Where to retire?!

[Doc Holliday]

For me it would be somewhere where I can afford a nice home on enough land to walk out my backdoor to hunt. Hop on my tractor, walk on my land without seeing or hearing any neighbors. Large land owners as neighbors. Ideally there would be multiple species of big game animals (with head gear) to hunt....there would be seasons....changing of leaves, some snow. And an airport within a couple of hours to go on trips, or in case I want to go down by the equator to see the ocean and get a sunburn.

 

[GLB]

This is timely post. We will be retiring in 2 years and truly love Alaska as I have lived here for over 20 years. However we are looking at the Blackhills South Dakota area, in fact we are flying down there in May to look at Spearfish, SD. SD seams to have some good hunting and a good location for the western states. Alaska is my home but it's very expensive and good hunting requires an expedition to get to some good hunting areas which I enjoy but as I continue to get older it's going to be more difficult. Anybody here from SD?

 

[akrdkill]

trailer life for the winter.....travel where you want, be mobile while your young enough to look over the country & see where you really like it...theres a lot of country out there..... if you don't like a place move on down the road, check places out.......
North Florida, fishing & deer hunting into late jan, lots of other things to hunt too, good fishing close by, 50-70F hard to beat, low cost of living, inexpensive hunting & fishing licenses......southern New Mexico, silver city - Los Cruzes area, good weather & probably hunting too...
I like Idaho as well...north Idaho if you want more winter stuff....Cour D' Lane is awesome, within 1.5 hrs of a lot of stuff & varying country...you can be in western montana in 1 hr or eastern wa in 1 hr......good luck with your search

 

[justinspicher]

I retired last year and moved to SW Colorado. There’s roughly 2.3 million acres of forest land here and BLM and state land as well. I’m within a 20 minute drive to medical and nowhere near a major interstate. We have an airport if I ever need to use it. There’s a ton of visitors every summer and every winter but they don’t really venture too far in the back country. I rarely see folks when I am hunting. It’s no more or less expensive than anywhere I’ve lived. I also scored a sweet gig working seasonally with the forest service so I am able to scout all summer and get paid for it. We have bighorn sheep, goats, moose, elk, mule deer, cats, bears, turkeys and all kinds of small critters to hunt from August to March. There’s also plenty of fishing in the rivers and alpine lakes. I really can’t complain.

 

[gelton]

I work from home so I recently relocated from city life and purchased some land to start a small farm on. All with the idea of being able to retire with residual income. I have whitetail, turkey, coyotes, bobcats and more on my property and a lake less than 5 minutes from my front door with duck hunting and fishing opportunity as well.

While I am about 20 years from retirement, I figure that I need to keep my day job for another 5-6 years and then can transition to income solely from the farm and that by the time I am ready to retire will have hands that take care of the entire operation while I get to hunt and fish anywhere I choose. Its a grand plan but it seems to be working out so far. Been here for about 5 months already have most of the infrastructure completed.

 

[john2]

Wow, I've read through 5 pages of responses on this thread and I think I only saw one that mentioned staying close to family. I work a rotational job overseas so I can live wherever I choose but being close to my family is the single most important thing to me over everything else. I'm 56 and plan to retire about this time next year. I live in south Ms. on 100 acres with my 3 grown kids and a brother (hunting buddy). Yes, the humidity is horrible and I love the western states mountains but I will stay in south Ms. with my kids and especially my grand kids (one 2.5 yr grandson and a granddaughter arriving early Jan) so that I can take them hunting and fishing as my grandfathers did. I will still venture out west (SE Idaho preferably) in September as long as God gives me the health to climb the moderate hills where we chase elk. When I can't climb the hills I won't mind being the spotter and camp cook. Also will tour multiple areas of the US that I haven't been as well as return to the great state of Alaska for summer fishing on occasion. As much as I would love to live closer to or in the west I always return to my home in the deep south as long as I have family, just the way it is for me.

 

[archer wapiti]

I'm surprised more people from the north country don't know about New Mexico. Very mild climate if you choose it, or you can live at higher elevations if you choose (but still rather mild compared to other places), and even in the dead of 'winter' the sun is high enough that you get solar gain. In the summer it rarely breaks 100 F in most of the state, save the southeast quadrant. We're second to last in a lot of lists a state would like to be first in (think education categories), and top ten for a lot of lists we'd not like to be on (violent crime, drunk driving), but I don't see a bunch of stupid drunks driving around here on a daily basis.
Financially I'm not sure how it compares, but there are certainly more expensive places to live.
No OTC deer or elk, but the draw has no point system, and AZ and CO are right over the border.

 

[boom]

I'm surprised more people from the north country don't know about New Mexico. Very mild climate if you choose it, or you can live at higher elevations if you choose (but still rather mild compared to other places), and even in the dead of 'winter' the sun is high enough that you get solar gain. In the summer it rarely breaks 100 F in most of the state, save the southeast quadrant. We're second to last in a lot of lists a state would like to be first in (think education categories), and top ten for a lot of lists we'd not like to be on (violent crime, drunk driving), but I don't see a bunch of stupid drunks driving around here on a daily basis.
Financially I'm not sure how it compares, but there are certainly more expensive places to live.
No OTC deer or elk, but the draw has no point system, and AZ and CO are right over the border.

i just visited my home town of El Paso for thanksgiving. it has grown. less of a crappy city than before. i'm thinking About NM for retirement. great mtn biking. drawing an elk tag is still a PIA. i have land in Ruidoso, but i dont think that is the place for me. that place is dying and trying out. i think the desert in Las Crusas..maybe Santa Teresa.

 

[Billinsd]

I'm surprised more people from the north country don't know about New Mexico. Very mild climate if you choose it, or you can live at higher elevations if you choose (but still rather mild compared to other places), and even in the dead of 'winter' the sun is high enough that you get solar gain. In the summer it rarely breaks 100 F in most of the state, save the southeast quadrant. We're second to last in a lot of lists a state would like to be first in (think education categories), and top ten for a lot of lists we'd not like to be on (violent crime, drunk driving), but I don't see a bunch of stupid drunks driving around here on a daily basis.
Financially I'm not sure how it compares, but there are certainly more expensive places to live.
No OTC deer or elk, but the draw has no point system, and AZ and CO are right over the border.

You are quoting from some travel broshure. I'ver spent a lot of time in New Mexico over the last several decades. Hunted aND skied. Gorgeous scenary, abundant game.
I've got lots of friends that moved from there. Lots of open land. New Mexico has a high population of Mexicans, both legal and illegal. Some have ancestors that have been living there since it was part of Mexico. Lots of Indians too. Lots of Texans and Texas influence. Not many Californians. Too much crime and bs associated with illegal drug and human smugging for me. Most pepole are poor, poor educational system. I live in California and want to leave that crap. That's the huge negative for me about the southwest. The New Mexico game and fish department are real crooked and corrupt or were 15 years ago. Albuquerque, pew no thanks. Silverton looks real nice, best place I've seen there to retire. Up around Farmington and around the Indian reservations are the most dangerous highways in the country!!! The new Mexico drivers are notoriously bad drivers. Other than that it's a gorgeous place!!

 

[Bear_Hunter]

If I was to leave Alaska for retirement, I'd go somewhere with not only big game hunting to do while I'm able, but also good upland/waterfowl hunting and fishing I can do when I start to get less able. Wyoming, Montana, and Idaho would be on my short list.

 

[archer wapiti]

New Mexico has a high population of Mexicans, both legal and illegal. Some have ancestors that have been living there since it was part of Mexico.

That's like saying I'm Canadian because I'm white, pronounce my 'o's funny, say 'eh,' and am from the Upper Peninsula of Michigan. The Native New Mexicans here have a saying: "We didn't cross the border, the border crossed us."

 

[Billinsd]

That's like saying I'm Canadian because I'm white, pronounce my 'o's funny, say 'eh,' and am from the Upper Peninsula of Michigan. The Native New Mexicans here have a saying: "We didn't cross the border, the border crossed us."

Exactly! I was told that very same quote, by several of the decedents of Natives who lived in New Mexico when it was part of Mexico. I don't know if they have a name for themselves, like they do in Texas. In Texas I think they call theselves Tehamos? Or something like that. There are really three groups, not two and all three are similar and different. Real interesting.

 

[boom]

yea..i probably shouldnt retire anywhere they have awesome mexican food.

 

[Ndbowhunter]

Everyone's different, retirement effects us all in a different manner.

That being said I'm Young so It's a bit different mentality then a 50 or 60 year old that has a limited health window to make up for lost youth and a lifetime of weekend dreams...

At some point how big the bones on top the head are doesn't matter so much or somehow keeping a talley on how many critters you stack. A couple weeks every few months sleeping in a tent out in Gods country, hopefully harvesting some meat for the family is all I need. The silent delirium of ecstasy.

Been experimenting more and more with outside the USA living.

I'm not speaking of expat style stuff, but just spending time in places that allow a high quality of life. My little one had an asthma attack today. Took her into a very professional, British trained doctor. Total bill was 12 USD$!!

Teeth cleaning is 20$.

We ate sushi with Japanese chefs that was 8$ all up.

Grocery bill of fruits, vegetables, and meats run 30$ a week.

No gangbangers, graffiti, violence or stopped libtards getting in pissing contest of who is the offended.

This isn't our first time away but this is gonna be major culture shock next week when we get back in merica

Once you get away from it all you realize how awesome a place Wyoming really is...

 

[boom]

where are you at?

 

[boom]

i'm an American born Chinese guy.

my hunts takes me all over the country. it still shocks me when i meet people uncomfortable with my ethnicity. i've had truck full of idiots driving next to me pulling back their eyes, flipping me off.

it's a process..i try to move on and not take it personally. i do however put that town on the list of where NOT to retire.

 

[ItemB]

As a retiree at 28 years old (now 31) we've tried a whole bunch of options. Rv living is in general more expensive then just renting and cruising.

My first pick as a medium old retiree age (say mid fifties) would be silver city New Mexico. Fixer uppers are cheap, weather at 6,000ft is ideal and you are close to cheap Mexico services. It's a great place to year round

Second choice for someone that wants to do short 3 month winter trips and have the highest quality of life would be Wyoming. Best state in the union.

Retired at 28!! good for you that is awesome got any advice on how you did that or is that a whole other post. Wyoming or Idaho would probably be my two choices as of right now, but I am many years from retirement as it stands now. Another option or thing I think would be cool is buy a cheaper house/property close to family as home base type deal then have a rv or trailer to live and hunt out for most of the time, and just go where ever a guy felt like or got tags to hunt.

 

[KurtR]

This is timely post. We will be retiring in 2 years and truly love Alaska as I have lived here for over 20 years. However we are looking at the Blackhills South Dakota area, in fact we are flying down there in May to look at Spearfish, SD. SD seams to have some good hunting and a good location for the western states. Alaska is my home but it's very expensive and good hunting requires an expedition to get to some good hunting areas which I enjoy but as I continue to get older it's going to be more difficult. Anybody here from SD?

Love going out to spearfish by Sodak standards it is a little more expensive but still cheap compared to alaska i am sure. In my eyes we have great hunting and fishing and being by the hills lots of public land. The location is perfect you can be in real mountains in only a few hours. The weather in spearfish is amazing there is a reason it is called the banana belt for a reason.

 

[cbat]

Where is this at ?

 

[boom]

Love going out to spearfish by Sodak standards it is a little more expensive but still cheap compared to alaska i am sure. In my eyes we have great hunting and fishing and being by the hills lots of public land. The location is perfect you can be in real mountains in only a few hours. The weather in spearfish is amazing there is a reason it is called the banana belt for a reason.

wow..some nice homes in Spearfish!!