advice on SD merriams

[Treerooster]

IME in the Black Hills and a little south in the Pine Ridge of NW Nebraska ticks are not too bad. Nothing compared to what I run into in N Wis.

You will see some ticks though, especially later in the season. I only seem to run into ticks in the low areas such as creeks and a few drainages where water may collect. You can pick up some ticks in those areas so it pays to have the protection.

Mosquitoes are not real bad either. Later in the season they will be around, especially in the evening and areas near water. It only takes a few to make you get antsy so bring something for them too.

[turkey junky]

if your not hunting opening week-end twofer1 i would expect ticks maybe not in the black hills but NW NE i have never went to NE & not sat in a tick nest !!!??? wear treerooster mentioned i could sit in my van & watch tick land on my bare skin!!! brang a buddy there & our tent was surrounded by ticks... went to the state park to buy another turkey tag & they have a wall full of pics showing all the kinds of wood ticks & how they can get you sick in the area there was like 5-7 kind of ticks... ive hunted from la crosse WI to up past grantsburg WI & never seen the amount of wood ticks as NW NE we went after a big fire & the ticks were worse ???

that is really good to know that there is not the same amount of ticks up in the black hills as the ridge.... maybe the ticks like the us MN boys??? like i said i live in MN & near by deer shack there is a terrible tick infestation but i have never seen ticks like NW NE not far from the black hills in some areas it looked like the ground was moving like i said i must of been in a tick nest???

thermacel really wouldnt help against ticks??? just no seem ems & skeeters witch i never had a prob with...

[Bobbyparks]

I've hunted Merriams for a while but not SD

Sounds like much has been covered...and you should be hunting some good white tipped birds for sure

This might cover some of the generalities as well

http://www.grandslamnetwork.com/hunting ... obby-parks

[twofer1]

No. The thermacell wont help for ticks at all but does a great job on the ticks and no seems. I bought a compression fit undergarment set a few years ago (I think from Cabelas) that does a great job for ticks and skeeters as they just cannot get through or under it! A harts flea and tick collar around each ankle is a trick I use sometimes as well. Either way, There are not enough ticks to keep me from turkey hunting, I was just curious if they are as bad as here in Illinois. Thanks to all of you for all of the great info and advice!

[twofer1]

I've hunted Merriams for a while but not SD

Sounds like much has been covered...and you should be hunting some good white tipped birds for sure

This might cover some of the generalities as well

http://www.grandslamnetwork.com/hunting ... obby-parks

Hey! Great article. I appreciate you sending me the Link! Got your site bookmarked now!

[Bobbyparks]

Thanks

[turkey junky]

oh man bobby your article lost me after the road hunting or trolling from the road/vehicle thing that is so far from what i think merriams hunting is with all that beautiful country to roam & explore on foot its a shame to stay in the car...

twofer1 road hunters pass many toms that can be killed they just learn to hush when that truck rolls by nice & slow... they freeze shut up & let it pass by then once its quit they go about there day... that is a common tactic used out in high hunting pressure areas of the west so do a little walking in away from the nearest road & hunt you will be better off in the long run your actually get to learn a area you want to hunt...

much better to do a little research B4 hand & put yourself in/on a good solid population of turkeys then hunt there...

also you got to mention the 3 states that the merriams sub species are NATIVE to CO, NM, AZ all other states are trap & transplant released birds...

[Bobbyparks]

Thanks Twofer1

TJ

Would never want to change anyones style thats not open to it but hunting some parts of the west is different........places like NM woods are dense enough and have enough birds that you just walk and cover ground...you'll walk alot but its doable

Places like open prairie in MT where the lands open you can walk if you want but you've got to cover sometimes literally miles and thousands of acres to strike a bird...In fact we had 55,000 acres to hunt which sounds great but who knows what the bird per 1000 acres is?...Birds in this part of MT I hunt...birds are sparse.....And just because it looks good on the map doesn't mean birds are there..I understand further south and east of me bird populations are better. ...you might do well to stay on foot there


First two years we walked our butts off but realized...( and we were told as much) we could not cover enough ground with the stretches between timber to find birds..day after day all day that gets tough...for anyone..... it takes toll

And most of the time when you hear a bird...you do exactly the same thing you'd do if you struck him walking down a logging road...you get after him and try to move on him and set up...we"re not talking about doing drive by shootings out of a pick up truck.

Sometimes they'll be close..but sometimes you can barely hear and see them thru binoculars...many chases have been long and brutal

research helps and you do learn that certain places do hold birds...in which case we would hit those at daylight and try and get after whatever gobbled...the traditional way.....same thing in the evening...but once they're down they can move miles

So mornings are about going after birds you know of...but from that point on trolling takes on a different meaning....what would be great is to have a golf cart set up.

River hunting where birds are denser...all on foot...open prairie....walk for miles and miles each day and realize you still not covering enough ground and then you start to look at things differently...or maybe not?

So I thought just Iike you did at first...I don't hunt that way........but I was used to hunting the east and it want take you long on the type of terrain I hunt out there to realize you can't cover enough ground on the prairie on foot to get the job done

Bottom line it's is a mix...walking and working pockets in the mornings and evenings that you mostly find by driving and trolling......and driving and trolling looking for lone birds and new pockets.....in terms of being effective....and if you want to find turkeys for everyone on the hunting group.....after 10 years of doing it..I can tell you it works.

Not all western areas would require this...the place I hunt in MT does....You could walk and walk and enjoy the ground if that's what you want to for sure...but most that go out there will soon realize that if they want to get on birds and want to last for the duration of the hunt...they'll understand what I'm talking about...some may not

In fact right now with the die off that apparently started 3 ears ago...if you want to walk you better enjoy seeing the country...because that's likely all you're going to see :D

And I don't believe I ever used the word " Native"...I believe I used the term "occupy"
I only meant to provide a list of states that you can hunt them in...I have no clue where birds were transplanted....even my Georgia Easterns were originally part of a transplant / restoration program

Im posting one shot that if you look in background you get an idea of the land expanse...will look for others later

[turkey junky]

been to montana B4 bobby & was not impressed at all had to find greener pastures as there was very little birds & non on public ground wear i was found out after a few calls to a local biologist... the lack of birds & having to resort to road hunting to get on birds drove us to other merriams turkey hunting states...

no you didnt say merriams were NATIVE to any state bobby I SAID you kinda have to mention the states merriams are NATIVE 2 if you mention were you can hunt them in the present??? its very simple to find were merriams were NATIVE 3 states NM AZ CO

i love hunting wild turkeys & each sub species so i have taken a little time to find wear there are turkeys in there NATIVE RANGE & like to hunt them there merriams are the only 1s i have not hunted on there home range GOULDS also...

in the mid west many states o there eastern sub species population to MO & NY there trap & transplanted many thousands of birds to other states back in the day...

knowing wear & what species of turkey lives wear in a state or region helps cuz im not one of them i shoot a bird & call it what it looks like if im hunting easterns & a merriams looking turkey walks up i will shoot it & call it a HYBRID many will call it a merriams i think that has alot to do with not knowing what species lives where in the country???

also bobby the merriams DIE OFF in MT it started in like 2006-2007 in SE MT there were pockets of birds in river valley cattle feed lots & near ranch's that were able to not DIE OFF as fast as in the big ponderosa forest were the public land is but most them birds land they roam has been leased up & its a PAY TO PLAY hunt now... i have talked to 3-4 wildlife & upland biologist about returning to the region but they say just hold of most if not all are birds on PUBLIC LAND are gone 06-10 there was back to back to back to back ETC. cold long snowy winters & cold wet springs taking a toll on any of the still living merriams in that country & its brood stock...

so to me bobby i guess you are having to work to hard to even find a bird for me to ever want to hunt MT again sounds like work even in a car??? like i said ive been to MT & someday i will have to go back & tag a bird there to check it off the bucket list but as for a prime turkey rich destination MT is not it in my eyes... there is still some turkeys in MT but you have to dig to find them & dig deeper if you want to find turkeys on PUBLIC LAND... it is sad what happened to SE MT they need to re trap & transplant some SD black hills merriams there & help the turkey population out a little bit???

i would of drove write on by that beautiful merriams in your picture bobby that open prairie sage flat open cattle & damn near antalope country would not appeal to me to hunt it lol i would of been up-set the land looked so barren & went on my back to wear ever the woods are
lol i would end up eating a TAG sandwich also so???

[twofer1]

Thanks Twofer1

TJ

Would never want to change anyones style thats not open to it but hunting some parts of the west is different........places like NM woods are dense enough and have enough birds that you just walk and cover ground...you'll walk alot but its doable

Places like open prairie in MT where the lands open you can walk if you want but you've got to cover sometimes literally miles and thousands of acres to strike a bird...In fact we had 55,000 acres to hunt which sounds great but who knows what the bird per 1000 acres is?...Birds in this part of MT I hunt...birds are sparse.....And just because it looks good on the map doesn't mean birds are there..I understand further south and east of me bird populations are better. ...you might do well to stay on foot there


First two years we walked our butts off but realized...( and we were told as much) we could not cover enough ground with the stretches between timber to find birds..day after day all day that gets tough...for anyone..... it takes toll

And most of the time when you hear a bird...you do exactly the same thing you'd do if you struck him walking down a logging road...you get after him and try to move on him and set up...we"re not talking about doing drive by shootings out of a pick up truck.

Sometimes they'll be close..but sometimes you can barely hear and see them thru binoculars...many chases have been long and brutal

research helps and you do learn that certain places do hold birds...in which case we would hit those at daylight and try and get after whatever gobbled...the traditional way.....same thing in the evening...but once they're down they can move miles

So mornings are about going after birds you know of...but from that point on trolling takes on a different meaning....what would be great is to have a golf cart set up.

River hunting where birds are denser...all on foot...open prairie....walk for miles and miles each day and realize you still not covering enough ground and then you start to look at things differently...or maybe not?

So I thought just Iike you did at first...I don't hunt that way........but I was used to hunting the east and it want take you long on the type of terrain I hunt out there to realize you can't cover enough ground on the prairie on foot to get the job done

Bottom line it's is a mix...walking and working pockets in the mornings and evenings that you mostly find by driving and trolling......and driving and trolling looking for lone birds and new pockets.....in terms of being effective....and if you want to find turkeys for everyone on the hunting group.....after 10 years of doing it..I can tell you it works.

Not all western areas would require this...the place I hunt in MT does....You could walk and walk and enjoy the ground if that's what you want to for sure...but most that go out there will soon realize that if they want to get on birds and want to last for the duration of the hunt...they'll understand what I'm talking about...some may not

In fact right now with the die off that apparently started 3 ears ago...if you want to walk you better enjoy seeing the country...because that's likely all you're going to see :D

And I don't believe I ever used the word " Native"...I believe I used the term "occupy"
I only meant to provide a list of states that you can hunt them in...I have no clue where birds were transplanted....even my Georgia Easterns were originally part of a transplant / restoration program

Im posting one shot that if you look in background you get an idea of the land expanse...will look for others later

Nice Bird! Thanks for the pic! Sounds pretty much like what we do here in Illinois, but on a bigger scale. In the evenings we will try to put the birds to bed so we can set up on them the next morning. More times than not, we can pull them to us right off the roost. But, as you know Easterns are Easterns. Sometimes they just dont want to play the game. Sometimes a hen will intercept them before they get within gun range. So we spend the day trying to strike a hot bird. Maybe set up on a few different ones. Do some running and Gunning and try to make something happen. Only difference is we can only hunt til 1pm in Illinois. So in the evening it is back to trying to roost some birds again and the cycle repeats itself. The only difference I see is the running and gunning part. In illinois we cover acres. In SD I am expecting to cover miles. So, I understand the need to use a vehicle. I have been to the area a few times, but never hunted there. Also, I am fortunate that I have a friend who lives there locally who is going to do some preliminary scouting in areas that I have identified as interesting on the Black Hills maps that I have. SO, we wont be going tin totally blind. Thanks again for all of the great info! I have learned alot from everyone's posts!