Looking to Move to Western NC or SW VA - Need Advice

[KHNC]

I would stay away from Ashville...liberal politics have ruined that town...There are still some nices places around Asheville but downtown is your typical homeless, defund the police cess pool...Its a shame used to be a cool place. Also the cost of living is higher than the national average...much better places in the area you have described.

This describes assville perfectly! And even though there is a ton of public land in Pisgah National Forest, it nearly ALL sucks!! Very low deer densities and loads of bears. Its a bear sanctuary, so they cant be hunted either. The biggest deer in NC live in Guilford County, near Winston. If you can find some hunting access there, you will be set. Fishing is also good down that way too. Im from Hendersonville NC, and i have hunted all over the forest here in my lifetime. Now i own a hunting property in SC and hunt down there almost exclusively.

 

[Gman12]

VA blue state, NC red state. Problem solved.

I can assure you that SW VA as well as most of the state outside of Northern VA is as red as red gets. Most of the blue comes from NOVA and the larger cities such as Richmond & Norfolk.

 

[Sccritterkiller]

I would look north of Wytheville VA. You would have access to 3 national forests to hunt, cost of living isn't bad, good fishing too.Not too far from Winston. Good Luck!

 

[Finn16]

Guys thanks for the posts and PM's. Lots of great info so far - much appreciated!

 

[rfroehlich]

Western NC is great. Blowing Rock to Mt. Airy are great places. The bigger cities in the western part of the start are more far left (not sure if your in to that) but the rural areas outside of the cities are really nice.

 

[Yukon Cornelius]

If this is the deciding factor:

SW Va. is decidedly red but you have blue pockets all over NC.


Virginia would be a red state if not for the huge population imbalance between northern Virginia vs. south of Charlottesville/Richmond.

It's almost as if Southside and her sister counties should secede ...

Wonder how that would work out a second time…

 

[Desk Jockey]

VA has a lot going for it, but the NOVA politics will continue to lead the state. In NC, Asheville, boone and blowing rock are great, fun towns. Not too cheap as far as real estate goes. I think you get more bang for your buck and better state taxes across the border in TN. Chattanooga and Knoxville are great towns. Land is still fairly cheap in the areas around those big cities. You’ll add a couple of hours to the drive to see you family but the benefits might be worth it. If I was looking in that corner of the world, I would be looking hard in eastern TN.

 

[Yoder]

I can assure you that SW VA as well as most of the state outside of Northern VA is as red as red gets. Most of the blue comes from NOVA and the larger cities such as Richmond & Norfolk.

I know. It's a shame. I used to live in Front Royal years ago before the Dems took over. My favorite place I've lived so far.

 

[Lowg08]

If my roots wasn’t so deep here. Morristown, Tennessee is a wonderful place. I had a place at Cherokee lake there for about 7 years. Wonderful place and people. I’m not real sure about deer hunting. I know they are some but I don’t know allot about it there. 45 minutes from pigeon forge and an hour from gatlinburg. Bad part it’s 3.5 hours to Winston Salem.

 

[Shupe88]

The reason our public lands are so crowded every year! Use to see no one! Make public land hunting suck again!


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[Ashy Larry]

I live close to Mount Airy now. I’m about 40-45 minutes from Winston. I grew up in the same county as Winston but about 15 minutes North. I much prefer Surry County to what Forsyth has become. I can be fishing wild trout water in 25 minutes, musky and smallmouth on the New River in 40 minutes. Overall I think VA has better deer and bear hunting and better public. Our hunting is good as well just more congested with hunters. Sidenote, I’m a realtor if you’re looking at homes in my area.

 

[Shupe88]

I live close to Mount Airy now. I’m about 40-45 minutes from Winston. I grew up in the same county as Winston but about 15 minutes North. I much prefer Surry County to what Forsyth has become. I can be fishing wild trout water in 25 minutes, musky and smallmouth on the New River in 40 minutes. Overall I think VA has better deer and bear hunting and better public. Our hunting is good as well just more congested with hunters. Sidenote, I’m a realtor if you’re looking at homes in my area.

I'm just above you in Galax.


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[Wellsdw]

Here is some information about the amount of public land available to hunt in both VA and NC. I assume the data is correct but I take no responsibility for its accuracy:

https://www.backcountrychronicles.com/public-hunting-land/



I'd look very carefully at crime statistics especially if you are considering living in or near a city in either of those two states.

https://www.city-data.com/crime/index.html - this breaks down crime statistics into violent vs property crimes

https://crimegrade.org/crime-by-zip-code/ - this one you enter the zip code, drill down, and really see crime information based on different areas within a community


One last thing...be mindful that NC has the highest per capita rate of venomous snake bites in the country and plan accordingly.

Native Carolinian, snake bites come from relocated Yankees hahaha (rdu area)

 

[Ashy Larry]

I'm just above you in Galax.


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I’m in Dobson…spend a lot of time fishing in your backyard…as well as a lot of Carroll county and Alleghany. Got a good buddy from Fries.

 

[Swamp Fox]

This describes assville perfectly! And even though there is a ton of public land in Pisgah National Forest, it nearly ALL sucks!! Very low deer densities and loads of bears. Its a bear sanctuary, so they cant be hunted either. The biggest deer in NC live in Guilford County, near Winston. If you can find some hunting access there, you will be set. Fishing is also good down that way too. Im from Hendersonville NC, and i have hunted all over the forest here in my lifetime. Now i own a hunting property in SC and hunt down there almost exclusively.

People look at the amount of public land in NC and think, "That must be awesome." None of the cheerleaders explain it's all old-growth straight up-and-down in the west, and mostly wide, mushy pocosin in the east.

Anybody who can kill nice bucks on public in NC lives a charmed life, works *VERY* hard, and has two or three secrets nobody knows about....

There's no "two out of three."

 

[Swamp Fox]

Wonder how that would work out a second time…

Prolly about the same as when *West* Virginia seceded from Virginia.

You'd need to hold your mouth right, though ....

 

[Yukon Cornelius]

Prolly about the same as when *West* Virginia seceded from Virginia.

You'd need to hold your mouth right, though ....

Different times. Different times.

 

[Lowg08]

People look at the amount of public land in NC and think, "That must be awesome." None of the cheerleaders explain it's all old-growth straight up-and-down in the west, and mostly wide, mushy pocosin in the east.

Anybody who can kill nice bucks on public in NC lives a charmed life, works *VERY* hard, and has two or three secrets nobody knows about....

There's no "two out of three."

Now. I said it was rough and you got to want it. You are correct about working hard. I’ll start scouting Jan 2. I keep getting closer to mature deer but these mount ghost deer are tough but awesome. Three years of chasing this dude

It sure is steep. This ridge is 227 yards and gains 317’ elevation in the process

 

[semasko]

Western NC only has two species of venomous snakes and they aren't more or less common than anywhere else in the Appalachians or midwest. It'd be the last thing to worry about.

 

[Shupe88]

I’m in Dobson…spend a lot of time fishing in your backyard…as well as a lot of Carroll county and Alleghany. Got a good buddy from Fries.

I probably know them! I'm originally from Fries. I still hunt the Iron mountains.


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