Best western state as a resident? Idaho?

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If you were asking this 20 years ago, I would have said Colorado. Especially since you like to ski/snowboard. The amount of tags that were there for the taking was incredible. Even more so 10 years prior to that. I still wouldn't write CO off, but its not the place it was in the early 2000s but still better than most.
 
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Many moving to Idaho will end up in the Tijuana Valley, Ada County for instance: median income=$40,700 median home price=$570,000. Math don't math up on that.
 

CrumBum77

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Wyoming seems to cater to its residents pretty well. Both Wyoming and Montana will give a resident a pocket full of tags every year. Definitely not Oregon. Getting worse here every year unfortunately.
 

mtntppr

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Mar 2, 2024
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Howdy, I am about to graduate from college and I am wanting to move out west to hunt and snowboard. My original plan was to move to Idaho and get a lifetime license so that I could still have resident draw odds if I later decided to move again. Is this a decent idea? What states would you all recommend for someone to move to? Only downside I’ve found with Idaho seems to be that there’s not a ton of work up north where I’d probably want to be. Any insight is appreciated. Would just like some general advice as well on how you all would do it if you could do it again or how you did do it if you like how it went for you.

I feel like it depends a lot on your own personal situation and more so the local scene. I live on the front range in Colorado in a solidly red county. Drive 30 minutes up the road and it's a different story.
 

Hnthrdr

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I feel like it depends a lot on your own personal situation and more so the local scene. I live on the front range in Colorado in a solidly red county. Drive 30 minutes up the road and it's a different story.
I’m 30 min up the road in la la land… bassackwards up here… truly sad what my home state has become. Wyo would be top of the list they hook residents up
 

mtntppr

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I’m 30 min up the road in la la land… bassackwards up here… truly sad what my home state has become. Wyo would be top of the list they hook residents up

There's tradeoffs no matter what. If all I had to worry about was hunting and fishing, then sign me up -- Wyoming, Idaho, Montana. I just wonder about the jobs. One good thing about where we're at is you will get paid, doesn't even really matter what you do. That and the winters. We have pretty mild winters comparatively speaking, which I don't even mind the cold weather and snow, I'm just not real big on driving in it all the time.
 

NRA4LIFE

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washington
Trust me, avoid WA, for numerous reasons (OR and CA too). Hunting and skiing are marginal at best. No better skiing than Utah or maybe CO. If I was to take a hunting state? Probably go WY.
 

mtntppr

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Mar 2, 2024
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Trust me, avoid WA, for numerous reasons (OR and CA too). Hunting and skiing are marginal at best. No better skiing than Utah or maybe CO. If I was to take a hunting state? Probably go WY.

What about Eastern WA? I checked out Bellingham area, I thought maybe a bit farther out from Seattle, you are not lying.
 

Gila

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Apr 25, 2020
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I would definitely move to NM and shoot giant elk.
LOL…residents can’t get resident tags unless you are very lucky like a super lotto winner but few are that lucky. You could go years without getting drawn for anything. Unless you are wealthy. If are a wealthy resident you can contact an outfitter and try to get a landowner tag but likely won’t get one. Most of the big game tags go to non-residents for $5,000 to $20,000 + . If you know a landowner you might get a tag but he better be your best friend or be prepared to plop down many thousands of dollars for it. Seems like the idiots are leaving California (land of the fruits and nuts) to come to a Western state. Unfortunately we get too many California anti-hunters with the: “look at the cute kitties and puppies” non-sense. People that have only seen wolves and mountain lions on television.

Now with this “plus” crap the woods are crowded and the trophies are all but gone. That is if you ever do get a tag. Some states allow you to keep your preference points if you move to another state but your draw odds will sink when you become a non-resident. New Mexico has a random draw with no preference or bonus points. The taxes: income tax, sales tax and property taxes are through the roof!
 
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