Looking for input

wolfx2

Member
Well I made it retirement and I am looking to move to Montana. I was hoping for some help in picking a spot. I am looking for a place that I can bird hunt and also do some waterfowel hunting. I'm not really a big game hunter so thats not an issue. I'd like to be with in an hour of a medium size city (say 25K and up)
Any suggestions?
 
The biggest city in MT is Billings(100k +). Most of the towns with 25k are on the west side of the state, which isn't the best for bird hunting. There are quite a few small towns in central to eastern mt that are within a 2-3hr drive of Billings that will have decent upland and waterfowl hunting. I live in Laurel which is about a 25 min drive to Billings but only has about 7k population. I still go to eastern mt where I grew up to hunt a lot of private spots though.
 
I don't live in Montana but I've driven across it on almost all the possible paths. Billings would have a lot of what you may want but it also has a lot of oil refining that made it smell like any other oil refining city at times. Not every time but a couple of the 6 times I went through there. Big pipe stacks burning off gas at night too. Not a very pretty place in my taste but close to beautiful places.
Great Falls is close to bird hunting and has waterfowl refuges fairly close. More of a population means more hunters but it's a big state with lots of opportunities.
I'd go for an extended trip if I were you and when I think I'd found a spot I'd rent for a year until I'd lived through all the seasons and see if I liked the people and they liked me. Once you move to Montana it will be hard to leave and go elsewhere if you buy because the increase in house prices will be less than other places and you may not be able to buy back in a more winter friendly place.
I buy my hunting license in Laurel. Better than Billings.
 
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Thanks

The biggest city in MT is Billings(100k +). Most of the towns with 25k are on the west side of the state, which isn't the best for bird hunting. There are quite a few small towns in central to eastern mt that are within a 2-3hr drive of Billings that will have decent upland and waterfowl hunting. I live in Laurel which is about a 25 min drive to Billings but only has about 7k population. I still go to eastern mt where I grew up to hunt a lot of private spots though.

Thanks for the info
 
Thanks

We have been up there a few times but were on vacation and not really into the hunting mode.
Thanks
 
My first post on my new puter. Seems to work.:)

Window8 touch screen, lap top. :thumbsup:

Check out Miles City or Glendive.
Great Falls, Lewistown are also nice.
 
If money is a concern for housing costs, getting more than an hour in any direction out of Billings is a good idea.

Bird hunting is best in central to eastern Montana, all things considered. there are some isolated upland spots in western Montana, outside of mountain grouse hunting. access can be tougher on the west side , unless you have access onto private land.

Personally if I wanted to bird hunt, and have a great place to live, the Lewistown area is hard to beat, app. 100 miles north of billings, a small regional airport, hospital, a couple good restaurants! And great people, wished I lived there. Housing isn't driven up , as in cities with more jobs... Great falls would be second choice, larger city , and all the good and bad that goes with 70,000. folks
 
i couple areas id love to move in MT if i could & wanted to hunt all kinds of upland game & have a chance at waterfowl...

bozeman,livingston,lewistown,miles city & if i wanted a bigger town great falls & billings... ive been over by rexford & eureka MT areas & hard to beat them areas for sheer beauty but nothing in upland bird hunting compared the other town back in eastern & central MT
 
Lewistown would make a pretty good choice. You're 130 miles from Billings and about 110 miles from Great Falls. Nice, quiet town located smack dab in the middle of the state. Pretty good upland hunting and access to waterfowl too. There is good hunting in eastern mt, but it has changed and will continue to change(living conditions/housing prices) with the current oil boom going on over there. I don't think you could wrong with Lewistown.
 
Thanks

Yes Lewistown was one of our first choices. What is the winters like there?
Alot of snow and bitter cold? We like snow and some cold
 
Lewistown is in the Judith Basin. Known to the native tribes as "the snow Hole".
To be avoided in the Winter. Some Winters the snow piles up and sometimes there are open Winters. Can get to -40 in the Winter and it can also get to + 50, lots of variety. All in all, for that far North the climate is decent.
Mountains in every direction makes for wonderful views. Short drive to the national forests. Missouri Breaks to the North, BLM Land and Sage Country just past the Judith Mountains to the East. And the Fort Peck Lake.
Good place, Lewistown.:thumbsup:
 
Definitely can get some snow there, it's a good idea to invest in a snowblower. It's not a big town, I think of it as kind of retirement town. There is no Walmart or Kmart, but they do have an old Pamida that is a Shopko now. The one downside to Lewistown is that groceries are expensive. There is an Albertsons and that's it. My in-laws live there, so anytime we go up there, my mother-in-law has a big shopping list of things for us to get and bring with us. If you made a monthly trip to Billings or Great Falls you can stock up on stuff. Billings has a Costco and Sam's Club, Great Falls has a Sam's Club. Great Falls has a nice Scheel's store inthe mall. They're bulding a new 220,000 sq.ft. Scheels in Billings right now that will be open Sept of next year.
 
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