Moving from CO to Austin, TX

Fever Buck

Fever Buck

WKR
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Jun 21, 2020
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Hey y’all, got laid off in February and landed a really good job but unfortunately they are making me relocate to Austin, TX from Colorado. Hoping to stay for a few years and move back out west again. My family and I are looking to move to the north and or west Austin suburbs to stay out of the city.

For those who have spent time in or around Austin, would love to hear your thoughts on the area and recommendations on things to do. Looking to golf, fish, spend time on the water, and hunt to pass the time while we are down there for a few years.

If anyone has tips on finding a hunting lease that would probably be my top priority. Feel free to DM me if you don’t want to post something publicly.

Thanks y’all!
 
Applications for the TX draw hunts are coming up soon, I suggest applying to everything if you want to hunt this year since you have no PPs and they are pretty great. Leases are roughhhh unless you got the coin, but for the cost I'd rather take a big trip out west each year since any decent option I found was $5k+. Cheaper ones were exactly that. Can't help you on fishing as I was near Houston but I know there's good trout fishing below Canyon lake in the spring / fall outside of tubing season. I told my wife we'd only be in TX for 3-4 years max... just took 9 years.
 
Fever Buck said:
Hey y’all, got laid off in February and landed a really good job but unfortunately they are making me relocate to Austin, TX from Colorado. Hoping to stay for a few years and move back out west again. My family and I are looking to move to the north and or west Austin suburbs to stay out of the city.

For those who have spent time in or around Austin, would love to hear your thoughts on the area and recommendations on things to do. Looking to golf, fish, spend time on the water, and hunt to pass the time while we are down there for a few years.

If anyone has tips on finding a hunting lease that would probably be my top priority. Feel free to DM me if you don’t want to post something publicly.

Thanks y’all!
Click to expand...
Don't know anything about golf, but I have driven past some pretty golf courses in Austin area. Boating is definitely popular in Texas as it is the only public access recreation and it is hot almost all year. Lots of reservoirs to keep you busy within an hour or two drive of northwest Austin. Also, if you get a boat that can handle the salt you can do weekend getaways to the coast. The coast is the real draw for an outdoorsman in Texas IMO. That and hog hunting.
wavygravy said:
Applications for the TX draw hunts are coming up soon, I suggest applying to everything if you want to hunt this year since you have no PPs and they are pretty great. Leases are roughhhh unless you got the coin, but for the cost I'd rather take a big trip out west each year since any decent option I found was $5k+. Cheaper ones were exactly that. Can't help you on fishing as I was near Houston but I know there's good trout fishing below Canyon lake in the spring / fall outside of tubing season. I told my wife we'd only be in TX for 3-4 years max... just took 9 years.
Click to expand...
I'm gonna parrot what wavygravy says. Texas leases are overpriced and not a good value. You could go on a guided midwestern whitetail hunt or a DIY western big game hunt for less than you are gonna pay to sit in a box blind over a feeder to see deer that top out at 135-140 and if you get extremely lucky 150s. If you hunt where the bucks are 150+ be willing to fork over guided elk trip money or more.

Feel for you man. You gotta take care of your family but Austin area is a dead zone for outdoor activities, except golfing and boating. The two outdoor recreation activities I miss the most from Texas are saltwater fishing and hog hunting. You can probably find some good hog opportunities within a couple of hours of Austin and you can be at the coast in 3 or 4 hours. Hog hunting and saltwater fishing are REALLY fun in Texas. If I had to move back down there I would jump back into both.
 
Good luck, there's not a lot of difference in Austin and its suburbs. You can thank all those the fled the west during covid for the cost of real estate in that area. There are some nice places to live in that area, but its pretty crowded, not everyone's cup of tea. Austin area is basically the California of Texas. We'll, actually the entire I35 corridor is.

Lots of lakes in that area, and even some good rivers for fishing and boating. Some of our best state parks are in that area.

Hunting leases are hard to come by. They can be found, but networking is going to be your best bet. I'd stay away from lease finding services. You'll sort through tons and tons of dead leads or terrible places before you find anything halfway decent.

As mentioned, the texas draw hunts will be coming up soon, but they're not easy to draw. One drawback to this state is there isn't a ton of public land. There is a decent amount, but increased population in the state over the last few years has led to a crowding.

There's a lot to see and do here that fall into your categories. Network and get after it

Sent from my SM-S931U using Tapatalk
 
It has been about 7 years now since I moved from Austin to Denver and while it has changed quite a bit it also still has a great personality to it. Food is extremely good in Austin and there is always plenty of live music to find. I never got the opportunity to hunt while I lived in Austin but for immediate water access the two most popular spots are Lady Bird Lake/Colorado River and Lake Travis. Again it has been a while but when I golfed down there they took really good care of all of the courses (muni's included), but you will be hard pressed to find an early tee time so you aren't out there in the heat of the day. I am guessing that has gotten worse since the popularity of golf blew up during/post-COVID.
 
If you like Colorado then you’ll hate Texas. I lived in Austin for 5 years. I would try to find a different job. Not trying to be a downer just being honest. It’s a very very long drive to get somewhere with mountains and out of the awful heat and humidity. You can probably find a lease but the hunting style around central Texas is pretty boring in comparison to hunting out west.
 
Austin really isn’t any different than a lot of CO. There’s plenty of public hunting outside of draws and leases that isn’t over a feeder sitting in a blind that’s close to Austin. 99% are just too much lazy to take advantage of it. Hence many of the posts.

It’s hunting and fishing season 12 months a year there unlike many other places. Don’t be lazy like the people who constantly dog and complain and you’ll figure it out and enjoy the hunting and fishing.
 
I just got a promotion and am in the process of moving here. I have been down here in temp quarters (hotel) while my wife and son stayed until he graduated last week. We have been house hunting for 4 months. We close on ours on 6/2. PM me. I have a pretty good feel for all of the areas north of austin. Our home is north west of austin aways. i also golf and fish, so hit me up :-). I am from Idaho.
 
I love the Hill County and the heat but Im a native. I do wish there was more public but there are plenty of ways to get out. Can't help much on golf. As far as fishing goes I'm in NW ATX and can get to any of the 7 Highland Lakes, Stillhouse Hollow, Granger, Georgetown, or decker lake in under an hour. A boat helps

PM incoming

Sent from my SM-G975U using Tapatalk
 
BuckSmasher said:
Don't know anything about golf, but I have driven past some pretty golf courses in Austin area. Boating is definitely popular in Texas as it is the only public access recreation and it is hot almost all year. Lots of reservoirs to keep you busy within an hour or two drive of northwest Austin. Also, if you get a boat that can handle the salt you can do weekend getaways to the coast. The coast is the real draw for an outdoorsman in Texas IMO. That and hog hunting.

I'm gonna parrot what wavygravy says. Texas leases are overpriced and not a good value. You could go on a guided midwestern whitetail hunt or a DIY western big game hunt for less than you are gonna pay to sit in a box blind over a feeder to see deer that top out at 135-140 and if you get extremely lucky 150s. If you hunt where the bucks are 150+ be willing to fork over guided elk trip money or more.

Feel for you man. You gotta take care of your family but Austin area is a dead zone for outdoor activities, except golfing and boating. The two outdoor recreation activities I miss the most from Texas are saltwater fishing and hog hunting. You can probably find some good hog opportunities within a couple of hours of Austin and you can be at the coast in 3 or 4 hours. Hog hunting and saltwater fishing are REALLY fun in Texas. If I had to move back down there I would jump back into both.
Click to expand...
Thanks for the information. Are most or all hog hunting opportunities on leases?
 
Braaap said:
If you like Colorado then you’ll hate Texas. I lived in Austin for 5 years. I would try to find a different job. Not trying to be a downer just being honest. It’s a very very long drive to get somewhere with mountains and out of the awful heat and humidity. You can probably find a lease but the hunting style around central Texas is pretty boring in comparison to hunting out west.
Click to expand...
The issue with my specific type of work is that Colorado will most likely never have a good job market for it. I was offered a job to stay but it was about 50% less than the one offered in Austin. I figured I can just try to grind it out for a few years and come back out west when a better job is offered. We just had a newborn and if it’s anything like having my first kid, we won’t be doing a damn thing for the first year anyway. I’ll still try to come up to CO, WY, or ID for an elk hunt every year so hopefully that keeps me sane enough.
 
It is just a big adjustment, I passed a few years ago because of lack of public land. That said everybody has different needs.
 
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