+2 on the black hills. Merriams are all across the western part of south Dakota but once again mainly on private land. The black hills is a huge national forest that carries a lot of beauty with it. I harvested my first elk there a few years back and seen a lot of turkeys and whitetails on that trip. Another good region would be along the Niobrara river in Nebraska, although I do not know how much of it is public but it would be a little bit closer for you. Best of luck to you Kelly!
Last edited by sdhunter11; 02-22-2014 at 02:54 PM.