I like it here in the Bible belt, but given the option to live anywhere in the US, where would you live? Keeping in mind I live for bowhunting (and the outdoors in general). Love hunting big game, small game, and pretty much anything outside. Give me some reasons why...
Come on...brag on your state....or somebody else's state.
I might like to try the Rockies or mid west for a time, but in the long run, I would likely stay in the South. My family has been here since the 1700's so there is a certain familiarity about it. It has a generally agreeable climate. Both the mountains and beach are close by. Hunting and fishing is good, and people are mostly friendly. Besides, I own a small tract of land with deer and turkeys, so I don't have to worry about losing a lease.
I have often thought how nice it would be to live in CO/WY/MT for the big game hunting opportunities. But when you look at it the seasons area pretty short for the most part and run together for archery. Come OCT for the most part your Archery hunting is done unless you go the small game route. I can hunt in MD for deer from 5SEP till the end of March now in some areas. They turkey season starts. I fish the streams for trout, lakes for bass or head to the ocean for some saltwater action.
If I had the $$$ I would consider a northern state or Canada. Hunt, fish then bale out during the winter!!
Az. Is hunter friendly but as stated seasons and bag limits are not as liberal as back East.
I live in Northeast Oklahoma and love to small game hunt as well as deer hunt. I have adapted to this area pretty well and really haven't got to hunt in the eastern half of the US. I would have to pick the central part of Kansas, Nebraska, or South Dakota because of the good deer, pheasant, rabbit, and squirrel hunting and the low population of people.
Living in colorado I would say definately NOT here like tracker12 said. We have a terribly short season of combined bear,deer, elk.. Antelope has a 2 week head start. And then it's over. Nothing to do for 11 months.
Suppose you could argue the turkey, but most people here end up going to Nebraska. Lots of turkey on private areas at a premium $$. public land is like going to the mall
Colo is the place to be. mule deer, white tail, elk, bears, lions, antelope, big horns, mountain goats, moose. except the seasons run for the most part,the same time (sept) and deer is a draw, ( I'm getting a deer tag every two years). and no hogs.
Other than the HIGH taxes here, I like where I'm at in NY. Good hunting and fishing, lots of public land and a lot of private land if you ask. I was born and raised in the Adirondacks, and my little camp there is just an hour away. The hunting isn't as "easy" as it is here in the southern zone, but IMO you can't beat the experience. I can hunt the rolling hardwood ridges, fields, and hemlock swamps around home, and have a virtual wilderness an hour away. If I was going to pick a new place to live, it would be somewhere that has a decent moose population, and I wouldn't want to give up my whitetails, turkeys and black bears. A spring and fall bear hunt would be ideal, and being able to bait would make things a lot easier. I could live without rabbit, squirrel, and grouse hunting, but I'd miss it. I imagine there are better states for folks like us, but all in all, I'm pretty happy here. Thanks.
Bob
I'm with Matty on CO. Way too hard to draw a license in most of the "good" units...In the over the counter areas there is way too many hunters competing for too few animals...I'm 60 years old , native of CO. and lived in the mountains all my life...just my perspective on it from about 50 years of hunting here....it ain't what it used to be...
I moved to Arkansas from California a year ago and i am in heaven, the amount of public land here is just amazing and the quality of the public land is like day and night compared to California. The long seasons and large bag limits are amazing also. Deer season, 6 deer and 5 months long. Elk is a draw, Hogs on privet land, Bear, and the fishing just say my wife is in heaven too.
B.C. We got everything. ;)
I think I'd want to move south. I'd love to live in a state that has pretty liberal bag limits for deer, a long season and have the opportunity to hunt hogs. I live in Pa and hunt in Maryland. I have the liberal bag limits and long season covered just not the hogs.
Tony I'm surprised you haven't moved to Georgia yet.
Not quite sure exactly what "folks like us" is but I would have left my little red state paradise years ago if I did not have a handicapped daughter. She is in supported independent living near me and I'm not going anywhere. If I was, I would be looking at western Montana, probably Missoula as I'm a city boy. Pretty moderate climate (if you think Montana is cold, spend some time around the Great Lakes). There is outdoor recreation in spades, nearly 3 months of hunting season and there is world class cold water fishing in all directions and a few nearby tail waters that fish year-round.
Big fan of Northern Rockies especially Wyoming. Would be living there if not for elderly parents. I could still hunt Kentucky on the cheap as a non-resident. Bail out on Kentucky summers and Wyoming winters, suit me just fine.
I live in AZ so I may be a little partial. Bow season opens with over the counter deer (mule and coues) and turkey, mid September is archery elk (you gotta get drawn). Archery antelope is mid August-mid September it's not to awful hard to draw a tag. Then archery deer opens up again in December and runs through Jan 31st. Archery Javalina opens January 1st, it's a draw hunt but in 20 years I've never not been drawn. Throw in over the counter bear and pretty much year round lion and coyotes, you can definitely keep busy. Sheep hunting is tough to get drawn for as well as buffalo. Spring turkey is a draw but is fairly easy to get.
Guess I'm just a deer hunter at heart so I'd stay in the midwest.
What Gordon said
Where I live (southeast pa) is a paradox of sorts.....with archery gear I can deer hunt pretty much non stop from mid September til the end of January, only one buck tag available each year but doe tags are easy to come by. The problem is access, very little public land (in my in my wmu) and private land is tough to get permission, but if you do, you are set. Lots of deer and lots of big bucks. The frustration is access. But I am also close to other states such as nj, and md that offer good hunting, the mountains of PA are beautiful and close by, and there are a couple million acres of public land in PA.
I am having fun here in Oregon in my 2nd year as a traditional bow hunter. However, I have often thought about living in a state that has multiple tag opportunities.
Nevada is plenty open, with mulies, elk, bear, goat, 3 different sheep, antelope and lion. All but lion draw. Short seasons. Deer is august when it is very hot. That said, very big mulies and bulls. The trips to WI or MO help heal the wounds of remorse of leaving the east
California has a lot of bowhunting year around deer season some zones start in July and some run until end of Dec we have Bighorn sheep,antelope,Elk all draw and black bear,hogs.The only thing wrong with California to much BS laws and liberals. I am moving as soon as the boss give me the ok.
I've lived in Wyoming for the past 20 years and was in Colorado for 20+ before that. Both have an abundant variety of game but the seasons are very short and they all come at about the same time. Here we basically get the month of Sept. for deer/elk and antelope starts a couple of weeks earlier. Some states in the midwest & east have deer seasons that are 5 months long...that would be nice.
On the other hand, there are no crowds in Wyoming, we seldom see another bowhunter during bow season and I have never seen a trad bowhunter.
TEXAS! It's the Africa of the North American continent. Whitetail, mule deer, turkey, hogs, javelina, predators (big and small), saltwater and fresh water fishing second to none. Would move back in a heartbeat if I could get the wife to agree to it!
gotta agree with timbermoose.
everything in BC, and out here on the islands, we have a 9 month deer season.
only one month a year we cant hunt anything!!
This is bringing some interesting feedback. I'm a little surprised, as I expected more votes for the West (Colorado, Wyoming, Montana). I must say that the tag issue and short seasons are not appealing. I honestly don't know what I would do here if they went to a draw for deer and I didn't get drawn....I would without a doubt move.....
I live in Michigan and love it if I moved anywhere it would be further north to Da UP AH
Tennessee for home state, then spend summers in the western states up through close of archery seasons there....Arizona during the late winter months..works for me..3 does a day limit here in TN, 3 buck limit...season opens end of September, closes January...cheap housing, taxes.conservative minded folks...
I left northern wi about 38 years ago,spent about 13 years in central mn and transfered to Wy 25 years ago and I do miss the long seasons the Midwest offer.Here in Wy we have alot of things to hunt and a short time to do it,with the exception of spring bear and spring turkey.
Like myshootinstinks said no crowds and I also never see another traditional hunter,but I still go back to Wisconsin every year for 3-4 weeks to chase whitetails.
QuoteOriginally posted by Arctic Hunter:
the tag issue and short seasons are not appealing.
That is it for me.
I have very good hunting and extremely generous seasons here in WI. I try to get in at least one western hunt each fall. The past couple of years we have been going to AZ for a couple of months in the winter so I have the best of both worlds. Not really looking to move.
But if I did I would seriously consider Nebraska. A friend of mine that was previously from WI moved there a few years ago and loves it. Great hunting, long seasons, add in mule deer and antelope and it sounds like a great place to live for a hunter. Plus it is 10 hours closer to the mountains to make those September trips much easier.
After living on the Atlantic coast, Gulf coast and the Cheasapeake I want to move near "big water" for the off seasons. I also really enjoy long cold winters(even this one) and big woods, so I will probably move to just off a northern great lake or Maine coast. Michigan and NY are out because of their BS handgun laws....... You have to look at the big picture and more than just the hunting...... currently in Ohio for family obligations and the deer hunting here is pretty good.....
Thanks for all the replys and input.
Whip is in Heaven.
I would think Wisconsin March-->December then Texas or AZ January through March.
If it were up to me, I would do June-end of Sept in Colorado or Wyoming. Then, October and November in the Midwest. December-May would be back in Louisiana. If I had to pick just one state, I would probably stay in LA, but Mississippi, Arkansas, and Missouri probably wouldn't be too bad.
QuoteOriginally posted by NCArrowflinger:
fresh water fishing second to none. [/QUOTE
Minnesota might disagree with that. hah
I'd stay in the midwest as well, although we have no pigs, which would make great table fare, bear,deer, turkey are plentiful.
If you like solitude Northern Mn. has it, plenty of public land to hunt without the crowds. Of course you need to like colder weather and what it brings, snow.
I was just looking at jobs in N MN yesterday LOL! The fishing isn't so bad either!
I can tell you this, stay out of Alaska unless you're independently wealthy! Or are just a lucky SOB with access to someone with a good boat or plane. Without one, the hunts are not cheap, though we can hunt literally 12 months of the year, access and in winter temperature becomes a major issue.
Consider this, a Alaska Resident hunt in Kodiak or southeast deer or bear hunt costs me more than a flight home and whitetail liscense to hunt MN as a non res!
The road systems been pounded beyond oblivion! The caribou hunting is ok if you don't mind people. Thankfully I have some sheep holes I generally spend my falls in.
couple more weeks and I'll be paying handsomely to scratch a 25 year long itch, thunderchicken'itus!
yes fishing in northern mn. can be world class.
If your an avid fisherman, fishing can be world class, with many secluded back road lakes the northern 1/3 of the state that get only local pressure from those in the know. athen there's Lake of the woods, it simply is the finest walleye, northern and pan fish this side of Canada. BWCA is another story, fantastic fishing but a little harder to access but a great wilderness area, epic scenery.
My brother is a CO in the BWCA...we grew up on upper red in the summers. I've eaten a pile of northern Mn eyes and slab crappies, back when red was in its haydays! Its been a long long time. I've only been back to NMN once in the last 20 years since I left for AK.
Upper Red is close to back to its former glory right now except for crappies, Walleye and huge Northerns have taken over.
Ice fishing destination for many these days.
Montana is awesome. Spring bear is over a month long, they sell turkey tags but I havent tried for them.
Pronghorn in mid August, muley and elk first week of September. Can use a bow through rifle season, and whitetail season goes thru mid January/early February.
Fly fishing is world class, plenty of yotes and wolves to chase after. Good waterfowl and upland game opportunities.
Lots of granola's here in Bozeman, but can get away from them plenty easy.
I could certainly throw in a little input on where I would live if given the opportunity, but I find the best state for me is "happiness in ones self". With this, you will always (most always) be happy with your surroundings.
I have lived lots of places and found that I desire them more after I have left. Never really utilized them as much as I though I would while I was there.
I sure get excited though when I plan a hunt in far away places...might only be a few hours away, but it is not in my back yard.
BigJIm
The grass is always greener somewhere else. :campfire:
QuoteOriginally posted by myshootinstinks:
The grass is always greener somewhere else. :campfire:
.....but you still have to mow the lawn and pick up the doggie doo.
homebru
I've traveled a good bit and hunted several states. I hope to do more of it, but honestly, Georgia's hard to beat. We're like several other states in that we shoot too many does, but we have deer, turkeys, hogs, bear, gators, armadillos, lots of small game, ect. Hunting season never really closes here.
Not South Western CT lol
I would love to hunt somewhere with a diversity of game species both large and small game. Maybe Arizona would be my choice. I really like the mountains and backcountry bowhunting just speaks to me.
The way thing are going though the best thing to do is be rich so you can buy a large piece of land and travel to hunt in prime areas.
Luckily being blessed to travel for a living and seeing all our states except Alaska and Hawaii and most provinces of Canada I would have to say Alberta for me. I really like the Agriculture along with the diversity in game and topography Alberta offers.
Oklahoma - Lots of good people and a bunch of freindly trad shooters.
This winter in Maine has my wife on "we're outa here" mode. As I read through this and think about a place I could move to I struggle with the land access issue. Even though we have low game numbers, we have lots of land. I love walking though woods and can access an amazing amount of land here, both for just walking, stumping or hunting since our laws allow you to hunt on private land that is not posted. I can walk out my back door and walk for hours without stopping for a couple of hours, and rarely see another persons boot track, (or deer track for that matter). It would be nice if land access is factored into your expert input.
I think your choices will definitely be influenced by what you want. By that I mean, in the south, say Georgia as an example, there are deer and turkey and hogs, with hogs being open to chase for a lot of the year. A lot. And there are probably other game, maybe bear ( I don't know for sure).
If you want variety of big game, then obviously the northwest or even Alaska is your goal. But seasons there tend to be much shorter and in some areas much (much) colder.
No perfect answer to this one.
ChuckC
The state with the most 3D shoots.