re: Merriam turkey hunt suggestions

There are no turkeys native to Montana. All turkeys in Montana came from transplants. The original transplants in 1954 were wild Merriam’s from Colorado (where they are native) into central Montana, followed by wild Merriam’s from Wyoming (where they are not native) into southeastern Montana. Since then, descendants of those birds have been transplanted into various other areas in Montana, but never into NW Montana because that area wasn’t deemed suitable habitat. The birds in NW Montana came from illegal releases of pen-raised easterns. As Merriam’s populations expanded across the state they intermingled with the easterns, and now western Montana is a mish-mash of Merriam’s, easterns, and mixed birds. If you want to shoot a true Merriam’s, stick to the eastern part of Montana.