Little premature, but if everything works out, I might be moving up there in 2 years. How is the hunting up there for a fellow that wants to hunt public land and that will have little time?
And please ,if you are kind enough to answer, dont just think big, but also think squirrels, rabbits etc. Stupid question, but are there hogs up there? Turkey? Besides Elk, what other animals do you guys hunt? Finally how far would I have to travel from Denver for all that? Thank you.
Well, no hogs for sure. High population, you'll need to drive a ways to get into good hunting. There's elk, deer, antelope very near but not that are available to hunt. I have to admit I only lived in Denver for part of one year but spent 20 or so years in Colo. Springs.
I enjoyed it back in the early 1970s but it has grown so much.....that's why I moved north.
There are things to hunt, and as a resident, they are a lot cheaper than as a visitor for sure. Denver is a big city, with a lot of folks.
Ask about the east west corridor (highway) leading from Denver to all parts west, going thru beautiful mountains and such (good thing), and getting backed up like all heck with all the traffic (really bad thing).
Elk are addictive, mulies ( normal sized ones, as trophy anythings are a different animal) sure don't seen as skittish as whitetails, the turkeys that they have out there sure like to follow me around and are nothing at all like eastern's in that temperament. Fair number of bears out there. I don't recall seeing a lot of bunnies, but grouse can be numerous, depending on the year.
It is (Colorado) a great place to visit, and I do it as often as I can, never lived there though.
ChuckC
What part of Denver. Overall traffic is bad and not getting better. Home prices are going up and getting hard to found good value for a place to live. There is hunting to be had for small game nearby. For the bigger animals like deer and elk most of the units east of the divide are draw, but can get a leftover tag. Antelope is fun but got to find a farmer to let you trespass for them. I70 that Chuck refers to is getting incredibly busy on weekend to the point during peak times it can be a 3-4hr crawl from denver to summit county or back.
Live on the west side of town when you get here. No hogs as mentioned. There's plenty of public land close, hour and a half or less. Whitetail waterfowl and upland to the east of town, mulie and pronghorn various places, elk in the mountains and small game every where. Best of all rmsgear is a short drive away.
And if you have the coin start banking preference points, to late this year but you could get a turkey preference point in the fall season draw. They will convert from non resident to resident as that happens
Come to coeur d'alene idaho with me!!
My little brother (TG handle "FormerLifeShooter") is a native Floridian just like me and after he got out of the Navy last year he relocated to the west side of Denver and has never been happier. He currently lives less than a mile from RMS Gear's new location and is just having a ball exploring the mountains and learning the land. I don't think you'd regret moving one bit. I can't wait to visit out there next year.
Lived there for 13 years, Arvada, Wheatridge, Thornton and Aurora. The whole front range is one big ant hill anymore, just way too many people for me.
Evidently you must be thinking about moving to Denver for an employment opportunity ; I couldn't imagine another reason to move there...If you don't have to work ; move to a small mountain town...I'm a native from CO. (born in Colorado Springs)but have lived in a VERY small mountain town for over 20 years...
" Best of all rmsgear is a short drive away." Yep, now that's something I can agree with. Tom and his crew are great, best trad-gear shop in the west.
I've been in WY for over 20 years but if I were going back to CO, which I may do someday due to aging parents still there, I'd look at southern CO or the western slope.
The western slope still has some of what used to be Colorado before the front range got so overgrown. I 70 can be a big parking lot on weekends coming out of Denver. Every time I have to go down there, I am sure glad that I live where I do. The only saving grace to Denver is that RMSG is there, as mentioned above. That said, if you like big cities and snarled traffic, Denver may be just the place.
The good news about living anywhere but Denver is that RMSG will ship to ya !!!
I guess if you are used to metropolitan areas and want to be near mountains its ok. In my case, every time I HAVE to go there I feel like I've done something wrong and am receiving a punishment. I hate that place, just because it is a big city.
x2
Used to love Denver in the 70's,spent some time at the air force base there doing some training, would not live there now if they paid me to. Was back there in the early 2000s and it sure had changed, I cannot imagine what it is like now.
I will say it is the best weather/climate you will find and still have all 4 seasons. The dry high plains air makes the cold less cold and the hot less hot.
Danny, they closed Lowry AFB in the 90's, not sure what they did with Fitsimmons and Buckley field was still there last I knew.
I live here, and love it. Denver proper is getting big and overcrowded, but if you live on the west side it's only an hour or so to public land. (I'm talking National Forest land, lots of it.
Look at a map of Colorado, and note how much of it is National Forest.
Big game, small game, you name it, and it's probably here.
If I were to do it all over again, though, I'd look over on the Western Slope around Delta and Montrose.
Come on down!
Ever consider Western NC / Eastern TN? We got lots of public land out here and some beautiful mountain country. Deer numbers are on the rise, bears are all over and there is a pile of turkeys. Good squirrel hunting opportunities and all the trout fishing you can handle. If you get southwest of Haywood county it is very rural and not as much tourism. Lots of great people here too! Just want to put a plug in for all the great western nc tradgangers that have answered my questions and welcomed me to the fold
I forgot to add there are wild boar/ feral pigs. Some descendants of the russian boars out in Graham county NC
I lived in Boulder and worked in Denver. This was forty years ago and I just hated that place. I can't imagine anyone wanting to deliberately move there. You had better think about joining a sportsman club because permission to trespass is non existent and BLM land is crowded.
Regards,
Grouse
I lived near Denver's west side and moved away 8 years ago. Too many people for me. My lasting memory is coming back to Denver on I-40 on Sunday afternoons- traffic backed up for miles and miles.
You guys with all the gloom and doom, it does suck sometimes but it beats a lot of the places I've lived before when you add in the work and play that's available! I get to see the Rockies every day!
I was born in Denver and lived there for almost 40 years. Too many people moved in so I moved to the west slope 13 years ago. I wouldn't go back. Once you get out of Denver there is lots of public land. If you don't have to travel on the weekends you will be ok getting up to the mountains.
Ok, write this down so you don't forget, as soon as you know your moving here if you do, get on the waiting list to join Golden High Country Archers an outdoor 3d archery club, either that or find a place within the city limits of Golden to live. Golden residents aren't subject to the membership cap. www.ghcarchers.org (http://www.ghcarchers.org)
Imagine that, a Coast Guard guy in Denver, haha! miss you, buddy. My shooting and Dave's have gone down the crapper without you to compete with!
Thank you guys. Mixed responses so far.
Well John, this Coast Guard guy faces a dillema. Stay in the C.G till retirement or get out in 2 years and finish my degree? If I decide the latter, the only 3 cities that would work between my wife's job and my degree would be either Denver (or up to an hour away towards west where the CO School of Mines is) or Houston - or Austin. So if I got accepted by any of the colleges on these towns my wife and I would be happy. I was looking at what people had to say, as my undesrtanding is there is not much public land near Houston?
As far as shooting goes, it can't be worse than mine John. I am lost in an ILF labyrinth, changing combos constantly, never mastering none.
If public land is what you need to hunt, then CO will definitely be the better place for you. Tx has some public land, but it is not near as much or near as user friendly as CO public land.
My son lives in Denver, and other than the fantastic views, it is really just about the same as any other gigantic metropolitan area.
Good luck!
Bisch
Bisch
I lived in Denver for 39 years and went to School of Mines. Wouldn't go back to either :biglaugh: .
I would easily take Denver over your other options.
The School of mines is in Golden, which is on the west side of Denver and is a nice area to live.
Fortunately I don't have to make the choice, but between Houston, Austin, or Denver, I would choose Denver. Still way too crowded, but Houston is even worse, not to mention flat and ungodly hot and humid, and Austin is 'eccentric' to put it as PC as I can. It is also hot and overcrowded. Last time I looked, I believe that Texas is around 98 percent private land. Denver is far from nirvana, but given those choices, it would be the best option for someone who enjoys the outdoors.
QuoteOriginally posted by centaur:
Austin is 'eccentric' to put it as PC as I can.
I live 30 minutes from Austin, and avoid it at all costs, because of this eccentricity you speak of! :scared: :scared: :scared:
Bisch
Yeah, I hear Austin is kind of like Boulder Colorado and we say Boulder is ten square miles surrounded by reality!
Austin has not hit Boulder status yet but its heading there fast. I would not hesitate to move to Denver, it's a heck of a lot better than most major cities its size.
Denver can be whatever you make it. There are every kind of people you want, and every kind you don't.
Within an hour or two you can be hunting public land elk, whitetail, muley, bighorn, moose, mtn goat, pronghorn, bear, turkeys, and a plethora of small game. Of course a few of those species are tough to draw a tag for. You can count on hunting elk, deer, pronghorn, turkeys and bear every year if you choose. And of course plenty of small game, upland birds, waterfowl, and lots of fishing if any those things tickle your fancy.
Our public lands are getting more crowded all the time. Although half the people you run into in the elk woods will be from Wisconsin, half from any other state, and an occasional Coloradan. ;)
The only thing I do not like about it is that I cannot deer hunt out my backdoor 3 months of the year, like I could when I lived in the mid-west. But Kansas and Nebraska are both a stone's throw away, and the public land out there is plentiful as well. I envy those guys that can walk out their backdoor and hunt deer to their heart's content, but I don't think I'd trade it for the variety that Colorado offers. The High Lonesome is in my blood, I couldn't live anywhere without elk bugles echoing off of high mountain basins.
I personally do not like driving the main highways during rush hour, but I choose not to let traffic dictate my mood. It is what it is. There is a big part of me that desires a small town life. However, I would feel very limited in what I could pursue. I like where I'm at, and feel that I'm a comfortable drive away from every outdoor activity that I want.
You will never be bored or run out of things to do. You can have a bow in your hand every month of the year depending on what you want to do. There are a million things to do outdoors or in town. Like I said, it will be exactly and whatever you make it. There are tons of trad guys around. You shouldn't be hurting for good company.
There are lots of good folks on here who would be happy to give you advice when the time comes. My parents are both realestate appraisers and can really help you get a lay of the land. Give us a call here at RMSGear when the times comes. We'll help you figure out the different parts of the city depending on your criteria, and of course help get you plugged in with some great trad folks. Good luck!
Thank you all and thanks high plains!
I am going to print these 3 pages, so I can have all your guys info when the time comes.
I worked in Denver for about three months on an auditing team, and my son and his family live in Centennial.
I love visiting CO, as it is soo different from ND. I have hunted elk the last four years there and enjoyed it. But there has always been other hunters each area we have tried.
The city has a lot to offer, I think I could live there, but my son says it is expensive - especially for people moving there are a fixed budget like retirees.