I have a 6 year old boy and my buddy has an 12 year son and we are looking for a place to take them to try and get their merriams for their grand slam. They both have the rio and eastern. I looked into South Dakota but my son isn't old enough to hunt there. Any info on some places to hunt pure strain merriams would be appreciated. Thanks.

We have some discounted Merriam hunts in MT but I am pretty sure you have to be 12 to obtain a hunting license in MT.

I highly recommend Mike Watkins at Trophies Plus Outfitters. I've been there for Antelope and Turkeys, and have had a blast. He's near the juncture of WY, MT, and SD in a the town of Alzada, MT. You can fly into Rapid City, SD and it's an hour drive or so from there.

Turkey licenses in WY are Over-the-Counter for around $60, and minimum hunting age is 12. Mike has plenty of private, leased land to hunt un-pressured turkeys.

He has great guides, lodging, and food. It's truly a first class operation. I believe that he has two and three day hunts, and are pretty reasonably priced for what you get.

I've seen him and his guides fill tags under some very challenging hunting conditions -- snow, rain, strong winds...

http://www.trophiesplusoutfitters.com/