Who has been and what did you think?

Looks like a wide variety of species available and some nice scenery to hunt in.

Quite a haul to get there from Texas though.

It is a long haul but I'm thinking of making the trip also. Eastern Wyoming and the NW corner of Nebraska also has good birds and closer.

I am going this year from new Orleans, I'll try and let you know. I was looking at nebraska as well, but their pheasant opener is much later.

NSTRA has their Endurance trial going on up there next week. I've been once, but did not hunt. We saw chickens on the side of the road to the trial grounds. Several people from Texas has stayed and hunted after the trial, with mixed results.

Hunted over in the eastern part of the state, get the map book before you go that shows all the WIH and PHA. We were hunting a WIH area and had a rancher stop and ask how we did. Our reply was didn't see anything. He said well just go to my place there's pheasants every where. He wasn't kidding either.
Reports are above the high line the birds are scarse, bad winter and cold spring.
Oh and take several kinds of clothing, we went the first week of Oct. and it was cold as a mother-in-laws heart

High line?

Hwy 2

It was a two day trip for my wife, and me to get to Lewiston. It's almost a full day to get out of Texas for people who live south of I-10. It's tough to fly dogs and equipment. It's worth the drive for a couple of once in a lifetime trips.

Since I'm going to Kansas this year, I may take the trip next season, it's a 30 hr drive from where I live. More like 35 with all the stops I'd probably make.

Maybe I'll take the Kansas route and let my dog chase some ditch chickens for a day just to shake the dust off.

Montana is not worth the drive please trust me on this. : )

eastern part of the state up and down the river systems and creeks you will find pheasants and sharptailed grouse.....in the higher ground (hills not mountains) we always found several covies of huns.....beautiful country and more importantly very cool weather at nt.....during midday it can get hot.....it should be on your bucket list!

Definatley worth going, I have been once, and am going back next year, my dad goes about every year.

been there and it was a good hunt, but I prefer North Dakota. Less pressure and phenomenal duck hunting.

That would be a pretty neat trip, hunt all the way up & back down.

The problem with that is that the season opens in Kansas a lot later than the prime season in Montana.

Bummer.

I noticed in the catalog I got from Montana that there is lots of private land. For those that have been, how difficult is it to locate the land owners to ask for permission?

Did any of you see American Gun Dog last week? It was with Ben O. Williams in Livingston, MT. They were training dogs on wild Huns! It looked like a blast!

We went 2 years ago and had the trip of a lifetime. We showed up for opening day to hunt Grouse and Huns. Where we found birds, there were lots of them. Where we didn't, there were lots of miles to cover. We got limits of Sharpies several different days. The Huns were a lot tougher. We got permission to hunt some private ground that was not in the Block Management Program. Everyone we met up there was super nice. Beautiful country. Definitely one of my trips of a lifetime.
Do your research before you go. Make lots of phone calls and try to locate the good areas before you leave Texas.

Not hard at all, just drive to the ranch house. Somebody will be there that what I was refering to as the public hunting areas, they will give you a permit for the day. Some you need to check with and will ask you to come back the next day or two because of other hunters or work.

Maggie from NSTRA and her husband met a rancher who drove them around and showed them where he had seen coveys of huns. The sharpies were everywhere.

I head to Montana every year to bird hunt, been going up there for about the last ten years. The hunting is good and the people are very warm and gracious.
Why is it in Texas landowners feel the need to charge 150-300 dollars per day to bird hunt or lease property for a season? I hunt some ranches up in Montana 30,000 plus acres and guess what no fee.
(I better get back on topic) Block Management areas are good but you are limited by the number of maps you can get on a daily basis. State land is also very accessible with it all being mostly WIA only.

A new member with a user name of Quailguy got run off of the froum, when he posted a thread called something like, "No more Texas leases for me...I'm through." Some lease managers, and land owners were even suggesting that hunters would pay, even if there were no birds left.

I think Quailguy now goes to Montana each year with RayB.

Don't look now Bill but quailguy is on a lease with me in Web Co
We are going to So.Dak. this year in Oct-Nov. for a couple weeks. He's a numbers guy, I don't understand it but to each his own. I like watching my rocky and zeke run, it's just fun being out with them. Birds are a bonus.

i remember that thread with quail guy. but dont know what he posted to get run off