them in between or even better find where there roosting. Merriam's turkey almost always roost in ponderosa pine here in MT. They prefer mature ponderosa so trees with 24" DBH or greater. This time of year there gonna be down low because of the snow. Your best bet is to find where grasslands and ponderosa forests meet. 50-100 feet of basal area per acre is the ideal stand. So a pretty open stand with ponderosa as the serial species. The toughest part is obviously catching them on public land because a lot of there habitat is on private land. I usually hunt right on the border of private land and try to call them onto public land. A good gps with a landownership map is essential to do this. It's tough to locate birds, lots and lots of scouting is necessary. Focus your efforts on low elevation mature ponderosa forests though. I could go on and on all day about this stuff lol.

Offline mt.redneck

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Re: where to even start looking for birds.
« Reply #3 on: Mar 29, 2014, 03:41:27 PM »
I live in billings,  I seen most turkeys around  rock creek and the Stillwater but there isn't much hunting area around them I don't think
God bless and be safe

Offline Raquettedacker

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Re: where to even start looking for birds.
« Reply #4 on: Mar 29, 2014, 04:01:19 PM »
If you can get permission from a farmer in your area that would be a good start...
And welcome to the site...   ;)
"Dying is the easy part. Learning how to live is the hard part..."

Offline Montana89

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Re: where to even start looking for birds.
« Reply #5 on: Mar 29, 2014, 04:01:51 PM »
Your pretty much limited to state and BLM lands. Check with FWP and see what kind of block management areas are in Yellowstone county. I am actually visiting family in Roundup right now came from Missoula. Saw a bunch of turkey by the musselshell  river yesterday. Up here might be an option for ya. Start with this website when searching for hunting spots it's amazing http://cadastral.mt.gov/

Offline mt.redneck

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Re: where to even start looking for birds.
« Reply #6 on: Mar 29, 2014, 09:47:46 PM »
thanks for the help guys. I'm a lot better at fishing then I am at hunting  :P. I did some looking and all the access's on rock creek by red lodge are open to hunting so I could probably do a day of casting and maybe some blasting  ::)
God bless and be safe

Offline Raquettedacker

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Re: where to even start looking for birds.
« Reply #7 on: Mar 30, 2014, 06:18:09 AM »
Check out our fishing site..   
   http://www.myfishfinder.com/
"Dying is the easy part. Learning how to live is the hard part..."

Offline mt.redneck

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Re: where to even start looking for birds.
« Reply #8 on: Apr 01, 2014, 08:57:32 AM »
Check out our fishing site..   
   http://www.myfishfinder.com/
I'm already on my fish finder and ice shanty.  ;D
God bless and be safe

 


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