If you could move anywhere where would it be

[Weston]

I am aware that this is somewhat similar to other threads. That said, I am seriously considering moving to a state where I can hunt more often. For the past few years I have been tossing the idea back and forth with moving in order to hunt big game more consistently. Currently I live in Southern AZ and I like the fact that I can archery deer hunt and bear hunt each year, however I am not a fan of the waiting 10+ years for trophy deer and elk tags and even longer for other species.

This brings us to the topic, I am 22 single, and have chosen a career in law enforcement. I am at the point in my life where I need to decide if I'm going to make a move or not before I get tied down any further than I am. I have been looking at some of AK (Kodiak Island in particular) but also have looked into Montana and northern Id. I love the idea of being able to hunt AK the way the residents can, however I'm not sure how much I would enjoy being young, single, and new in a town very small. I went to college in a town of 60k and thats the smallest town I've ever lived in for a long amount of time. I have no issues with small towns and would spend the winters deer hunting on the farm in NE where the nearest towns pop. was not enough to constitute any stop lights. I would say that the biggest factors holding me back from moving thus far have been, Girls (living in a town with a population big enough to eventually find a suitable wife) and snow (I'm not a huge fan of snow although I have no problem dealing with it if need be, I mostly just hate closed roads and more limited access into the wilderness) I know, the second part of my reasons not to move is pretty much impossible to overcome in the northern states, and I am willing to deal with snow however the less the better.

I know this is a topic that is different for everyone, I have been to AK before but only in the summer so I've got a biased view of the state. My question in short is; if you could get up and move to anywhere in the US and hunting was your main goal where would it be. The contributing circumstances are that there must be a town close enough that has a police department or a sheriff's department however I would prefer a police dept as most rural communities have fewer openings and openings take years sometimes.

I need to do at least 6 more months with my current department before I'm eligible to lateral to most departments, however realistically I am most likely looking to move in 1.5 to 3 years as I would like to have a fairly substantial bit of cash stashed away before moving too far out of my comfort zone into an economy that I am not accustomed to.

 

[Craig Van Arsdale]

I wouldn't give a ton of weight to women being scarce in the areas you mentioned.

I've been to all those places you mentioned except for Kodiak and I find that i am way more likely to get along with the women in those areas than for say an area like I live now where the biggest concern to most of them is the latest news on the Kardashians!!

Take a vacation to each of the areas for the next few years and figure out which area you like best.

 

[ScottP]

If you don't like cold and snow, AK might not be a good place, save for SE AK.

New Mexico has a lot of hunting opportunity, the traditional western big game plus the exotics. You could be hunting from August - February if you drew the tags. Wyoming has good opportunity for residents, but its cold and snowy there as well. Southern CO could be good, plenty of OTC elk hunting, lots of mountains. Durango??

 

[Mad Mountain Mike]

I would also suggest a winter trip if you are thinking north. Along with snow and cold, the short days take some getting used to. It can seem like weeks between sunny days.

 

[Weston]

I am a fan of durango, did plenty of backpacking around there. The short days wont bother me I dont think, I have done midnight shift and slept during the days which I have not had a problem with, I think I will take a winter trip to a few of these areas and check them out. The biggest reason I have ruled out CO/NV/UT and AZ for that matter is that I have been really wanting a place with high quality easily drawn or OTC hunts. I go on about 10 big game hunts a year here in AZ and each season help on some of the most sought after elk tags in the world. But I am sick of always helping and never getting to release the arrow.

 

[belly-deep]

Southern Colorado is where I would move if I didn't like the snow here in MT.

 

[thru-hunter]

I live near Anchorage because my work requires a size able population. If I had the ability to earn a living doing the same work I do now then I would be in the copper river basin.

 

[focker34]

I'm kind of in the same boat; 21 with few strings attached and ready to get the hell out of dodge. I'm about 99% sure I'll be in Southeast Alaska within the next year.

 

[Jon Boy]

Lake Couer'dalene, Missoula, Bozeman, Denver. Plenty of girls running around in those towns to keep a man busy, plenty of outdoor opportunities as well. Plenty of snow too, so your going to have to get over that haha

 

[2ski]

So as far as MT goes, you don't really have to deal with a ton of snow in a lot of places. Do we have snow generally all winter in Bozeman? Yes. Does Missoula, Helena, Great Falls, or Billings? No. Missoula may have snow all around it in the mountains, but doesn't seem to get all that snow. And the others will get snow, and get dumped on, but the snow generally melts a few days to a few weeks later and then the cycle repeats. And all are over 30,000 people. Missoula and Bozeman are college towns so there are plentiful women that enjoy the outdoors in those places. Helena has a small college and Billings has two small colleges and lots of girls move there from the small towns they grew up in if they are not going to college. Each one is less than an hour or two from outstanding hunting. Billings you probably have to go the furthest to get to the mountains and its the biggest town in MT so you'll have to go even further to get away from people. Missoula, Bozeman, and Helena are in the mountains. Having a buddy in law enforcement up in NE MT, I hear about openings and I can tell you, sheriff or PD, you wouldn't have trouble finding a job in at least a small town in MT, especially eastern MT. There's also the MT Highway Patrol to look into as well.

 

[tstowater]

I would look at this in a systematic way: 1. prioritize what factors will affect your decision (types of animals to hunt and opportunities, weather, job opportunities, etc.), 2. Find locations that could meet your requirements, 3. visit those locations at the most adverse time (not the best time). Decide then. Good luck.

BTW, I was told once that if you have what you think you want in your backyard, that you won't appreciate it and want to go elsewhere. That being said, if you need to make an effort to get it done, it may mean more to you.

 

[Eagle]

If it were me, granted it's not in the US, but I'd be in British Columbia or Alberta in a heartbeat. Not sure about the possibilities for law enforcement in Canada, but that's were I would go without an iota of regret.

If we're talking only the US, Alaska would be hard to beat, with Montana/Idaho/Wyoming close behind.

 

[Becca]

..., however I'm not sure how much I would enjoy being young, single, and new in a town very small.

I would say that the biggest factors holding me back from moving thus far have been, Girls ...living in a town with a population big enough to eventually find a suitable wife...

Obviously everyone's experience is different, but I will mention that Luke moved from the tiny town where he grew up to the "big city" of Wasilla (pop. 7,831) to find a wife. I guess it worked...we literally met for the first time the day he unloaded the moving truck!

In all honesty, the odds of finding a girl with similar interests in the outdoors or even hunting might actually be greater in a smaller town. In AK, i would say outside of the Anchorage area that many women have at least some interest/experience in the outdoors, and this increases the farther you get from main population centers.

It only takes one, as long as she's the right one

 

[Moe.JKU]

I would stay in the same place pretty much, BC just be moving from Vancouver to Kamloops. Better hunting for everything within an couple hours, moose, sheep, goats, MD, WT, turkeys, elk etc. Also one of the best steelhead rivers is right there for fishing, a salmon run even heads through there if i am not mistaken. And trout for the fly rod is abundant. Housing is cheaper than where i currently am, and the city isn't to small or to big.

 

[IMRedeemed]

Great question, I have been tossing around moving for a while now, but for different reasons. I mainly am interested in moving to a state that supports our constitutional rights. The places I would consider would have to support that, our right to bear arms, and would like it to be a place that you have the ability to hunt more and to continue to enjoy the great outdoors. With all of that in mind, my top choice right now would be Montana.

 

[cwh]

I can't imagine leaving Alaska personally. Thought seriously about Kodiak. It is a very cool place, and you can still hunt the rest of the state without spending stupid money. You won't be making weekend trips in the truck to go hunt moose or caribou, but you could get it done if you are motivated.

As to the snow thing... if you really only dislike snow because of the decreased wilderness access, then that will be a non-issue. Snow increases wilderness accessibility here, for a couple of reasons. One is that there are very few roads - wilderness access is difficult to begin with. The other is that it would seem that approximately 95% of the state is swamp/muskeg. In many parts of Alaska, supplies/building materials are hauled in during the winter because that is the only time it is practical. You will go places on a snowmachine that no 4-wheeler or jeep would have a chance. You will also get epic levels of stuck and screwed if you don't use your head.

So, if that is the reason you don't like snow... worry not. If you don't like being cold, AK may present problems. If you don't like wet, Kodiak would bee a tough place to be. Anchorage is pretty dry (I'm from the Oregon coast, and everyone has a different idea of what "dry" means), pretty clear, on the road system (good and bad)... and its just a short drive from Alaska.

 

[Jason Snyder]

A lot of the smaller LE agencies in MT won't pay worth a darn, and you'll find that to be true in a lot of the western states. Work hard, get all the training you can, and try and get on with a bigger department. Missoula PD pays well, and would be a good place to live. I personally would look at Wyoming.

 

[chippewawarrior]

I had an interesting problem a few years back when I started applying for LE jobs in smaller communities out west. At the time, I had 9 years on with Milwaukee PD stationed in the ghetto as a PO. I literally work in the worst areas of the city. So, I looked into the lateral transfer system. It should also be noted I have my Masters degree because it played a factor in this story. Ultimately, I was told that I was over qualified for several of the positions I applied for due to work experience and educational background! One city chief flat out told me that I've seen more in one tour of duty than a detective in his department had seen in 15 years...

Now granted, I was 33 years old with a wife and 2 children. I think that was a factor too, but nothing was ever specifically referenced. I feel like they didn't want to start me at top pay when a lesser experienced officer could do. I was offered a couple positions, but for one reason or another they didn't work for the family. It was mostly a financial thing.

I've now got 13 years with Milwaukee and I'm past the point of no return. I'm at top pay, with some serious seniority, and 4 weeks of vacation. Only 12 years until retirement, then I'll move out west.

The moral of the story is... You're young, and single, do this soon before you find the cost of moving outweighs the benefits!

 

[Liv2HntBigBullz]

I had an interesting problem a few years back when I started applying for LE jobs in smaller communities out west. At the time, I had 9 years on with Milwaukee PD stationed in the ghetto as a PO. I literally work in the worst areas of the city. So, I looked into the lateral transfer system. It should also be noted I have my Masters degree because it played a factor in this story. Ultimately, I was told that I was over qualified for several of the positions I applied for due to work experience and educational background! One city chief flat out told me that I've seen more in one tour of duty than a detective in his department had seen in 15 years...

Now granted, I was 33 years old with a wife and 2 children. I think that was a factor too, but nothing was ever specifically referenced. I feel like they didn't want to start me at top pay when a lesser experienced officer could do. I was offered a couple positions, but for one reason or another they didn't work for the family. It was mostly a financial thing.

I've now got 13 years with Milwaukee and I'm past the point of no return. I'm at top pay, with some serious seniority, and 4 weeks of vacation. Only 12 years until retirement, then I'll move out west.

The moral of the story is... You're young, and single, do this soon before you find the cost of moving outweighs the benefits!

Doesn't sound like too bad of a gig to me.

At the end of the day only you know your priorities. Pick a place and make it happen.

 

[Snyd]

I moved to Fairbanks from Missoula MT where I grew up back in 91. I was 31 and divorced. I met my current wife in Fairbanks who was born and raised here, we married in 93. Alaska has been good to me.

I haven't read everyone else's responses but might suggest putting out some feelers for LEO's around Alaska. It's my understanding that Anchorage PD may be easiest to get on. You would then atleast only be an hour or 2 from Alaska if you decided to move here Seriously though. You could consider Anchorage/Wasilla/Palmer or Fairbanks to get here. Then learn more about the state and if you want to move someplace smaller or more remote you'd have an idea of what to expect.