Montan, Wyoming, Alaska MOVE

[SURVEYOR]

Hey Guys, My wife and I are thinking about moving to Montana, Wyoming or SE Alaska at the end of next summer. She is a RN soon to be Nurse Practitioner and I am a Professional Land Surveyor and can obtain licensure in any state. While she can find a job anywhere it can be hit and miss for me. However having never been to any of these states I would like a little information on areas you guys consider to be family oriented, affordable (Jackson Hole is out) and having good hunting, fishing and trapping opportunities. We currently live in the Texas Hill Country where land is 99.9% privately owned and stupid expensive to hunt. After Looking on realty websites and my research it looks as though NW Montana has everything but jobs (and redfish and speckled trout) however I would like to hear opinions on SE AK and Wyoming as well as what you know about Montana. She will be applying for jobs next spring so we will be visiting for the interviews etc. Just want a little insight as to where to focus our search. Oh yeah I want to live near trees again.

Thanks

 

[Yellowknife]

I do a little survey and/or engineering work in SE Alaska every year. Your option for companies to work for are going to be very very limited. Just a handful of them... mostly in Juneau, but a couple is Sitka and Ketchikan that I'm aware of. A nursing job will be easier to get than a survey job, so I'd make your position the priority if you are thinking SE Alaska. Shouldn't take you very long to call around to the handful of survey places and figure out if they are even interested in giving you an interview. That will tell you if there is any point to putting in applications for the nursing positions in that town.

Also expect survey work in SE Alaska to involve a LOT of standing in the cold rain, and mostly like a fair amount of travel, including quite possibly some long stints away from home. The hunting and fishing can't be beat though. If you like the ocean, and can handle the wet and isolated way of living, it's a dream place to be. I love my time down there every year.

For what it's worth, Southcentral Alaska is going to be a much closer match to MT and WY and will have far more jobs available. SE AK is really very VERY different than the other places you are looking at.

Yk

 

[IdahoElk]

Do you love rain,I mean really love to work,play and hang out in it? if yes,SE Alaska is your pick.

 

[AK Troutbum]

Montana all the way. That's what I told my parents and siblings, they made the move, and they couldn't be happier.

 

[SURVEYOR]

Do you love rain,I mean really love to work,play and hang out in it? if yes,SE Alaska is your pick.

Im originally from Ga where per usclimatedata.com the Avg Rainfall is only 12" less than Juneau. Now the cold is another matter.

 

[mtluckydan]

You don't really want to move to NW Montana - it sucks. Too many people and the wolves have eaten all the game. Alaska is definitely a better choice. That will be my next place of residence. Salmon fishing is awesome and not nearly as many people.

 

[AK Troutbum]

You don't really want to move to NW Montana - it sucks. Too many people and the wolves have eaten all the game. Alaska is definitely a better choice. That will be my next place of residence. Salmon fishing is awesome and not nearly as many people.

Do NOT listen to this guy!!! Trust me when I say that there are maaaannnnyyyy more wolves in AK than there are in MT.

 

[Redmist]

I moved from Newnan, GA to Cheyenne, WY. Its not the prettiest here and the wind blows hard some days, but the hunting is excellent. Not sure on the job market for surveyors though. You can always work in CO too living in Cheyenne.

 

[mtluckydan]

Actually, I wasn't comparing the number of wolves in Alaska to the number of wolves in Montana. I bet Alaska has more given the size and remoteness to the state. I would encourage you to look at the hunter success numbers reported in local newspapers in Montana for the last ten years as I don't think the Fish & Game department publishes them. The check stations which require mandatory stops have been declining for quite some time in NW MT. Also, feel free to contact local outfitters in NW MT to check on their success rates - the ones still in business. Also, look at the number of tags given out for moose & sheep which have declined considerably in the last ten years. You don't have to rely on me for one bit of your information. The number of whitetail deer and trophy quality will be considerably lower than what you are used to in Texas regardless of cost. Also, numbers of deer and antelope have declined to near record lows in eastern MT. Feel free to check all this information. NW MT in beautiful country. Expect the wages to be 20% on average lower than other parts of the country to offset living in a beautiful place. That would be from Doctors on down the line. Again, you can validate all this information from other sources. My comments were strictly from the standpoint of the quality of hunting as compared to other places. For the past 5-7 years you can buy an over the counter non-resident license because they haven't been selling them all with the draw. Do you think if the hunting was still top notch that tags would be available during hunting season? You can certainly find all this information from others just in case I'm making stuff up.

 

[brewer427]

Actually, I wasn't comparing the number of wolves in Alaska to the number of wolves in Montana. I bet Alaska has more given the size and remoteness to the state. I would encourage you to look at the hunter success numbers reported in local newspapers in Montana for the last ten years as I don't think the Fish & Game department publishes them. The check stations which require mandatory stops have been declining for quite some time in NW MT. Also, feel free to contact local outfitters in NW MT to check on their success rates - the ones still in business. Also, look at the number of tags given out for moose & sheep which have declined considerably in the last ten years. You don't have to rely on me for one bit of your information. The number of whitetail deer and trophy quality will be considerably lower than what you are used to in Texas regardless of cost. Also, numbers of deer and antelope have declined to near record lows in eastern MT. Feel free to check all this information. NW MT in beautiful country. Expect the wages to be 20% on average lower than other parts of the country to offset living in a beautiful place. That would be from Doctors on down the line. Again, you can validate all this information from other sources. My comments were strictly from the standpoint of the quality of hunting as compared to other places. For the past 5-7 years you can buy an over the counter non-resident license because they haven't been selling them all with the draw. Do you think if the hunting was still top notch that tags would be available during hunting season? You can certainly find all this information from others just in case I'm making stuff up.

Ill have to back Dan up on this. I spend a ton of time working up in Libby and kalispell. Definitely don't see the same amount of game in the Plains, Thompson Falls, Libby area that I use to when I'm hiking the hills or fishing on one of the rivers or creeks.

One thing to keep in mind about Montana is we're filling up fast. We're getting a lot of out of staters moving in and it's making housing go higher and higher every year. Where I live here in the Helena Valley, they have proposed 4 subdivisions to be built next year with approximately 1500 homes to be built when all combined. Isn't going to be much longer until the valleys out of room to build. I don't know what everyone's doing for work but they keep coming.

The state is feeling smaller and smaller each year. But I can't blame them, Montana is a great place to live, just hate when I hear newcomers complaining that we don't have they're favorite chain store or restaurant. To that I say go the hell back to where you came from and leave the long time residents to our "poor choices".

 

[SURVEYOR]

Ill have to back Dan up on this. I spend a ton of time working up in Libby and kalispell. Definitely don't see the same amount of game in the Plains, Thompson Falls, Libby area that I use to when I'm hiking the hills or fishing on one of the rivers or creeks.

One thing to keep in mind about Montana is we're filling up fast. We're getting a lot of out of staters moving in and it's making housing go higher and higher every year. Where I live here in the Helena Valley, they have proposed 4 subdivisions to be built next year with approximately 1500 homes to be built when all combined. Isn't going to be much longer until the valleys out of room to build. I don't know what everyone's doing for work but they keep coming.

The state is feeling smaller and smaller each year. But I can't blame them, Montana is a great place to live, just hate when I hear newcomers complaining that we don't have they're favorite chain store or restaurant. To that I say go the hell back to where you came from and leave the long time residents to our "poor choices".

Would MT towns/ communities would you guys consider to be the best? Not looking for a tourist town and the smaller the better but we still have to work.

Would you consider Wyoming or even Idaho to be a better choice than Montana?

 

[SURVEYOR]

I honestly dont care for the hunting in Texas. These deer pattern their life around a feeder timer.

 

[Shrek]

As someone who has visited the last two years I did not enjoy Bozeman at all. Helena area was nice and Missula had a bit of the nasty attitude that Bozeman has. I liked all the small towns I visited.

 

[brewer427]

Would MT towns/ communities would you guys consider to be the best? Not looking for a tourist town and the smaller the better but we still have to work.

Would you consider Wyoming or even Idaho to be a better choice than Montana?

Choteau or Dillon is what I would suggest, that's where I would like to move eventually, if I stay in Montana, good hunting and fishing opportunities at both places, neither are super touristy, and you get the small town feel in both towns, with generally very nice locals. You might also look at Lewistown, Columbus, Big Timber, White Sulphur Springs or Whitehall.

As far as Wyoming or Idaho vs Montana, I can't speak much for Idaho but for Wyoming I lived in Worland for a few years and would really like to live in Sheridan or Buffalo. You might also look at Cody, here will have tourists because of the rodeo and being the first and last town when going in and out of the east entrance of Yellowstone park and the museums, or there's smaller towns like Lovell. Other then that you start getting into some pretty desolate country, then anything in or around Jackson is expensive as hell and touristy.

For Idaho I do like salmon or Moscow, but maybe someone that has lived there could chime in.

 

[brewer427]

As someone who has visited the last two years I did not enjoy Bozeman at all. Helena area was nice and Missula had a bit of the nasty attitude that Bozeman has. I liked all the small towns I visited.

Shrek hit the nail on the head as far as I'm concerned, I'm working in Bozeman just about every week and there are plenty of nice people do t get me wrong, but Bozeman area is starting to turn into a larger Big Sky with rich entitled snobs and it wears on you pretty fast. Missoula has to be the Subaru Capitol of Montana, so they got that goin for em.

 

[2ski]

As someone that lives in Bozeman its not that bad. And I grew up in great falls so I'm not a bozemanite. You can find what their talking about in bozeman but you have to look. Bozeman is still a college town. But it is not cheap to buy a house. I would live in Belgrade or Manhattan. Maybe three forks. Dillon isn't bad. I like Lewistown. I would not live in White sulfur. Too many people on meth. And good luck finding jobs for you and your wife in a lot of the towns mentioned. Your best bet is live within 30 miles of a big town if you want that small town feel. My vote would be lewistown. The snowies mountains don't really have any roads in them so lots of backpack hunting there. Pheasants on the plains. Fishing in big spring creek. And big enough you might both find jobs.

 

[SURVEYOR]

As someone that lives in Bozeman its not that bad. And I grew up in great falls so I'm not a bozemanite. You can find what their talking about in bozeman but you have to look. Bozeman is still a college town. But it is not cheap to buy a house. I would live in Belgrade or Manhattan. Maybe three forks. Dillon isn't bad. I like Lewistown. I would not live in White sulfur. Too many people on meth. And good luck finding jobs for you and your wife in a lot of the towns mentioned. Your best bet is live within 30 miles of a big town if you want that small town feel. My vote would be lewistown. The snowies mountains don't really have any roads in them so lots of backpack hunting there. Pheasants on the plains. Fishing in big spring creek. And big enough you might both find jobs.

What do you guys think of Kalispell and the NW part of the state? Hows the hunting in the koontenai ?

 

[2ski]

I like Kalispell. Can't speak to the hunting but the fishing is awesome. Flathead lake. Swan lake. All the rivers. I would think both of you could find a job in the area in your fields. I like the area.

 

[mtluckydan]

Kalispell is nice enough, but that is the part of the state I was referring to in my earlier post about the hunting. You might find work as a surveyor, but when the recession hit even the owners of surveying companies were scratching. Over 7000 people from the Flathead valley were working in North Dakota after the recession. There were no jobs for quite some time. Now the North Dakota thing has slowed down quite a bit. The building trades have come back some, but the Canadian influence that was thriving has slowed down in relation to the oil prices slumping. If you are both fortunate enough to find a job in your field, you may be able to afford a house. The price of real estate as compared to wages is a hard one. It is desirable because of the ski areas and Glacier National Park so you get alot of outside money coming in and driving prices up. The hunting is a fraction of what it was ten years ago because of the wolves and all the other predators including black & grizzlies bears, mountain lions and such. Idaho has alot of the same problems with the hunting in certain areas with respect to the wolves. There are others on here that can chime in with better info on Idaho. I have hunted over there some and they still have a decent amount of deer, but some of their elk herds have been hurt, as well as their moose population.

 

[MT_Wyatt]

As someone that lives in Bozeman its not that bad. And I grew up in great falls so I'm not a bozemanite. You can find what their talking about in bozeman but you have to look. Bozeman is still a college town. But it is not cheap to buy a house. I would live in Belgrade or Manhattan. Maybe three forks. Dillon isn't bad. I like Lewistown. I would not live in White sulfur. Too many people on meth. And good luck finding jobs for you and your wife in a lot of the towns mentioned. Your best bet is live within 30 miles of a big town if you want that small town feel. My vote would be lewistown. The snowies mountains don't really have any roads in them so lots of backpack hunting there. Pheasants on the plains. Fishing in big spring creek. And big enough you might both find jobs.

I totally agree. I've lived there for 5 years and now visit a couple times a month. It's obvious there's been a massive influx of people and.money just from walking downtown......but like has been said, it's a college town, and you really gotta be sensitive or totally looking for the snobiness, I've never had it thrown in my face.

I get where people see it, but I wanted to at least throw that out there, I don't see it as bad as some make it out to be.