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Hunting Indian Reservations scoop?

In doing research for a Midwest turkey, multi state hunt I see quite a few Indian Reservations....I suppose they all have differences between them but what’s the scoop on hunting them? Do you have to pay an Indian guide or an extra trespass fee? Thanks! John

I'd contact the reservation you have in mind and ask them their policy.

I plan on it Nick...just opening it up to a few stories and conversations. Take care buddy!

Well...I hunted an Indian reservation in NM many years ago. In fact, I hunted it the first year it was open for turkey hunting...1988. I have no idea how it's evolved since then but you could contact them and find out. Mescalero apache reservation in Ruidoso NM.

I have hunted the Rosebud Reservation, South Dakota before, years ago. It was an add on with an outfitter. Had an Indian guide who was very sharp and I enjoyed it. Did not go thru the Reservation directly. I have heard good things about their operation since then.

information online, Ive hunted Osage tribe reservation in Nebraska and Sioux Rosebud reservation in SD look for their websites and there will be contact informaton.Rosebud is best organized.

The Indian reservations are in NM and Arizona are still closed to non tribal members. We shoot the 3D tournaments in Arizona and NM with several guts from the reservations. Kinda sucks cause the White Mountain Apache reservation is loaded with birds.

The reservations we've hunted birds on, there is no need for a guide. It's big game you need a guide for.

Have not hunted there in a decade but the Winnebago tribe in Nebraska did turkey hunts, just put in for draw and D.I.Y.

The Santee Cooper In Nebraska is pretty simple. Just buy the turkey tags.

I looked into hunting a couple in Nebraska and Iowa, first for deer hunting the cost was crazy high. Also I had a very hard time of getting the people who issued the permits to get back in touch with me. I had 3 weeks where I was hunting and thought it may be a good option, it was'nt. I was also told the deer hunting would be tough as people on the reservation had their own ideas of game laws. Shawn

I have two cousins in Montana. One lives on and Indian reservation. He told me to come anytime and I could hunt pheasants and wouldn't need a license. I have never gone but some of my cousins have gone and told me they have never seen so many pheasants in their lives. One said he had never killed a turkey so he said it took no time for him to get his first turkey. They saw Mule deer, cougars, bears and elk. The Little Big Horn runs right through my cousins back yard. My cousin that doesn't live on the reservation is a cowboy and rides horses every day. He helps neighbors get up the cattle. They take them way up in the mountains in the spring and bring them back down in the Fall. If I wasn't so damn old I would take a trip out there. I have another cousin that lives pretty close to Yellowstone and she has always loved bears and can name many of them. She also is great on horses and has ridden many miles in Wyoming and Montana. The animal pictures she takes are great and she has great cameras so she doesn't have to get too close to the grizzlies.

You can hunt turkeys on the Jicarilla and Navajo Reservations without a guide. Both have limited tags so you will need to apply. The non tribal member tags are a bit pricey though. Both have some really good turkey hunting and I know a number of guys who hunt there regularly. I haven't hunted turkey on a reservation for a long time but I often see turkeys while hunting other species.

As stated above, Covid could be an issue this year. You may not be able to enter the reservations because of that so do some checking before you apply.

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