New to Butte

[LAduckwhisperer]

Hello fellas. I'm new to the Butte area. I'm an active duty Marine and looking for some areas to hunt for the 2015 season. A little hunting background on myself. Grew up hunting the Mississippi River Delta at the bottom of the Mississippi Flyway. Hunted normally out of pop up boat blinds on mud boats. The action was normally fast. I provided guide services also. I'm actually on here to possibly meet some folks to hunt with or do some big game hunting. Any help would be greatly appreciated! Thanks!

[HaydenHunter]

Can't help you with hunting in Butte as I am in the Idaho Panhandle. But welcome to the West. Have spent some time in the Mississippi delta myself and I have to say I love the west more. Get some warm clothes. You'll need them. But I think you will enjoy hunting birds at the top of a flyway instead of at the bottom.

If you are in Butte and haven't been to Fred's Mesquite Grill yet check it out some time for lunch or dinner and thank me later.

[Deer Lodge Josh]

Was in butte for 8/9 yrs. currently selling my house there. Have property by deer lodge I hunt on. Plenty of public land from rivers to marsh and lakes. Not a huge duck area. But when birds migrating through it can be amazing. I am out of state mostly for work lately. Drop me a private message and will help where I can. I know it can be tough in a new place. FWP has good info too. Will be a big change. All depends on ice up and weather.

[brandon.miller.4]

Well, it looks like we have something in common! My names is Brandon. I am 19 and originally from North Dakota and hunt sloughs and fields in the prairie pothole region and Missouri river. I will be going to Butte in the middle of August for College at Mtech. Never hunted in Western Montana but am looking forward to the experience nonetheless. Let me know if you would like to exchange some info and possibly go on some hunts together! I'm hoping I will be able to find some honkers in the area so Ill have to drag a trailer around since ill be in the dorms. oh well!

[LWYRUP]

I am in Missoula--about 3 hours away. I am just exploring areas to hunt around here too. If you want to get together to scout some spots, shoot me a direct message.

[cjmcdonald22]

I'm in the Butte area as well. Gone out 3 times so far this fall in the Big Hole Valley. I've seen a ton of ducks, but can't seem to get them to commit to my spread. I have my blind camo'd to the max so I know that they can't see me. Is it how I have my decoys set up that's scaring them away? I only have a dozen decoys, 6 mallards, 6 teal. I've tried doing some reading on decoy spread strategies, but they just seem to fly overhead and don't even circle around like they "might" be interested. HELP!

[dan922]

I'm in the Butte area as well. Gone out 3 times so far this fall in the Big Hole Valley. I've seen a ton of ducks, but can't seem to get them to commit to my spread. I have my blind camo'd to the max so I know that they can't see me. Is it how I have my decoys set up that's scaring them away? I only have a dozen decoys, 6 mallards, 6 teal. I've tried doing some reading on decoy spread strategies, but they just seem to fly overhead and don't even circle around like they "might" be interested. HELP!

Watch where they are going, you just might not be where they want to be. More decoys wouldn't hurt, but you don't need a ton. Maybe add another dozen. I've hunted rivers in the past where it can be difficult to pull birds in that are going between a pond on private land to roost and a field to feed on. In those situations I've added full body mallards in addition to floaters and had success. At the end of the day, you need to be where they want to be to have the most successful hunts, especially as the season progresses. It can be hard to fit in time to scout with work and life, but it is a lot harder to be consistently successful if you don't do it.