Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Hunter's Campfire Anyone in the Shelby area of Montana?

We may be moving their for a job...long ways from Florida. Any info about the area would be appreciated. Hunting and fishing info on area as well.
Thanks in advance.

It’s pretty rural, about 90 minutes to great falls and a couple hours to Kalispell for any type of shopping. Plenty of hunting. Winter is no joke, and it’s fugging windy year around. I live a couple hours west in the banana belt. You will wear out the one bar in town over winter.

I doubt that, unless one is looking for a mate one bar is all that’s needed. 😉

They used to have a Pamida....dont know if they still do.


I think the train stops there.

Just another Hi Line town.

Biggest employer in the area is the private prison that houses mostly state of Montana inmates............ just sayin'

Shelby is up there. Like Norman said, windy and can be dang cold.

Not a bad drive to great falls for major shopping etc.

Lost of outdoor rec around.

Is your wife bp?

BP?

Border Patrol I think?

Bass pro

Oh...yeah..no the job is for me...those are sure glowing recommendations, but I think I’m gonna have to make it work...not many options.

Would Conrad or Sunburst be better? To live in that is.

Get a bird dog.

Pheasants? Getting another dog might cushion the blow for my wife.

Have you been in that country at all?


Nothing wrong with Shelby.

Huns and sharptails is what I’ve hunted in that area.

Actually flying out there this week...final negotiations, look around and meet a few more people.
I’ve always wanted to live in MT/WY, and this is first chance...it’s a lot further NW than I’d thought about, but I’m hoping we love it. Last couple of phone interviews had people telling me the good and bad about the area. I really need this job, and hope we can all agree. The people I’ve talked to have been great. I can honestly say I’ve never had people offer so much help.
The extreme weather is a bit disconcerting, but we will make it work.

Unfortunately Conrad is just another dying farm town. Sunburst is already dead but no one has told it yet.

Gt Falls is the nearest for any variety of shopping (85 miles), if your wife is the type who need entertainment and shopping you are a long ways from either.

Like most Hi-line towns Shelby is losing population but the railroad and prison means it will always have some jobs available. Winter can get bad there and lots of wind.

If you are looking at the prison for work there has been some bad press about mismanagement issues that you might want to do some research on.

drover

I was talked out of moving there in 2014 by a semi-local.... Wife said she'd not follow... That was not BP or CBP but FDA of all things.... Since then I have been through there. It is a place with challenges. Good luck. It was explained to me it's not the kind of place you can plan on commuting anywhere if you have a job you have to be at.... Winter...

Nevermind, I was looking into Sweetgrass on the border. Shelby is a fugging metropolis!

There are a lot of really nice people in Shelby. It also has a large population of (prior) inmates and prison guards. And BP. I've worked on a few projects there but haven't been back for a few years. There is a Shopko, which sets it apart from some of the smaller communities around.

There are fishing opportunities around (Lake Elwell) and a fun dirtbike community. There are lots of hunting opportunities, esp birds and whitetails. I've gotten into pheasants (by Valier) and lots of sharp tails on public land. Plenty of antelope to be had but you missed the drawing for this year. There are elk in the Sweetgrass hills to the north where I think you can hunt for cows with a general tag. You can catch a train ride over to the Kalispell area for an easy, relaxing trip. It isn't that far from the Chouteau area on the front which has piles of back-county access that is second to none, as well as good proximity to Glacier Park.

It wouldn't be my first choice but I'm sure there are plenty more redeeming points than I've made. Real Estate is pretty cheap.

Don't mean to spook you, but hi-line communities are generally tough weather and quite a cultural change for most everyone.

If you go with eyes open and don't fixate on the negatives, I could see it being a great opportunity. As other have said, bird hunting is good. Plenty of fishing. Lot of hunting available. Just don't move there and expect to be able to shop for whatever you want/need at 9 pm. Don't let the weather get you down. It can be a bitch, but there's a certain ego-boost when you learn to adjust and deal with whatever is thrown your way.

Most of the folks I know up there are really good people. If I can help in any way, pm me. I live a ways away, but am pretty familiar with the state in general and have some contacts up there.

Good luck. If you're flying into Great Falls, be sure to stop in the Sip'n Dip.