city in Montana
Honey bee forage in Chinook, Montana
Estimated forage here is better than about 92% of sites in Montana. Against other Montana sites it stands out most in spring (98th percentile) and lowest in fall (20th). Biggest nearby bee crops: alfalfa (nearest 0.3 mi SW, grown 2 of the last 5 years); canola (nearest 1.0 mi NW, grown 1 of the last 5 years); peas (nearest 1.3 mi NE, grown 1 of the last 5 years).
When is the honey flow in Chinook?
- First forage: Mar 16 (dandelion, early trees (maple, willow, poplar))
- Main flow: May 1 to Aug 31, peaking early Jul (alfalfa, clovers: white, alsike and red, dandelion)
- Season ends: Oct 15
Forage available to a colony through the year at the center of Chinook, from what grows within flight range (about 3.7 miles) and when it blooms here. Dates are the model's estimate for a typical year; the spring index for this spot falls on May 16.
What the honey is made of
- Spring honey (March to June): dandelion, clovers: white, alsike and red, early trees (maple, willow, poplar), roadside weeds (clover, dandelion, sweet clover, mustard); light amber, mixed: part of it sets quickly, part stays liquid
- Summer honey (July and August): alfalfa, clovers: white, alsike and red, roadside weeds (clover, dandelion, sweet clover, mustard); white, likely to set within weeks to a few months
- Fall honey (September to November): fall wildflowers (goldenrod, aster), clovers: white, alsike and red, dandelion, roadside weeds (clover, dandelion, sweet clover, mustard); light amber, likely to set over some months
- Whole season (March to November): alfalfa, clovers: white, alsike and red, dandelion, early trees (maple, willow, poplar); extra light amber, likely to set within weeks to a few months
Nectar-source estimate (plants weighted by how much bees favor them), not a pollen analysis. Full honey estimate.
Bee crops within flight range
- Alfalfa: about 520 acres in a typical year, nearest 0.5 mi N, blooms early Jul – late Aug (grown 2 of the last 5 years)
- Canola: about 214 acres in a typical year, nearest 1.9 mi N, blooms early May – late Jul (grown 1 of the last 5 years)
From USDA's crop maps for 2021–2025; fields rotate, so a crop counts by how often it was grown. Listing a field says nothing about its owner.
The land and water around Chinook
Mostly: Northwestern Great Plains Mixedgrass Prairie; Alfalfa; Inter-Mountain Basins Big Sagebrush Steppe.
Nearest mapped water: open water 0.09 mi W; mapped stream or canal (may be dry in late summer) 0.28 mi E.
How Chinook ranks
| Against random land in | Overall | Spring | Summer | Fall |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Continental US | 72nd | 56th | 80th | 69th |
| Montana | 92nd | 98th | 83rd | 20th |
| Northwestern Glaciated Plains | 61st | 97th | 55th | 27th |
Percentiles among 3,000 random land points in each region, scored the same way: land in general, not beekeepers' apiaries.
The national forage map around Chinook: darker is more forage. Tap anywhere to check that exact spot.
Nearby
Zurich 9 mi · East End Colony 18 mi · Saddle Butte 19 mi · Havre North 20 mi · Havre 21 mi · Harlem 21 mi
An estimate from public maps (USDA crop maps 2021–2025 averaged, LANDFIRE vegetation), not a survey of the ground. Maps can't see garden plantings, understory density, other beekeepers' hives, or this year's weather. The point is the Census Bureau's published center of Chinook (48.5901, -109.2318); a yard a mile or two away can differ, so check your own spot. The FEMA flood map was not checked for this page. Benchmark 2026.5, built 2026-10-19. How this works · All sources.