Any ideas on the best Merriams public land turkey to be found? I'm about ready to give my left nut for a good area for spring Merriams. Cant afford 1200 bucks for an outfitter but willing to work hard and travel for a fair chance at a bird. Any input appreciated.

BlackHills SD

Been there and maybe I'm missing something but I was'nt all that impressed. How bout Montana or Wyoming or anywhere????????? I'm an Eastern killing machine but for some reason those Merriams give me fits. I NEED to finally wrap my hands around one of those beautiful white tip gobblers. Anybody?

I'd second the Black Hills of SD. Lots of birds and more land than you'll be able to hunt in the entire season. Even I've been able to shoot a few there. I'll be heading there in another two weeks after I finish my season here in MN.

You could also hunt the Black Hills unit in WY. Lots of guys also do pretty good in the Pineridge unit in NE. Although I've never done it personally.

These Merriams are a different bird than the easterns. Try to hunt them the same and you'll go home empty handed more times than not. It's a running and gunning game to cover as much ground as possible. Don't hunt sign because these birds cover so much ground that if you're not working birds(even if there's sign everywhere)they aren't there anymore. Come back later on though because they will likely return.

Good Luck!

I stayed in Custer while there and we found very few birds in the area but alot of hunting pressure. Is there another area in the hills that you would consider better? Not asking for any honey holes just a name of town or something. Any help would be great. I need a MERRIAMS BAD!!!

Around Spearfish in South Dakota and Hulett or Aladdin in Wyoming, there are a lot of birds in both places. The WY birds will be a little less pressured.

I stay in Custer or Hill City. I hunt anywhere from deerfield down to Hot Springs. I don't hunt much around Custer itself, I really haven't found many birds in areas that I could hunt. Although there's good hunting farther north around spearfish or lead too. I do alot of driving and walking forest roads till I find active birds. Over the years I've developed and milk run of spots. Talk to the locals while you're out there. There forestry folks can be helpful too. A couple of years ago there were a couple of guys cleraring timber under the powerlines. We got a lot of good info from them.

Good Luck where ever you decide to go.

Borch

Hill City myself , we drove as Borch did, never had a problem finding birds, and both times I was there we killed two on the same outting.

We always hunted the early part of the season and presure was low.

Borch , you sure we didn't bump into one another ! I was the guy that was always asleep when I showed up for Coffee at the gas bar ...BT

I do seem to remember this little guy with a cup of coffee that kept say "eh" all the time.

Guess that could have been you.

Seriously though I believe we were both out there the at the same time my first year hunting out there. As I recall there was no shortage of snow.[&:]

Borch