Montana

[eric]

Just found out I will be relocating to Billings Montana for work. For those familiar with this area what furbearers and populations are available to trap in this area? Is there a good cat population? If so what is the quality? Any trappers in this area on this forum? If so please let me know as I would love make contact once I arrive. Any info would be greatly appricaiated.

[monttrap04]

Welcome to Montana. You will be moving to an area with a great diversity in available wildlife. The eastern part of the state has good cat poplulations but you will have to put on some miles to make a decent cat catch and access can be difficult to obtain at times. With $600+ cats I wouldn't expect that situation to improve any. I only lived in Billings for a little over a year but enjoyed it while I was there.

[skunkedtrapper]

The Billings area probably has the highest coon population in the state as it's the only part of Montana with corn fields and being along the Yellowstone river provides good coon habitat. The rimrock areas will have 'cats, but you will have some competition. The ones you catch will be good ones though. Coyotes are preatty much everywere in Montana the best ones come from near the Canadian boarder so you are quite a ways from those "trophy" coyotes. The Yellowstone river will have beaver, muskrat, mink and an occational otter.

[deanchapel]

Yellowstone- great beaver and coons
SOuth towards pryors- great for cats
Coyotes everywhere. Can be a hassle getting permission. Count state lands out. The regulations are so onerous it really isn't hearly practical to trap (YOU ARE NOT EVEN ALLOWED TO DRIVE ON OPEN ORADS ON STATE GROUND BEFORE DECEMBER 1 IF TRAPPING) Ooops, sorry for the caps. Try hiking in a mile or so to set coyote traps in November. In december, most roads that are not essential will be snowed closed. A good boat on the yellowstone and you'll have a lot of fun losing money on your trapping. Overall, if you can get permission, you'll be fine.

Dean

[mtbadger]

The last 2 posts summed it up. The biggest problem is permission. There is a little public land near Billings but it is hit hard by all the outdoors people. When I lived in Billings I traveled 150 miles one way to get away from the crowds. With cat prices the way they are there is a lot of competition.

Make sure you read the regulations on everything. (trapping, land use, land access, hunting)

Dean said south in the Pryors for cats we have a lot of people down there trapping and using the land. People from Wyoming also come up to that area.

[decoy]

My daughter moved there so the son-in-law could go to a christian college. Went to visit...armpit of the world till I was Browning Mt then it came in 2nd for the armpit.......WIND wheuuuee.

[mtbadger]

Decoy you need to be in Big Timber or Livingston or the Nye area when the breeze comes up....lol

[monttrap04]

mtbadger, I think Browning could give Livingston a run for its money in the wind department when it gets to ripping. Browning is definately one of the major armpits of the world

[mtbadger]

I hear you.... Browning, Crow Agency, Busby, Lame Deer they are all about the same. Browning is just bigger.

[skunkedtrapper]

I've been to Big Timber, Livingston, and Browning of the three Browning has a wind break built by the railroad to keep trains from tipping over so I say Browning wins the windy award.

[decoy]

The other wind break was or is a long shed looking thing right at the corner where you go west to Glacier on the south side. I had my truck and overhead camper snugged right along side of that for hours one early October day and evening. Think the roof blew off it and over my camper that day. Ventured down the street, seen a cop, asked him wtf is this suppose to stop, he said well it might stop tonite and then again maybe not till tomorrow gggrrrrrrrrr. Watched a little lake west of town and as soon has I seen the waves slow down I got the heck out of there.

[coyotus]

There are a lot of coyotes around Billings.Bobcats of course,beaver are in all the water around there.I never had a hard time finding places to trap coyotes there but cat trapping was tough because of all the competition for high dollar cats.Great place to trap.