Colorado or Wisconsin - Your Comments Welcome

[keller]

My 2 cents. I live in nw wi have 100+ acres would sell it in a heartbeat and move to ak if I didn't have a wife and kids to worry about. Their is work everywhere. go where your heart wants to be and be happy instead of looking back in 20 years and wishing you did. [ i think about this a lot and it bothers me I didn't do it . Their is good chance I still may but have past my best year's and youth]
Best of luck on your decision. John

 

[brimow]

I made the same type of life decision 20 years ago when I moved from IN to the Front Range of CO. I did not have the farm as part of that decision. I would do it all over again but knowing now how crowed this area has gotten I would have chosen somewhere in the mountains or on the Western Slope. I know I am part of the problem (moving to CO from elsewhere) but the last 10 years we have seen insane population growth north of Denver. I am fortunate now to have a short daily commute (10 mins) after switching careers and that has helped a ton. I spent so many hours wasted in a car before that going from Ft. Collins to Denver. CO is an incredible place to live but I would really do your homework and know what you are in for. Living in the Front Range is nothing like the weeks you have spent in hunting camp up in the mountains. It is a busy and relatively crowded (not CA) place to live. Expect crowded trails, camping, fishing, etc anywhere within a 2 hour drive.

 

[coyotecreek]

Go spend a week in Denver and see what you think. I live 4 hours from Denver and that's about a close as I like to be. Way overcrowded, traffic is a mess and it's full of Liberal hippies. I would never give up land in the Midwest to go to Denver. Cost of living is astronomical. You could fly out there several times a year and still be money ahead based on what it would cost you to live there.

 

[Shepherd]

That's a tough decision. I live in La Crosse and its a great place to live and raise a family (if that's in your equation). I was born and raised here, have lived elsewhere, but came back. The Mississippi River, as others have mentioned, offers great fishing as well as waterfowl hunting, if you enjoy that. Also, there are many great trout streams in the immediate area. The cost of living is low compared to Denver and the people are friendly overall.
However being out west, in the mountains and having access to the elk and other big game hunting is definitely a big draw. I like it here but would also like it out there. I dream about someday owning a big game ranch out west but that's probably not going to happen.

 

[Moonwalker]

I would stay in Wisc. Sounds like you got a pretty good setup with your private land in the driftless area. Grew up 30 miles from LaCrosse and currently live in Casper, Wyo. And I would rather work in LaCrosse then put up with the Denver traffic, etc.
Although, if you're set on moving you could probably lease it for a few years while you give Denver a "shot." Or sell it to me.

 

[YZF_88]

I have access to a fantastic private land farm in SE WI. However I moved out west 8 years ago and have had a really hard time going back to hunt. Heck my buddies that hunt it have knocked down huge bucks and I still have a hard time giving up a week of elk/mule deer to chase them.

BTW. I just moved to where I found a good job and made sure it was close to others areas I want to hunt. I can hunt UT, ID, WY, or MT easily within a day. Yeah it’s all public land but its part of the deal.

 

[Moonwalker]

Go spend a week in Denver and see what you think. I live 4 hours from Denver and that's about a close as I like to be. Way overcrowded, traffic is a mess and it's full of Liberal hippies. I would never give up land in the Midwest to go to Denver. Cost of living is astronomical. You could fly out there several times a year and still be money ahead based on what it would cost you to live there.

Yes, I agree!

 

[JDB9818]

Born and raised in Colorado and live just north of Denver. Cant wait to retire in the next few years and leave this liberal state. It's nice being close to the mountains and hunting, but for what you have to trade for that in dealing with government here..... it's not worth it (to me).

I've never been to Wisconsin so I can't comment on that, but I would stay where you are at until you find something better.

 

[Shepherd]

Another option is to take the job in La Crosse, and then make it a point to hunt out west each year (or every other) with an underlying motivation to find a spot to one day settle. You could do a lot of research beforehand and chose to hunt in the areas that sound like they might be a good fit. It sounds like your career choise is giving you some great options .
You've got a great situation in WIsconsin and this is a big decision that may take a few years to make (based on some experience of spending time out west). I would give it some time - don't rush into something totally new especially considering you're in a great situation in WI.

 

[Poser]

What’s been said above about the Front Range are strong considerations, however, something not mentioned:

Depending on where your head is at post divorce, a significant change of setting, lifestyle, income and overall opportunity, including access to a larger pool of women, can certainly be beneficial to your perspective and outlook on life. Is this really even a hunting related question? You can hunt in either location. I would be tempted to dump the past, the vast majority of your possessions and get a fresh jump on life. If that opportunity happens to be in Denver, then Go out there and spend a week and see what you think.

 

[brsnow]

If you are looking for a place where everyone is the same color and thinks the exact same, Colorado is probably the wrong state, This is probably the wrong country as well.

 

[Ranger 692]

All of my immediate family lives on the front range between Ft. Collins and Denver. Traffic is insane, so many people. Very impatient and unfriendly people on the highways anyway...haha. Is the western slope an option? I lived in Durango for 5 years and enjoyed it, but that was over 20 years ago so not sure if it feels the same. Otherwise if you can try to commute from Morrison/Evergreen/Conifer/Genesee up in the foothills or even Golden a little closer, it’s not a bad commute, just a bit higher cost of living in those areas. Good luck on your decision!

 

[pods8 (Rugged Stitching)]

I'm originally from MI, lived in WA for a while and closing on a decade here in CO. Family is still in MI (UP and lower) and we drive through SW WI off and on, pretty country. If mountains complete your life then CO could be worthwhile, if you just like the outdoors and are cool coming out once a year (and have the vacation to do it) the daily niciety of property in a nicer part of WI with some terrain would certainly sooth many soles. CO is expensive, CO can be crowded (but leaving very late or very early to get thru the traffic areas has served me well). Downtown denver is a non-starter for me though even though I take my lumps on expense/smaller lots/and other housing considerations here because I love the mountains. The amount of sun vs midwest gray overcast is nice though. But its not all glamour, when you see someone with 40acres in the woods for half the price of 7000sqft here it stings lol.

 

[Scoot]

I love the West and I love hunting elk. That being said, I would stay put if I were in your shoes. Figure out a way to get at least two trips out west each year and have them last more than a week each. That'll give you something to dream about each year and something to look forward to. In the meantime, enjoy the heck outta what you have in WI- sounds like it's very nice.

 

[lyingflatlander]

Keep the farm, research the Denver metro for a year. Go spend some time there. Cost of living will be 3-4x more expensive then La Crosse. Call an insurance agent and ask for a quote for home and auto insurance. Get the realtor app and look at home prices there. I bet your eyes will bug out of your head. There are only a handful of passes into the high country via automobile. Most folks know the corridors jam up Sunday afternoon adding 2 hours commute to get back to Denver. This makes the worst Madison beltline jam a cinch. I’ve experienced both. If you sell your land, you might always regret it. There’s a reason I stayed in Wisconsin and visit my family in Denver.

 

[Dakota Dude]

To think you will commute from Colorado Springs to Denver every day speaks to how little you know about the area. You should check it out. I moved to Denver in 2013 from South Dakota (lived in Iowa and Nebraska before that). We moved to the Glenwood Springs area 2 years ago and never looked back. I have absolutely no desire to even visit the front range anymore. Travel/commuting is an absolute mess. Even at noon on a Sunday.

 

[Quin]

As others have suggested, maybe fly out to Denver for a few days if your decision time allows. But do the stuff you'd normally be doing on daily rather than vacation type stuff: drive the rush-hour commute, check out prices at a grocery store, see what the local restaurants, home improvement stores, etc. are. There are places that I love to vacation at, that I would hate live at (I learned that the hard way).

If the pay is the same between jobs, your dollar will go significantly further in LaCrosse than Denver metro. I'd bet the increased cost of housing eats up a good chunk of the property tax savings you are expecting. Personally, I would be hard pressed to make a move from a low cost to high cost area without a substantial pay bump. Especially if I had to sell assets i.e. the farm to make it work.

 

[Carlin59]

I grew up an hour north of Madison with prime hunting access. Moved to the CO Front Range 10 years ago and have certainly enjoyed a lot of the great outdoor activities this and neighboring states provide. However, if you are tethered to a downtown Denver job I would suggest staying in WI and making dedicated hunting trips out west each year. If your potential job would let you work remotely and you could live somewhere on the west slope, then moving out here full time makes sense. Could you keep your land and lease it out? Maybe a five year lease paid upfront so you have some cash to help find a place out here?

 

[spike camp]

I’ve never been to Lacrosse, but I think I’d live about anywhere, before living in the Springs.

And commuting...forget about it.

 

[Backyard]

Been all around the "Driftless region on a bike. I elk hunt Colorado and have relatives out there. I would give my left one for a chance at 70+acres in that area of Wisc. over the craziness of Colorado any day.
Dumb question in my book. JMHO