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I'm looking to plan a trip to Montana for an upland hunt this year. Our preference would be a sharptail hunt with a chance to kick up some huns and/or pheasant. The Orvis endorsed lodges are not really in the budget so we'd prefer to stay in motel and hire a guide with dogs to handle the hunt. Does anyone have any recommendations? We would also consider the Dakotas, but Montana is our first choice. Thanks
Keep a backup plan. Eastern MT is in a bad drought. Not only might that impact access to land and even whether there will be a season, but in my experience a really dry spring and summer mean far fewer birds of the year...the young, tender ones that are good to eat.
Thanks for the advice 303. Are you saying that it's so bad that state may actually cancel hunting season? Do you have any other suggestions?
Originally Posted by 300_savage
Keep a backup plan. Eastern MT is in a bad drought. Not only might that impact access to land and even whether there will be a season, but in my experience a really dry spring and summer mean far fewer birds of the year...the young, tender ones that are good to eat.

Bad drought is an understatement! 2021 will probably be a very poor UGB year in eastern MT and western ND due to the unbelievably dry conditions. I fully expect a large number of BMAs in MT to be closed thru most of Sept due to the extreme wildfire conditions. If I were planning a sharptail hunt this year I would look around Pierre, SD. It hasn't been so dry down there, and there should be decent numbers of sharptails and chickens on the National Grasslands. Another plus will be the greater number of UGB guiding operations in SD. Good luck!
Talked to a person in Montana this week. They are telling all their regular customers to stay home, because of the lack of water.
dkevin, yes, it's that bad. In the past, hunting seasons have been closed when it's this dry. I'm in Dawson County and we've been in red flag fire restrictions for weeks. Temps have been in the 90s and low 100s for a week, and will be the same for the foreseeable future, with no rain in the forecast.
Originally Posted by 300_savage
In the past, hunting seasons have been closed when it's this dry.

Were there years other than '88?
That may be the last time
That may be the last time. But it's as bad as 1988.
Originally Posted by Reba
Talked to a person in Montana this week. They are telling all their regular customers to stay home, because of the lack of water.



ait is really terrible this year in E Montana and west SD and ND
Originally Posted by MT_DD_FAN
Originally Posted by 300_savage
Keep a backup plan. Eastern MT is in a bad drought. Not only might that impact access to land and even whether there will be a season, but in my experience a really dry spring and summer mean far fewer birds of the year...the young, tender ones that are good to eat.

Bad drought is an understatement! 2021 will probably be a very poor UGB year in eastern MT and western ND due to the unbelievably dry conditions. I fully expect a large number of BMAs in MT to be closed thru most of Sept due to the extreme wildfire conditions. If I were planning a sharptail hunt this year I would look around Pierre, SD. It hasn't been so dry down there, and there should be decent numbers of sharptails and chickens on the National Grasslands. Another plus will be the greater number of UGB guiding operations in SD. Good luck!

Don't know where you got that info, my bud in Pierre said it is plain bad. Don' t pawn your NR's off on us. Mb
Originally Posted by Magnum_Bob
Originally Posted by MT_DD_FAN
Originally Posted by 300_savage
Keep a backup plan. Eastern MT is in a bad drought. Not only might that impact access to land and even whether there will be a season, but in my experience a really dry spring and summer mean far fewer birds of the year...the young, tender ones that are good to eat.

Bad drought is an understatement! 2021 will probably be a very poor UGB year in eastern MT and western ND due to the unbelievably dry conditions. I fully expect a large number of BMAs in MT to be closed thru most of Sept due to the extreme wildfire conditions. If I were planning a sharptail hunt this year I would look around Pierre, SD. It hasn't been so dry down there, and there should be decent numbers of sharptails and chickens on the National Grasslands. Another plus will be the greater number of UGB guiding operations in SD. Good luck!

Don't know where you got that info, my bud in Pierre said it is plain bad. Don' t pawn your NR's off on us. Mb

And my good buddy in Pierre (SD bred, born, raised, educated & an avid hunter) told me last week that timely rains are saving the UGB 'crop' this year along with the dryland crops. He's seen a decent amount of phez and chickens so far this summer, and unless it all goes to hell in a hand basket before Oct 1., he expects UGB numbers around Pierre to be just as good as last year. Now that doesn't mean all-time record numbers of UGB in central SD but sure sounds like better than what's expected in eastern MT and western ND. Only time will tell.
I guess so, see you there. Mb
No don't come to Pierre. Drought as bad here as anywhere. No grass to speak of, it will be a tough tough year. Its tough in a good year.

Best to go to Montana, Big Sky Country and all that. "Timely rains" my ass.

Sorry for the quick hijack here but it’s related; BK, what does the drought mean for the pheasant chicks? For example insects such as grasshoppers necessary for the chicks as they go into fall? Or, the lack of grasses?
I think there's a few things at play.
The heat is hard on chicks, they can't regulate their body temps very well I'm told.
The water holes are pretty dry, so I wonder how flightless birds are to get something to drink? I don't know when they learn to eat bugs and get their moisture from them, probably pretty early.
The lack of cover would seem to make them pretty vulnerable to avian predators also.
Add it all up and there will be fewer birds this year because of the drought
Originally Posted by George_De_Vries_3rd

Sorry for the quick hijack here but it’s related; BK, what does the drought mean for the pheasant chicks? For example insects such as grasshoppers necessary for the chicks as they go into fall? Or, the lack of grasses?



grasshopper pops are pretty high out in W states it seems
We did get a rain today, I don't know what the effects will be. I think cool season grasses won't respond as we'd hope they would but perhaps they will. Fingers crossed.
BK, most native grasses in the northern great plains won't grow much if they dont get good rain by mid June. Your forage at July 1 is what you have for the year. Later rains will perhaps freshen existing forage up, but won't promote growth. Crested wheat grass, an introduced species, will griw a little in the fall with rain.
Originally Posted by BKinSD
No don't come to Pierre. Drought as bad here as anywhere. No grass to speak of, it will be a tough tough year. Its tough in a good year.

Best to go to Montana, Big Sky Country and all that. "Timely rains" my ass.

Well bk I said that but MT DD fan figures he knows better. Gotta wait another month or so for the Dept Of Tourism fugs tell everyone there is a 40% increase in bird numbers.
The grass is short here and most if not all the CRP has been cut. The hawks are definitely eating well.
I drove out to the cabin and back on Saturday. So from Pierre to Custer and back. There are some areas with grass, to be expected in a drought year.
Most of it looks like a pool table however. I agree with the posters who said what you have by June is what you'll get.
Originally Posted by George_De_Vries_3rd

Sorry for the quick hijack here but it’s related; BK, what does the drought mean for the pheasant chicks? For example insects such as grasshoppers necessary for the chicks as they go into fall? Or, the lack of grasses?


I believe that early on, the chicks get much of their moisture from dew on grass. When there's no dew and little grass it's tough on them.

I can't remember exactly what year, 2013-2015 sometime ND had a bad drought with nearly 0 bugs and the western part of the state still hasn't recovered pheasant numbers.
In tbe past, years as dry as this mean fewer birds, and almost zero young ones. No dew this summer. And if it doesn't rain, I won't go hunting, even on my own land, due to fire danger. Access will be hard to find.
http://wyomingbirdhunting.com/upland-bird-hunts
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