Moving to the Austin, Texas area. Q & A please

[chiroz]

I love Texas, but property tax is a huge deal. It always increases much faster than my retirement accounts do. When I retire, I may look at moving out of Texas largely because of property tax (rent check for the land/home I already paid for).

 

[Newtosavage]

There some good public areas within a 3 hour radius of Austin. Most are draw but not hard draws. You are also 2.5 hours from thousands of miles of fishing and duck hunting on the coast

Example

Aransas NWR Hunt Area Details - Drawn Hunts - TPWD

tpwd.texas.gov

As far as Austin it’s pretty but very very liberal

Good public areas in TX are now some of the hardest areas to draw for in the U.S. I know. I've been applying for TPWD public hunts for almost 15 years and have drawn exactly twice, and both were in the same year on the same dates so I only got to hunt once.

You used Aransas in your example but I'm wondering if you've ever hunted it?

Don't move to Austin or anywhere in Texas for the hunting unless you're independently wealthy. Now the fishing, it can be pretty good, especially if you have a kayak and enjoy fishing small rivers like our hill country has to offer. That is indeed something I'll miss terribly when we leave.

 

[cuerro viejo]

Good public areas in TX are now some of the hardest areas to draw for in the U.S. I know. I've been applying for TPWD public hunts for almost 15 years and have drawn exactly twice, and both were in the same year on the same dates so I only got to hunt once.

You used Aransas in your example but I'm wondering if you've ever hunted it?

Don't move to Austin or anywhere in Texas for the hunting unless you're independently wealthy. Now the fishing, it can be pretty good, especially if you have a kayak and enjoy fishing small rivers like our hill country has to offer. That is indeed something I'll miss terribly when we leave.

Yes, drawn 5 times. I have a place in Rockport.

I’ve also drawn hag and/or grapevine 6 out of last 13 years also

I don’t know what to tell you. Other then put in for more hunts. I draw every year in NM , Okla and CO also. It’s not hard to set down and find hunts. Don’t over look the easier COE and WMA archery hunts

 

[Newtosavage]

Yes, drawn 5 times. I have a place in Rockport.

I’ve also drawn hag and/or grapevine 6 out of last 13 years also

I don’t know what to tell you. Other then put in for more hunts. I draw every year in NM , Okla and CO also. It’s not hard to set down and find hunts. Don’t over look the easier COE and WMA archery hunts

5 times! You are very lucky (or I'm just that unlucky). My brother has been drawn probably 5 times and he complains that he never gets drawn. LOL

I put in for a lot of hunts. I have over 25 loyalty points with TPWD now. This is why I don't buy raffle tickets. I'm that guy who literally never wins anything. So for guys like me at least, public hunting on a state draw just isn't realistic.

As for Aransas, most folks don't have what it takes to deal with the mosquitoes on that hunt. I've seen a lot of grown men turn around and leave the same day. It's a brutal hunt.

 

[cuerro viejo]

5 times! You are very lucky (or I'm just that unlucky). My brother has been drawn probably 5 times and he complains that he never gets drawn. LOL

I put in for a lot of hunts. I have over 25 loyalty points with TPWD now. This is why I don't buy raffle tickets. I'm that guy who literally never wins anything. So for guys like me at least, public hunting on a state draw just isn't realistic.

As for Aransas, most folks don't have what it takes to deal with the mosquitoes on that hunt. I've seen a lot of grown men turn around and leave the same day. It's a brutal hunt.

The archery hunt for Aransas is just a touch over 50% draw odds.

Aransas is not that bad if you bring head net and thermacell. Snakes are a different story. It’s cheap hunting and fun

There are hogs now all over the spoil islands on south side of Rockport now too.

 

[Newtosavage]

The archery hunt for Aransas is just a touch over 50% draw odds.

Aransas is not that bad if you bring head net and thermacell. Snakes are a different story. It’s cheap hunting and fun

There are hogs now all over the spoil islands on south side of Rockport now too.

Most folks contemplating a move to Austin will be completely unprepared for the mosquitoes at Aransas or those spoil islands. But I'm glad you enjoy it!

 

[Blandry]

I got out of Austin 2 years ago and it really felt like escaping.. I can't even imagine what it's like now post pandemic. I hear prices soared 40%+ highest in the nation.

I spent 18 years there from 2005-2018 when I moved to CO. The first 10 years were incredibly nice, then it just got miserable. I was always able to find private land hunting due to my job at USDOT and US Customs. I knew hundreds of local guys down on the border. The private landowners started selling out to the green wind power and putting those things all over the place. Leases dried up to pricing and greed.

I've had opportunities to return to my old job there but there is absolutely NO WAY i would ever move back.

MAYBE if I was retired and just stayed at home all the time, but if you do ANY type of outdoor activity there will so many people in the austin area to deal with. It sucks..

With all that said, the rest of Texas can be quite awesome. I would move down to Mcallen area or anywhere in valley if the opportunity presented itself, however I hear it's crazy crowded and expensive down there as well. I really miss the gulf, I've lived my entire life in South Louisiana and TX hours from the water.

Like Texans42 said, the fishing and duck hunting I REALLY MISS, however now I'm a trout fisherman, learned to flycast and I'm good to go! I hear you can duck hunt here in CO.. haven't explored it yet.

This is also true: Don't move to Austin or anywhere in Texas for the hunting unless you're independently wealthy. Now the fishing, it can be pretty good, especially if you have a kayak and enjoy fishing small rivers like our hill country has to offer. That is indeed something I'll miss terribly when we leave.

I miss the 300-1x ranges around the hill country but now I just drive out onto public land to shoot.. Of course the CO libs complain about that too. They're ruining this state as well, trying to limit any firearm activity. They want to live 'country' but not deal with 'country'.

If you want to live in the Austin area, think about far north Leander, Belton, Burnet, Liberty Hill.. I lived in New Braunfels for about 10 of those 18 years and commuted up to Austin.

I lived 10 mins from eagle peak in Leander being able to go shoot 300 yards in daylight savings after work at night, that was nice but the all day price was $12, now it's $25.. see how that works?? never again, nope never going back https://www.eaglepeakshootingrange.com/

 

[Newtosavage]

Fact is, any place that's nice to live will eventually be "ruined" by too many "city" people. And city people are not wired to understand people who live a hunting/fishing/shooting lifestyle. It's why they prefer to live in cities. LOL

If places like Austin or Boise or Co Springs or wherever were "ruined" then it's usually because they had enough appeal to begin with to attract all those folks. So the alternative is to live somewhere less appealing, where fewer people want to live.

Everything is a compromise.

Austin may be a "liberal cesspool" to some, but once upon a time it was the best area to live in Texas. So if all the "best places to live" are overrun with city people (who by definition lean more liberal than most sportsmen and women) then where does that leave us?

Here's a thought. Learn some tolerance and expand your options.

I know. I know. Tolerance is crazy talk these days. LOL

I'm old enough to remember when the liberals were the intolerant ones. Funny how much things have changed.

 

[ElGuapo]

I lived there for 20 years. I can probably tell you quite a bit. Reach out if you want to chat.