Yellowstone WMA near Pompey's Pillar

[Tkaldahl2000]

I was looking around in there yesterday, and only saw two juvenile pheasants. There is a lot of habitat enhancement going on in there too. Does this area get hammered pretty hard during the season, and how practical is it to hunt there without a dog?

 

[johnjackbradley]

I was looking around in there yesterday, and only saw two juvenile pheasants. There is a lot of habitat enhancement going on in there too. Does this area get hammered pretty hard during the season, and how practical is it to hunt there without a dog?

If you aren't the first person there on the opener its pretty tough. The place gets absolutely hammered and the birds take off as soon as a truck pulls up. Its too bad, because it is good cover, just too much pressure.

 

[MT_BWHTR]

I agree with John. I lived just a few miles from there last year it gets pressured hard. Its great looking habitat, but just too small of an area for unlimited hunters.

 

[GirdBird]

Yeah, it gets a lot of pressure but a person can still kill some birds there if they take the time to figure things out. Pheasants may get temporarily displaced but will always come back to the best habitat. Many of the hunters I see put the birds on high alert before they even begin hunting; slamming truck doors, talking loud, yelling at their dogs, etc. Challenge yourself to learn how to hunt these public areas. It may some time but once you do you should be able to consistently kill birds on this and other public lands near Billings. General observations are pointing towards a pretty poor bird year ahead for the Billings area. Have heard better reports from further north but may be spotty due to some severe rain and hail storms earlier this year.

 

[Tkaldahl2000]

Yeah, it gets a lot of pressure but a person can still kill some birds there if they take the time to figure things out. Pheasants may get temporarily displaced but will always come back to the best habitat. Many of the hunters I see put the birds on high alert before they even begin hunting; slamming truck doors, talking loud, yelling at their dogs, etc. Challenge yourself to learn how to hunt these public areas. It may some time but once you do you should be able to consistently kill birds on this and other public lands near Billings. General observations are pointing towards a pretty poor bird year ahead for the Billings area. Have heard better reports from further north but may be spotty due to some severe rain and hail storms earlier this year.

I agree that it might be a rough year for birds out there. I was seeing pheasants everywhere here in Hardin this spring, but it seems like the Billings area got hit pretty hard with hail storms at just the wrong time. Lately I haven't seen as many pheasants around here, but I have been pretty busy, so
I probably just haven't been in the right place at the right time.