Montana's Top Late Hunts

Delmas Lehman|depositphotos.com

By H&F News Pro Staff

Waterfowl hunting will kick-up into high gear as most of the big game hunting closes out here in December. It’s a great time to be outdoors as hordes of Northern birds begin to descend into Montana. The late upland and pheasant hunting will also continue as we close out the year.

HERE ARE A FEW KEY AREAS TO FOCUS ON FOR GOOD RESULTS.

Bighorn River Area - Ducks, Geese, Northern Mallards, Pintails and Canada Geese

These birds will start to stack up along the river edges southeast of Billings near Fort Smith and the Yellowtail Dam. The best hunting tactic for this area is to either float it or by spreading a few mallard decoys out in the many slack water sloughs of the river. You can put in at Afterbay FAS and take out at 13 Mile FAS or Two Legging FAS.

Judith Basin - Pheasants, Sharptails, Huns

You can hunt the expansive Judith Basin of Central Montana and have a good chance of returning home with birds. Not only do pheasants thrive in this upland valley hemmed in and surrounded by mountain ranges, but Hungarian Partridge and plenty of sharptail grouse should keep you active where you can find their winter habitat. These birds can be reluctant to run or flush in cold weather, which means you can get closer for more deadly shots. Plenty of BMAs support the hunt or knock on a few doors to see if you can gain access to prime country now that deer season has closed in most areas. Remember - water means more birds.

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Beaverhead River - Mallards

The Beaverhead area, located south of Dillon, is one of those spots to take your shotgun on a sling and a good retriever. The river is lined in dense willows from Clark Canyon down to Poindexter Slough. The best approach here is to hike down the river jumping birds as you go, but you’ll need to be on the birds fast, as they fl ush off the water the second they see you approach.

Flathead River - Ducks

The Flathead River’s sloughs offer more than pike fishing. Duck hunting on Flathead River can be exceptional, but you gotta have a boat. Hunting the islands and sloughs below Kalispell can be great when these Northern birds arrive. Park at Sportsmans Bridge FAS, north of Bigfork, then motor upstream into Fennon, Rose Creek, and Church Sloughs for some outstanding waterfowl action. Nearby Smith Lake also offers some good decoy hunting.

Fort Peck Dam - Ducks, Geese

The Fort Peck area should hold thousands of geese. This area is virtually unhunted. It’s remote location and lack of people in the winter make it a destination hunt during the winter. But, if you hit it just right on those calm and cool days big results are in store. A lot of birds will be ganged up in the Flat Lake, Bear Creek and Spillway Bay areas east of the dam. You can hunt from shore here by spreading out several dozen fl oating decoys. Set-up in mid-morning as the geese settle down after a morning feed in nearby wheat fields, or you can set-up along these wheat fi elds where it’s okay to hunt, and limit out.

Canyon Ferry WMA - Ducks, Geese

This big lake located between Helena and Townsend gets much pressure early on, but as the season progresses expect good waterfowling, as the lake attracts plenty of birds in December. The south end of Canyon Ferry WMA will provide you with the best shooting opportunities with its series of four ponds that allow ample spots for small and large decoy spreads. Redheads, canvasbacks, shovelers, and teal all work the decoys. In the quiet waters in the dikes area, you’ll find mallards, pintails, and wigeon. The open fields around also make for good goose decoy spreads for our low fl ying Canadian friends.

Clark Fork River - Golden Eyes, Geese

You can try knocking on doors to gain access to riverside wheat fields around Huson, Alberton and Superior for good waterfowl action this month or hunt on the Clark Fork River itself both around Superior and downstream near Paradise. If the Clark Fork Valley stays balmy and relatively snow-free, you can expect great hunting anywhere farmers grow wheat or barley close to the river. Bring a couple dozen decoys and expect your best shoots to be on stormy mornings as the geese settle to feed.

Freezeout WMA - Pheasants, Upland

Wing shooters can still fi nd plenty of success at Freezeout, between Fairfield and Choteau. The targets of your December hunt include pheasants, sharptail grouse or Hungarian Partridge. Hunt the shelter belts on the northern side of the main unit as well as the northeastern edge of the Priest Lake Unit for good results. These birds will be tucked close in to cover after windblown snowstorms keep them predictable now. You can also call ahead to check the latest conditions by calling 406.467.2646.

Sheridan County - Pheasants, Sharptails

The entire Milk River Valley is worth a December visit for a great pheasant hunting road trip. Drive to Region 6 as there is a large amount of private land that is enrolled in the Block Management program. From Dodson through Nashua clear over to the Plentywood area will have plenty of options for you, as well as the Bowdoin National Wildlife Refuge, located east of Malta along Highway 2. This area is a good location for both ducks and sharpies. Medicine Lake National Wildlife Refuge is also a good location for hunting waterfowl and heavy-cover roosters.