Best state to take up residency

[BuzzH]

Hunting gets shitty when money is a factor. In more ways than one. mtmuley

I don't disagree with this, but the way things are in 2019. If you're just getting serious about hunting...smart move is to have a good high paying job. Wont be long and OTC resident opportunities are going to dry up as well.

I got in on the tail end of a person of average means getting to hunt some of the best...and that was over 20 years ago.

Wish it wasn't the case, but it is.

 

[mtmuley]

I don't disagree with this, but the way things are in 2019. If you're just getting serious about hunting...smart move is to have a good high paying job. Wont be long and OTC resident opportunities are going to dry up as well.

I got in on the tail end of a person of average means getting to hunt some of the best...and that was over 20 years ago.

Wish it wasn't the case, but it is.

You just explained the shitty part. mtmuley

 

[mtmuley]

Truth. Money don’t buy you happiness, but it’s hard to hunt if you’re broke.

"Broke" is relative. I ain't rich, but I hunt. And, happy to boot. mtmuley

 

[MooseCaboose]

If you can’t handle cold and wind then living in any of the northern Rockies states will be a complete non-starter for you. People who grow up there are used to it. Some people who move there grow accustomed to it. Many people can’t handle it.

 

[MooseCaboose]

There’s no one right answer to the high pay vs. high hunting opportunity question. It comes down purely to personal lifestyle preference.

For some, living in the mountains year-round is the highest pay that can be received. For others, visiting regularly while making a good salary somewhere else is the ticket.

Some people see Boise or Bozeman growing like crazy and it disgusts them. Others see it as an exciting economic boom.

Some hear 700,000 folks and think unbearable metropolis. Others think that’s a quaint little town with larger city amenities.

OP was asking for suggestions and thoughts and we should stick to providing those rather than debating unanswerable questions of preference.

 

[JLS]

OP was asking for suggestions and thoughts and we should stick to providing those rather than debating unanswerable questions of preference.

Kind of an ironic statement, given the fact the OP was asking for answers that are complete subjective in nature. The “best” of anything completely depends on your priorities, basically making it an unanswerable question of preference.

 

[MooseCaboose]

Kind of an ironic statement, given the fact the OP was asking for answers that are complete subjective in nature. The “best” of anything completely depends on your priorities, basically making it an unanswerable question of preference.

Tl;dr Share your perspective and leave it to OP to sort through what resonates with him.

 

[JLS]

 

[Old man bob]

No doubt , Hunting is getting to be a Rich mans Hobby if YA wanna go out a State. I would rather live in paradise where it is warm and the Women are HOT just like the weather. Thus I have been in Beautiful ARIZONA since 1977. 1 year in Florida. BS to humid and rainy. only thing good is spring break.Lived in N, Dakota 4 plus Years Don't wanna say nothin but y"all know how I feel about that place.Got to hunt Montana Muley 3 times and Wyo twice . Hicksville both places. But nice to hunt. You don't have to live there to hunt it. I am going Muley to Colo. this Year and next Year Wyo again with 10 Elk points. Hunted New Mexico many times and Mexico 5 times. And still get to live and work in Paradise. AZ. Has it all Great Big Game Hunting All 4 Major sports , 2 Nascar races a year. !5 teams for Spring training in Baseball .The biggest spectator sport in the world with 250k people on Saturday which is the Phoenix open golf tournament. We have had 3 or 4 Super Bowls 4-5 national championship Bowl games ( and no Dakota fans that one You win is not the real one) A final 4 in Basketball. The largest University in the country ASU, I could keep going but don't wanna tell Ya about the job market with 5 Million people here in the valley alone. Don't want more moving here.Personally I couldn't live any where else except AZ.It doesn't have to be Phoenix ,but 0ver 300 days of sunshine is wonderfull. And did I mention You can go in any unit and kill a 330 Bull,or the Kaibab or the Strip for 200' plus muleys. And i Have shoveled snow here in my cabin in the White Mtns. Did You Guys know half the stata is pine Trees and Mt. Hunphries in Flagstaff is only 12 feet shorter than the tallest Mtn. in Montana.You can Snow Ski and water Ski inthe same day if you want. OK enough. Youl'l stay where your at ,to keep My drawing odds better. .....................BOB!

 

[tzone]

Most folks have weekends and 2-4 weeks of vacation a year. The rest of the time you have to live and work in a place. Lots of folks on year just giving their 2 cents on what's it's like to deal with reality during the 80-90% of your time you aren't playing in the woods.

If I was retired or had a 35 hr a week job or had 6 weeks of vacation I would hands down pick AK or WY, if I was a doctor, lawyer, software designer, etc. working truly working 80-90 hours a week I would pick NYC hands down. Just depends on your situation.

You need to make time or not make time. It's your decision. I'm neither retired or have a 35hr/week job. I have a 45-60hr a week job depending on the season. If giving my experience is my 2 cents...then so be it. I have and will drive 8-10 hours to scout. I did it last year twice. I'll be doing it again this year at least once and I don't even have a tag.

It's OK if that stuff is not as important to you. It is to me so I make time for it. Your mileage may vary.

 

[Deleted member 28227]

You need to make time or not make time. It's your decision. I'm neither retired or have a 35hr/week job. I have a 45-60hr a week job depending on the season. If giving my experience is my 2 cents...then so be it. I have and will drive 8-10 hours to scout. I did it last year twice. I'll be doing it again this year at least once and I don't even have a tag.

It's OK if that stuff is not as important to you. It is to me so I make time for it. Your mileage may vary.

I referring to the trade offs of various lifestyles, not trying to begrudge anyone there's.

To your point it's your decision to make time. Living in some areas is just more conducive to certain lifestyles. Cities are great for careers but not for spending a lot of time in the woods, places like WY and MT are states where it's not only difficult to find jobs, but they lack the infrastructure to help take stuff off your plate when your working high a ton.

 

[tzone]

I referring to the trade offs of various lifestyles, not trying to begrudge anyone there's.

To your point it's your decision to make time. Living in some areas is just more conducive to certain lifestyles. Cities are great for careers but not for spending a lot of time in the woods, places like WY and MT are states where it's not only difficult to find jobs, but they lack the infrastructure to help take stuff off your plate when your working high a ton.

Growing up in the woods and spending my 20's and a good part of my 30's living and working in rural area certainly let me be in the woods more than most. Now I live in a city, yeah I hate it, but do have to balance making a good living and time in the woods. I'm (we) are about 7 years away from being able to take a pay-cut to move to a much more desirable area.

 

[Deleted member 28227]

Growing up in the woods and spending my 20's and a good part of my 30's living and working in rural area certainly let me be in the woods more than most. Now I live in a city, yeah I hate it, but do have to balance making a good living and time in the woods. I'm (we) are about 7 years away from being able to take a pay-cut to move to a much more desirable area.

We are in a similar position and I can't wait to move back in 7-ish years to a rural area.

Never really saw the point of them before, but when your spouse is working true 100 hour weeks 4:30-9:30, 6 days a week + call, you really value things like grubhub, lyft, pickup/deliver dry cleaning, grocery delivery services, etc.

 

[Old man bob]

Having lived in Warm weather for so many years I can't see suffering in nasty cold stuff when it's not neccesary.. Like I said You can still hunt anywhere. To each His own. AZ. has everything You need and is affordable. 100,000 move to Phoenix every year.Easy to get around to If you stay off the Freeways.>>>>>>>>>>BOB!

 

[ida homer]

Truth. Money don’t buy you happiness, but it’s hard to hunt if you’re broke.

Yep. Especially with the type of gear that guys on hunting forums typically prefer to hunt with.

 

[Gila]

A bit of advice for what it's worth. Make as much money as you can while you can. Don't take a pay cut to move somewhere. Sometimes it works out but then if it doesn't, it can be a hard knock that is difficult to recover from. I think that overall, the hunting opportunities are better now then they have ever been. Granted urban sprawl and competition for tags is a greater challenge as time goes on. For all of you military folks out there; some states are more Veteran friendly than others. Reduced property taxes, licenses, tag fees and sometimes passes to use public lands are available depending on each state. A reasonable drive to a VA health facilty and a military base for retirement benefits is a consideration. Those Veteran and military retiree benefits can add up to a rather large sum of money over a lifetime.

 

[mtmuley]

I have friends that live out of state making the money. By the time they move here with the money at 65 or so, I'll have 30 more years of Montana they didn't get. It's all about balance. mtmuley

 

[Gila]

If a person spends 6 figures plus on an education to work in their chosen profession, where they live may be constrained. Depending on the profession, working remotely and then flying to a meeting once a week or so is an option for some folks these days. Having said that, a person can always fly to the hunt or hook up the RV and drive there. What financial situation a person is in when they retire and where they end up living when they retire matters. Some folks are forced to retire early. A mild climate may be a good option for those with health issues. I don't know. I suppose it is just what a person wants out of life and what they are willing to do to get it.

 

[JLS]

I have friends that live out of state making the money. By the time they move here with the money at 65 or so, I'll have 30 more years of Montana they didn't get. It's all about balance. mtmuley

No free lunch, is there?

 

[greatwhitebuffalo]

A lot of these posts give the tone that moving to any of these destinations is a terminal state. Yes, moving is almost always a huge hassle. But, it's also possible to go somewhere for a few years and move on with little (if any) lost. I almost think it's necessary for someone to truly commit to any long term type of plans. You just have to see a few places and breathe the air for a few seasons having lived there to truly get it for yourself. Don't take my word (or anyone else's) for it; odds are that if you have an inclination to live somewhere else, you need to go give it a try. Beats wondering.