Best State for Resident Hunting Opportunties

[z987k]

A vast number of urbanites in Alaska own planes. It's mind boggling. Freaking planes flying everywhere, all the time. Nowadays we spend more time watching out for idiot pilots who could, can and will smash into us, than we do looking for things on the ground beneath us. The days of relatively peaceful skies we knew back in the 1960's and 70's are gone forever.

You just have to get out of south central.

 

[Mykolaivka887]

You just have to get out of south central.

They're all over the Interior, the Southwest and the Arctic, too. It's crazy congested.

 

[z987k]

They're all over the Interior, the Southwest and the Arctic, too. It's crazy congested.

If you think that's congested, trying flying in any other state in the country.

 

[Mykolaivka887]

Yeah, long way to take the PA-18 for a tour of the Lower-48. I do the commercial airline route when heading down there.

But back to the OP's initial question; Alaska definitely favors residents when it comes to consumptive uses of wild animals, not to mention all the social welfare programs up here.

 

[frogman43]

Have already made this decision for myself. When I retire, I'm buying a small house in Wyoming for just these reasons.....

 

[Yoder]

North central PA for white tail, elk, and bear, and plenty of birds and small game

I agree except for the elk part. They only give out like 150 tags/year. You might draw a tag every hundred years or so.

 

[Hnthrdr]

AK if you can handle it, Wyoming or Montana would be my next choice, why did my ancestors pick Co? Wyoming is kick ass and will take decades to get ruined like Co is, if I wasn’t tied to my FD career and my wife didn’t own a business here we would pack up and head north

 

[Hnthrdr]

Depends on how much variety and what you like to hunt most.

Wyoming has crap for bird hunting. If upland and waterfowl are important, Montana and Idaho absolutely crush Wyoming. We have a short sage grouse season, planted pheasants, and very average mountain grouse hunting.

Montana and Idaho have better bear hunting than Wyoming as well.

Montana has better whitetail hunting than Wyoming...and should have better elk and mule deer hunting if they would manage.

Mule deer at the top of your list, Colorado is a better bet than any other state.

Pronghorn a top priority, yeah, Wyoming by a landslide.

Throw fishing in the mix...that could change your choice as well.

Buzzy I cal Bs on the waterfowl Wyoming has great goose and duck hunting, upland isn’t great but that is what the Dakotas are for and they are right next door

 

[rclouse79]

 

[Mojave]

Utah is a gem!

 

[Ralphie]

View attachment 445014

No kidding. Some people need to learn to Hush their mouths. Holy cow. Move to a cool place then get on the Facebook and Youtube and rokslide and start telling the whole world about it.

 

[Mojave]

There is no such thing as a hidden gem anymore.

Yukon and NWT maybe, Greenland, Northern Quebec.

 

[rodrydavis]

I hear Texas has nilgia, zebras, sheep of all kinds. Sky’s the limits! Maybe dig new roots there… The northern Rockies are full

It’s almost all “pay to play” in Texas. Very little public hunting opportunities.

 

[NorthCountryAB]

If you want an honest no BS opinion.
British Columbia or Alberta.
Both have general sheep tags. Moose, elk, mule deer, whitetails, black bear and wolves are very easily doable.
Mountain goat tags in BC, Antelope in AB, some of the best whitetail and mule deer hunting in the world in AB.
Plus cats and Bison in both provinces.
Not to mention both have incredible fishing, and Saskatchewan isnt far, which is probably the best fresh water fishing in the world.

 

[z987k]

If you want an honest no BS opinion.
British Columbia or Alberta.
Both have general sheep tags. Moose, elk, mule deer, whitetails, black bear and wolves are very easily doable.
Mountain goat tags in BC, Antelope in AB, some of the best whitetail and mule deer hunting in the world in AB.
Plus cats and Bison in both provinces.
Not to mention both have incredible fishing, and Saskatchewan isnt far, which is probably the best fresh water fishing in the world.

OTC Bison?

 

[NRA4LIFE]

I'm not being a funny guy, but you can eliminate WA. Fishing/shellfishing is great, but hunting, not so much.

 

[Oregon]

All the best states to move to for hunting are also all the worst states to be newly single in….

That is so true and funny! When I was 18 I moved to AK. Wanted to be a big mountain man, trapper. Jeremiah Johnson re-born.
Then I realized I was either hooking up with seniors in HS or their moms I struggled.
I was a rutting buck, my does were few and far in between.

 

[AKDoc]

That is so true and funny! When I was 18 I moved to AK. Wanted to be a big mountain man, trapper. Jeremiah Johnson re-born.
Then I realized I was either hooking up with seniors in HS or their moms I struggled.
I was a rutting buck, my does were few and far in between.

Very true. I think men have always outnumbered women here...thankfully my college sweetheart was in agreement to move up here 37 years ago.

There is a woman's t-shirt for sale up here that you see being worn at times...
"Welcome to Alaska, where the odds are good, but the goods are ODD."

 

[Mykolaivka887]

"Welcome to Alaska, where the odds are good, but the goods are ODD."

Yeah, the goods are definitely odd up here these days (lol). Welcome to Ghetto North.

 

[HuntsKnez]

I’m recently divorced and live in TX. I work remotely so there’s not much keeping me at home here either. As a non-resident, I’ve made my own opinions on what states are best for NR hunting but something I’m trying to figure out is which state has the best hunting opportunities for residents. I’m curious which states y’all would live in purely for the outdoors / hunting there if you could. I lean toward elk and large game hunting since we have plenty of deer in Texas. Also why would be nice so I can look further into it.

Alaska !!!!! No doubt in my mind. There's something to hunt all rear round !