Lost my job after 27 years in CT. where should i move to? Best for hunting, seasons, game, land? Thanks
I'd go to Iowa if you are into whitetails. It's hard to get a place to hunt, but I bet it is not any harder than it is in CT.
I tried to get my fiance to move to Namibia with me but she was not going for it. HA!
Not Texas, unless you are willing to pay for a lease, or know somebody that has land that is not leasing it.
You can go west, but beware that states like MT, WY, ID, and others are known for very poor wages. That and high food prices in the remote areas makes living tough. People stay there because they love the country, not for the money.
Glad you posted this...might be making a move myself in the not so distant future.
I'll be watching this one too.
You should probably skip Alabama. There are a lot of places to hunt, but everyone hunts, most guys kill everything that is brown. Bucks don't have much of a chance to grow big.
try missouri, not a lot of money but it is a good place to live and hunt. my wife is in realestate she can sell you a place. i have been here since 1960 hate winter and mid summer but love the rest of it. loyd
McCall Idaho, right next to Frank Church River of No Return Wilderness area, 2.5 million acres and the largest outside of Alaska. The demographics, crime rate, housing and land prices in Valley County are much better than where I current live, cold does wonders for some things. Given half a chance and I'm out of here. I thought I'd never want to leave GA, but the GA that I grew up in left here a long time ago.
how about North Carolina?
Pruski2, come on over here to Iowa. I live in Ottumwa, Iowa, home of Radar O'Riley (from MASH). The hunting in the southern two tiers of counties here is awesome. The world record whitetail buck was shot about 15 miles from where I hunt. And yes, jonsimoneau is right, it can be hard to find a place to hunt, but I know plenty of people, and the public lands aren't too bad anyway. My parents live around Rathbun Lake, an 11,000 acre man-made lake about 45 minutes from me, and 20 miles from the "Albia buck" area. Weather sucks right now, but I'm sure you get the bad winters in CT too. PM me if you have any questions, and I'll try to help as much as I can!
Joe
ps. I should add there's a John Deere plant here that I believe will be hiring soon, and they've got the best health care and wages in the whole state.
LKH nailed that!
Welcome to Montana - poverty with a few. I am ahome town boy - retired back home after 30 years out seeking my fame and fortune. Came back with little of either and am now working again for less than 1/2 I was making in the (ugh) city.
With the economic nosedive, the top three employers are laying off in droves and the unemployment rate in Kalispell is expected to be over 10% by the end of this month.
Hunting and fishing are good, bu tnot near what is was when I was a kid here over 30 years ago. With the reintroduciton of wolves, the deer and elk in some places are now at critical low numbers. There is a bumper sticker you see on a whole lot of pickup trucks that has a wolf sillouette and the words SMOKE A PACK A DAY!
If I could do It all over again I'd be out west some where living In or very close to the mountains.
I moved to Mississippi and am happy with the move, of course I moved from Louisiana so just about anywhere would look good.
i guess its important to ask what kinda work ya do. if your a nurse you could move just about anywhere just not to new york,the taxes alone will kill ya. i am a michigan boy(wyandotte) born and in- bred. stuck here in NY since 1986,because of a marriage and the USAF. i'm not in either one anymore,would move back to MI in a second if i could,northern though,mackinaw somewhere,not southern.
how about NEW ZEALAND :goldtooth:
i was in animal care for pharmaceutical research.
27 yrs now laid off,,,, due for a change
There are no deer in Iowa. Move to Illinois - somewhere near Jon's house from the look of his photos.
Best hunting seasons, game and land? Ever think of changing citzenship? British Columbia would be my choice hands down.
Pruski2. Don't give up. Rewards come to those who stay the course and be strong.
Don't look to ND unless you like arctic weather, the low last night was -32 at my house.
Baltimore sucks.....looking to maybe jump ship and head back home to central Ohio myself,reasonable housing and great hunting. Just gotta find a job there. Also looking at northern MI and Alaska......never thought of New Zealand.... they need plumbers there?
They need plumbers everywhere.
I'll second New Zealand for the things you mentioned (don't know about land prices anymore though)Lots of Crown public land. Kinda far.
In the states I say Missouri for land prices/hunting but you have to go west for variety of game. South Dakota has the longest and best archery season's, land cost are good in some spots and lots of variety of game. I have been really happy with the hunting here. Very anti animal right activists too.
Wherever you go Pick a spot close to a corner that way you can hunt different states easily.
Good Luck!
I second Missouri. Good hunting, good fishing, fair weather, hot summer and a fair amount of public land. Some nice deer come out of mo. And the hunting season starts Sep. 15 and goes to Jan. 15 except for gun season. There are a few archery only areas. :archer:
I moved from CT to Arkansas 25 years ago and have never regreted it.
Our bow season runs from Oct. 1st to Feb 28th. Land and taxes are pretty cheap.
Ohio, best sleeper state around. Like they said before you just need to find a job. close to PA construction is still going halfway strong.
I miss the deep South. I was raised at Folly Island, SC. Game populations are abundant. Year 'round hunting for feral hogs. Small game out da ying-yang. Shrimp, oyster, clams, etc.. for the taking. When my wife & I left the Chechs Border, 20 yrs. ago, I gave her the option of where to live. She chose the mountains of SW Virginia. But, the older we get, the more we miss the coastal swamps.
The west is the best. We may have lower wages, but the variety of game to hunt makes up for that.
I dont think ohio is a sleeper state.Every year someone kills a world class whitetail.Like this or bigger. (http://i268.photobucket.com/albums/jj10/longbowben/046-1.jpg)
QuoteOriginally posted by kevsuperg:
i guess its important to ask what kinda work ya do. if your a nurse you could move just about anywhere just not to new york,the taxes alone will kill ya. i am a michigan boy(wyandotte) born and in- bred. stuck here in NY since 1986,because of a marriage and the USAF. i'm not in either one anymore,would move back to MI in a second if i could,northern though,mackinaw somewhere,not southern.
Hey Kev, me too, I was born and raised in Wyandotte, great little town, still have a lot of family there. Remember JJ's Pizza, the best there is!
Sure would like to live up in the UP of Michigan someday, big woods, I love it!
That is one *fine* Ohio whitetail LB Ben!
Shinken thanks thier are lots of big bucks in ohio.Take a look at ohio dnr photo gallery from this year.
You might consider Wash. or Ore. They are not "Right To Work States" so wages are not bad. Lots to hunt if you like Deer, Elk, Bear, WA. has draws for mountain goat, Sheep, and Moose [last two are 1 tag for a lifetime I think] Ore has draws for Antalope.
If you do decide to come this way you need to think about living near [within 50] miles of one of the larger cities ie: Seattle, Spokane, Tri Cities,{Kenewick,Pasco,Richland} Portland or a good size town on the I-5 Corrridor as thats where the best paying jobs seem to be. East side of both states seem [with the agriculture based economies] to have higher unemployment, Less construction and home building, and unless your union, lower wages, but by far the Best Hunting.
There is quite a lot of State, and Federal land along with large tracts of Corporate owned timber company land to hunt.
Min. wage in both states is near $9.00. I was lucky however and spent my working career with UPRR and BNRR. Wash has highest gas tax in nation but property tax is not too bad yet. No state income tax but about 8% sales tax. Utilities [Electricity] are not bad in most of WA state. Ore has state income tax but no sales tax, little higher property tax and higher utilities.
Most people out here commute a ways to work and this is a pain as you get in close to either Seattle, Portland or any of the larger cities on the I-5 corridor. I commuted about 55 miles daily for years from our log cabin in the woods into Vancouver WA using I-5. It was about 30 minutes each way. By the way I have never seen a toll road out here.
If you do make it out this way there are some good state level trad organizations to help you getted started in the right hunting directions.
Gene
I think you would be better off moving to a place where your opportunity for employment is the greatest. Nothing wrong with wanting to spend all your spare time outside and/or hunting but hunting is just an activity we do not a job we have...unless of course you're retired then I would move somewhere there are pigs that can be hunted all year.
Wyoming is a great place, with lots of outdoor activities besides hunting, and our unemployment rate is low. That being said, the job growth is in the oil patch, and if you aren't a young buck that enjoys getting tired and dirty, making a living can be tough. We are in the Boom phase now, but the Bust inevitably comes, and with that, tough economic times. Housing is hard to come by in Boom times, but will be a dime a dozen when the Bust hits. After my police career, I worked with vets on employment issues, and the blue collar workforce is where most people subsist in the Cowboy state. Research carefully before making a move. I saw lots of people who moved to Wy because of the hunting/outdoor stuff, and got very disillusioned after a winter or two. I'm snowbirding in Arizona right now; those winters can get tedious. But then compared to N. Dakota or central Alaska, we don't have much to complain about as far as winter is concerned.
Another consideration; are you a native northeasterner? If so, moving to a place like Wy or Montana is like moving to another country; the lifestyles are very different. Some folks adjust, others are like a fish out of water. If the tables were turned, I can't imagine living in the northeast; I gotta have space! I'm not kidding when I say that some folks freak out in 'big sky' country, where most of our counties are bigger than your state, and the antelope outnumber the humans. If possible, I would suggest that you take an extended trip to whereever you think would be a good place to move, and NOT during hunting season, just to see what life is really like.
Come to Manitoba....it's only -50 here today! Great for making ice cubes!
-50?
Farenheit or Celsius?
At that point, does t matter?
That calls for a gin and tonic. :readit:
Animal care for research? There must be a listing of similar facilities that could use you. If not, can you branch out into say, vet tech or similar? Could require some training, but they are needed everywhere.
I like Virginia, but it is getting crowded. I dream of a place somewhere in West VA where I could be left alone. Dang it, I forgot. I have to work because they lost my forms at the hospital. You know, the ones ya fill out if you want to be born independently wealthy.
Killdeer
Look into Kansas. Great Vet Med school and a new federal animal health/safety facility going in at Manhattan.
Never thought I would encourage someone to move here. I really do not want this state to get crowded.
Our temp is actually -47 Celcius which is -52.6 Farenheit. Temperature aside, the bowhunting opportunities are endless here, the housing market inexpensive, and the economy is doing alright. Winnipeg (the city I'm in) has the Canadian virology lab for animal disease research which employs hundreds of people. Something to look in to!
If money is what is important to you then go to a big city and make lots of it.
If quality of life is what matters, then your heart will lead you.
I made that decision 32 years ago and don't regret it. Not worth a lot of money but I have memories and friends I'll treasure forever.
The hunting and fishing is good here too!
MT., for sure. :bigsmyl:
Look at central and eastern Kentucky and Tennessee, seldom so cold you can't get out with little or no snow. TVA Lakes, rivers and creeks abound, with a bow season for deer and turkey that runs from mid September to mid January in KY. If you approach most farmers/land owners and act like a respectful man, tell them your a trad bowhunter they will welcome you to their property. Presently a buyers market on real estate.
CON... jobs are difficult to find and getting worse.
Don't come to Pennsylvania. All people do here is bitch about the Game Commission and whine about no game 8^). There's some beautiful country north and east of you my friend. Green grass is where you find it.
Killdeer, There's lots of places to get lost in West Virginia...about mid state....same in Pennsylvania, north of I-80.
Northern Pa is beautiful country. Potter county. Not a lot of people up that way either. It might be tough finding work though up that way.
You ought to try Kansas. Great hunting of just about everything, well, maybe not elk. Good muley, great whitetails. Bird hunting is pretty good. Also public ground is pretty good around here.
Kansas for me. I have researched a bunch of states and Kansas has what I would want. Great whitetails and good pheasant hunting, oohhh when I retire! Shawn
Tennessee or North Alabama.
Just south of Kansas is the great state of Oklahoma. Both states are very nice places to live and work and the hunting is good in each. Anchorman is from Wichita, Kansas, which is just across the north border of Oklahoma. Oklahoma doesn't have as many mule deer, but we have lots of good whitetails, turkey, pheasant, quail, waterfowl, varmints and even some limited elk hunting. Residents can get lifetime hunting and/or fishing licenses for relatively little and hunt and/or fish almost all the game except federal species without any additional license or tag fees for the rest of your life. The people here are friendly, the cost of living is relatively low, and the economy is still better than in most other places around the country. With that said, New Zealand does sound awfully tempting! :)
Allan
oh hell yeah Allan and whats so good about it is you do not need a game tag and ya can hunt all year round if ya want and fish as well but ya do need a licence for trout but nothing else. is that good or what!!! i think so :biglaugh: but hey if i could afford to i would be over to the states in a heart beat as you guys got so much different game that ya can hunt with a bow. :archer:but ya can keep ya chiggers and snakes.
thank you all for such great ideas and support. yesterday was like having a rug pulled out from under me, with the company since i was 19 yrs old, now 46... 27 yrs only 8 more and i would have had full retirement.. i had stellar work ethics and had climbed to the top of a blue collar job.. They said it was downsizing and nothing work related. No union,, anyways at 46 and after living here my whole life I feel like doing things different. My wife is an RN and would be able to work.. I have hunted Texas, MT, W virginia, PA and maryland.
We only live once and at 46 I am ready for a small town with folks that care and a nice church. Thanks again for all of the advice. God bless, Pruski
Good luck, I think you have the right idea moving out of the North East. I think things are going to get a lot worst in the NE do to the State and local Governments being totally clueless and the out of control spending. The link I posted is a website where you can compare different cities cost of living etc.
http://www.bestplaces.net/col/?lcity=5380&rcity=2080&amt=110,000
Steve, I'm another CT. boy who was laid off in August My wife was too so we got double wammied.(sp?) We've been doing a lot of research into the Rapid City, S.D. area. Quite impressive. We're looking into ways to make the move. Check it out. (nut)
East Texas has lots to offer, plenty of National Forest, lots of lakes and rivers, reasonable cost of living and hog hunting 365 days a year.
John
I'd vote for Texas too as long as you have money to buy land or lease it. Tons of hunting & fishing here. Public land here tends to be crowded and theft and idiots can be a real issue at some places.
I'm an Iowa girl. Went to school in CT. Liked the area but way to many people for me. I would pass from one town to the next and not know it. They all ran together. In Iowa you have at least 15 miles of corn fields between each town.
The hunting is great in Iowa. I pay $3 for a landowner deer tag. Can't beat that. If you do Iowa, I would go to Southern half. I am in the middle. Our taxes are out of control. House prices near DesMoines will be over priced. Southern Iowa and Northern Missouri will be great for taxes and real estate. Just further away from larger cities for work.
I am lucky to be able to hunt my own place. Everyone seems to hunt. Late season I had 2 yahoos set up a tent for muzzy right on my property line. They were in range of my stands and my other neighbor's stands. They said "oh well, guess it is your fault if you shoot us. You know we are here." Just not safe. There went late season. They seemed to have a great time. I went out to sit and watch last day of season. 50 does and 15 small bucks within 30-40 yards. Sounds great, it was! Just toooo cold to pull my bow. The temp right now is -15. School is cancled. 5 days at home withmy kids and they can'tgo outside! Pray for me!
The summer is terrible hot with nasty bugs. But we have some nice lakes and rivers to fish and canoe on. I vote Iowa for Sring Turkey and fall deer. Tennessee for winter weather and hogs. Some Western mountain state for summer outdoor activities and cooler temps. So now you just need to hit the lottery and make it happen. Will let you know if I pull that one off myself.
Good luck-
Katie
If I could, Montana. Not sure what I would do but my dream is to retire there.
I have lived all over and I enjoyed Missouri and Kansas for hunting. There is plenty of good land, somewhat low taxes, and the airports are good if you need to vacation somewhere else. You get all four seasons and if you are closer to Arkansas you may miss some of the snowfall farther north. Missouri also has decent trout fishing and the license fees for instate aren't too bad.
http://www.mdc.mo.gov/
I certainly don't blame you for wanting to get out of the northeast. No way I could live there. Too many people. But my area is getting more crowded also.
I like Missouri. Plenty of small towns and good people. Oh yeah, we have an abundance of whitetails and public land to hunt them on.
thanks a bunch for all of the info... i have a ton of soul searching and job hunting to do.
Thanks, Steve
QuoteOriginally posted by Sipsey River:
You should probably skip Alabama. There are a lot of places to hunt, but everyone hunts, most guys kill everything that is brown. Bucks don't have much of a chance to grow big.
Pretty much the same here in Georgia, unfortunately. We may not have as high a percentage of hunters vs population, but with the fragmented land base, long seasons, and high hunting pressure, most bucks are killed long before they mature. :banghead:
Leatherneck, it was my dream too, and I was born and raised here!
One of the big problems with Montana now is the huge number of people who brought money in, raised the price of land and housing and have left the locals with not enough job base of high paying jobs to sustain a good economy. Add to that what all the liberal environmental whackos have done to business, and a huge numbers of jobs and businesses went under.
Now it seems to be relegated to a servie and tourist economy. I think the unemployment here in Kalispell will be shown to be over 10% by the end of the month. I overbuilt myself and had to keep working. My house has now devalued over 30% since it was new less than 3 years ago.
Add to that the DF&W has said the deer and elk population has gone way down. Tried to blame that on winter kills but the past 5 winters have been abnormally mild. The real killer is the reintroduced wolves.
Fishing has also fallen off, now they want to poison out all the non indigenous species and try to reintroduce native species only.
Sure is not like it was when I was a kid, but I thank the LORD I am alive and in Montana anyway, because I think it is actually going to be better here than many other states very soon.
I've heard it said for many years that Montana's most valuable export was it's bright, young minds. Good-paying jobs have always been scarce.
Fletcher, when I go back to the Flathead, I don't know whether to cry or puke. I'm not sure that the "liberal environmental whackos" you mentioned did enough to save the valley. And as for what they did to business, you might remember what some of the businesses did to the environment and to people. I'm thinking specifically of the huge problems in Libby. And if the whackos hadn't won in court, the Cabinet Mountains Wilderness area (one of my favorite hunting spots and one of the most beautiful places on earth) would be an open-pit gold mine.
There's good arguments to made on both sides and plenty of lessons to be learned. Thankfully, there's also room to respectfully disagree. I'll get moved back up there one of these days and we'll sit down and solve all the world's problems. :wavey: :campfire:
I'm in Colorado now I like it. Cost of living is high. I'll stay here until I get me goat and sheep tag then I'll be starting one of these threads agian lol.
We pulled up stakes 9 years ago and moved to Wyoming. Felt like I finally got home. Welp...Wyoming was great, loved the people, country, hunting, fishing and skiing, made good money and didn't have to kill myself doing it, had a nice house paid for, wife liked it, winters didn't bother me or the wife, but.....it was also 1600 miles from family and a lifetime of friends. Mom got sick and died while we were there. We came back for a lot of funerals. Might give careful consideration to those things.
Now we're back in south central Missouri and have most of what we had in Wyoming except for....yea, right. Oh well, it's home and I'll die here. House is still paid for and we built this one, business is holding its own.
I won't relate my experiences in Connecticut....they were none good...I'd flee there too but from where you are I'd look into Vermont or Maine. I particularly like Maine, used to bear hunt, fish and ski up there. Lots of good fishin' and huntin' in both places and if you have family the trip back won't be long.
Think long and hard about the west. Hunting in Montana or Wyoming for a week or so is one heck of a lot different than living there, especially coming from the east coast. My wife are both farm raised and we spent so much time in Colorado and Wyoming before moving there that we were almost permanent party anyway. For us it was almost as if we just moved to a different set of friends and country. Still, there were some things to get used to. Such as driving two hours to shop, the same two hours to eat a meal out in a nice restuarant.....not any better food....merely nicer surroundings. One ordered lots of stuff because we didn't jump into the Cherokee and run to Idaho Falls when you needed something. We have always been planners and stockpilers of groceries so really none of those things were an issue for us....just a continuation of how we lived on the farm in Missouri....but lots of folks we knew had some real problems with the remoteness.
Good luck with your decision. It's both exciting and a mite intimidating.
Vic