Anyone done a Montana pheasant trip?

[poulsbo]

Just trying to look at some options for next year i was wondering if the Block management program had any decent ground to hunt, looked at the Dakotas but everything is at least $125 a day per gun to hunt.I hear eastern Mt. has some good upland populations, A rancher in Bker told me he's never seen so many pheasant in one area as he had around Lewistown.Figure i better start researching now.

[gasman]

Larry (Olddog) went to South Dakota this year and had a good time. He did a self guided on public land hunt. He is planning on going back again, maybe check with him for some info (if you are interested in So Dakota area).

[poulsbo]

Thanks for the heads up gasman i'll look into that.

[high country]

we hunt it every year. this year was horrible due to a  june snow storm that killed a bunch of broods. I averaged 2 rootys and a couple sharps a day, that is usually only a few hours of work. check the weather and the forcast in the spring.

[Shannon]

I went to Montana for the pheasant opener and we did great where we were at. We had 5 days of limits in a row on pheasants and mixed in some huns and sharptail to top off the afternoons. I can't wait to go back.

[poulsbo]

are you way east montana?

[high country]

we were in the helena/GF area. my family is from there and this was as bad a year in that area as could be rememberd. did see some good mulie bucks though.

[poulsbo]

i hear there are alot of birds around the Denton area.

[Magnum_Willys]

I didn't see a lot of pheasants aroung Lewistown or Jordan.  I'd look at North Dakota - loaded there.   There was a TON of pressure in the Block Management units in Montana.  The farmers get like $10 a hunter from the state and one farmer I spoke with said he had over 1500 hunters sign in and come through his propertyduring the season !  - mostly for pheasant.  We never saw any pheasants there but some small muleys.  North and S. Dakota are where you want to go for pheasant.   

Want to hear about Crazy ?  How about one of those English Style Pheasant hunts in Oregon - they release 1500 pheasants that fly over your group - do it twice daily.  Nuts !  Not a typo !

[bobcat]

1500 pheasants twice a day? That IS crazy. Crazy enough that it would have to cost at least 15 thousand dollars for all those birds. How could anybody afford to pay for that?

[Birdguy]

Corporate groups would pay for it. You know one of those business retreat/team building activities. They do the same thing in South Dakota on some of the bigger ranches. 15-20k for a large business is not unheard of.

Just let me loose in the landing area with my dog,  is that to much to ask?  Sounds like a great day to me

[bobcat]

I'd guess there's not much of that happening in this economy.

[poulsbo]

I went to the Treo ranch in Or. they have one large const. co. that spends in excess of $70,000 a year there for hunting.