Out of 4 states to live.....

[hooker]

Montana needs more registered Republican voters so I'd go there if I was you. It's like a really really big Idaho...

 

[cberry]

I live in WA State, and love it. awesome variety on opportunities EXCEPT BULL ELK! plan on making trips out of state for bulls unless you can get drawn every couple years. I am a huge bass fisherman and Waterfowler and I love it here.

 

[tdhanses]

Sounds like every state has a slew of problems however which state doesn’t..... I appreciate all this insight probably not going to deter me any though whichever state I get into a good school program with I’ll probably go to Wyoming does seem less crowded though..... hell anything that has wilderness a little closer and isn’t Colorado Springs I’ll be happy with

In WY the NR’s need a guide to hunt wilderness, so bet it’s less crowded in these areas come hunting season.

 

[shootbrownelk]

Washington State, the best there is. Milk & honey and all that.

 

[keller]

mt for sure elk and deer license good for archery and gun season its a big state.

 

[Akwoodchuck]

The sheer amount of trails and wilderness in ID is more than anyone could cover in a lifetime....unmatched solitude if you put in the miles...

 

[BeastOfTheTrees]

In WY the NR’s need a guide to hunt wilderness, so bet it’s less crowded in these areas come hunting season.

In the process of getting a job in Sheridan

 

[ridgefire]

Washington is beautiful and you can be from the rainforest to the desert and pretty much everything in between within a few hours. The fishing is still decent but getting more and more regulated. I hardly hunt Wa for elk anymore though, really tough draw odds for quality elk tags. 12 hour drive from my house and I am in Central Idaho for elk every Sept. so still get my elk hunting in. Traffic and politics really suck in Wa and King, Pierce and Snohomish counties pretty much drive everything in the state which sucks as well.

 

[Gobbler36]

Moved to Idaho and I love this place but never expected this many people to be moving here.... it fn sucks. I’m now looking into jobs in WY

 

[Brooks]

Every time I see a thread about where to move I see people dissing the folks moving in from places like California and the east coast but never hear anything about all the illegals that are moving in those states.

 

[Azone]

Every time I see a thread about where to move I see people dissing the folks moving in from places like California and the east coast but never hear anything about all the illegals that are moving in those states.

If I went full scale rant with my opinion and feelings towards illegal immigrants/immigration I will probably be banned from Rokslide. But if you want your blood to boil there is nothing like watching people fly the American flag upside down with a Mexican flag flying above it.
Illegals dont even try to understand assilimation, they leave one place because it sucks and they then turn another place into a dump. My hometown has now become a sanctuary city and its unrecognizable anymore.
Being a natural born citizen and not being able to get a job because you don't speak Spanish happens to people alot out here and it builds up a lot of resentment.
But the idiots in Sacramento love are visitors from the south because it equals one more blue vote for them.
I will probably soon fall into the category of one of those damn Californians ruining the mountain state's back east. But I will not be going back there to change it and tell you guys what your doing wrong, I will be going there to embrace it and be around like minded people. California is off the rails and I dont want to be here when it finally runs off a cliff.
This state could be AWESOME but its been ruined.

 

[Mike 338]

Not Wyoming. It sucks. Too many greenies, no corner hopping, wind, -40 windchills, schitty cell service, no quail, etcetera..

Idaho is the promise land...chuks, huns, grouse, quail, deer, elk, antelope, woofs, all a guy could ask fo'

Ha, ha... Wyoming it is!

 

[tdhanses]

In the process of getting a job in Sheridan

I’ve always liked that area.

 

[Capt’nClark]

Lots of history in Sheridan and near areas. Many famous Indian battles (battlefields-Little Bighorn, Chief Red Cloud massacre of the US Army, Lonesome Dove/Virginia City and all that great history for the kids). Many famous trout rivers within striking distance. Sheridan is maybe a little out of the modified Pacific climate that Missoula enjoys but still closer to wildlife pursuits. Population in Sheridan is about 800 if I recall correctly and if your wife can land a good job there, I’d jump on the opportunity and remind her she was the one that wanted to move there, as long as she buys it!

Downside maybe that Montana cost of living is high-income tax, sales tax, utilities (electricity in particular took a major spike over the last 10 years) and property tax-although Sheridan you should be reasonable).

If backcountry big game hunting is the priority I would give the nod to Idaho. Idaho manages wildlife for hunter opportunity whereas most other states manage game for revenues with massive lottery systems. In Idaho a 12 year old kid has the same opportunity to hunt in a good quality public area as the old gray haired road hunter. Also Idaho hires more biologists vs accountants in their game departments. In some of the western states shear numbers of elk can make up for this revenue grab and it can be worth the wait (like in Colorado or Utah) but I hate having to deal with these mandated restrictions.

If money is no issue I would live in either Western Montana or the Panhandle of Idaho. But the ultimate would be a cabin close to the Brooks Range in Alaska and a beach house within easy access to mountain hunting on the Big Island. Ha


GOOD THINGS HAPPEN WHERE MEN AND MOUNTAINS MEET—Captain Clark

 

[Matt W.]

If I could pick a state, I'd be real particular about the town as well. I grew up in a small Eastern WA town. We kids had the run the of the place. Could ride bikes everywhere, walk into stores, fish the creek in town, the works. Local baseball card shop was a kid hangout. Little League was a town event. In high school I could ump Little League games and not worry about getting killed by angry parents. LOL We had rifles in the gun racks at school, and numerous logging roads were a short drive away and provided hours of fun explorations. The older I get the more I crave that lifestyle. Funny how all the kids back then just felt we had to leave... Ha!

If life somehow allowed me to live where I wanted vs. where the job took me, I'd get an RV and travel the west until I found such a town again.

 

[87TT]

Retired, got in the RV and did!

 

[Crippledsledge64]

That line from Shawshank “the world went and got itself in a big damn hurry” keeps popping into mind when people ask why we’re moving. Seems like everywhere is getting busy. I’m working on talking my wife into being a hermit in Alaska, we’ll see how it goes.

 

[McCree]

My wife and I have been doing extensive research on the same topic. We've narrowed it to CO or WY. Each have pros and cons but we're actually leaning toward northern CO I believe. We have a summer trip planned specifically to look at a few areas and hopefully make a final decision. Good luck with yours!

 

[AK Troutbum]

I’m working on talking my wife into being a hermit in Alaska, we’ll see how it goes.

It’s going to be hard to be a hermit if you’re bringing the wife.



Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

[Capt’nClark]

If I could pick a state, I'd be real particular about the town as well. I grew up in a small Eastern WA town. We kids had the run the of the place. Could ride bikes everywhere, walk into stores, fish the creek in town, the works. Local baseball card shop was a kid hangout. Little League was a town event.

I grew up in a town in Northern Michigan that was similar to what you describe. And I have the same urgings to go back. Unfortunately, when I go back to visit family the small town feel is long gone.

Not sure where in WA you were from but Eastern WA still has a few of those places left-fairly close to great big game hunting in the Panhandle of Idaho and awesome backpacking in the Cascades. Regarding retirement, the lowest cost of living anywhere in the country has to be NC WA due to power dams and no income tax. Check out Ephrata, Wa (Grant Co Seat). Nice small town just big enough for a McDonalds, Safeway and a regional Walmart but small enough to feel small town with decent small game and fishing opportunities locally. It’s central to the Bitterroots to the east and the Cascades to the west. Always had my eye on it.


GOOD THINGS HAPPEN WHERE MEN AND MOUNTAINS MEET—Captain Clark