How much do you value your residency

[Boarmaster]

If I was doing well enough and figured my future was good I wouldn't move away from somewhere I enjoyed living. $15-20k increase isnt chump change but likely its not like doubling your pay. If you can achieve your personal and professional goals right there then great.

 

[Hunting Wife]

I’ve turned down lots of money because I didn’t want to move from Montana to North Dakota

I would say though…if hunting moose is the pinnacle of someone’s bucket list they should consider North Dakota. Lots of moose, pretty generous tags, resident only. Since I do wildlife work, making small talk with folks about wildlife and hunting is kinda part of the job and it’s pretty remarkable how many people over there have had moose tags or just drew a moose tag. More than any other state I’ve worked in by far.

I like the variety available to me as a MT resident, and then being close to really good NR hunting in nearby locales rounds things out. But particularly the last couple of years it’s gotten much more difficult to draw tags that used to be easy, and it’s gotten much more crowded doing just about anything outdoors. Reminds me more of Oregon or Colorado than MT. I don’t think being a resident is going to continue to provide the perks we’ve been accustomed to.

 

[geetar]

I’ve only lived in NC but I would miss aspects of it if I left but I’m with @wllm1313 on the new experiences thing. You limit yourself if you always stay in one place. My wife likes being close to her aging parents and taking care of them and I respect that but one day I will leave NC to explore a new state.

 

[jt13]

I think that residency certainly provides a value and that it would be worth taking a pay cut in many places in exchange for those benefits. It does seem that the number of those areas are shrinking due to the skyrocketing cost of living and real estate.

As much as I pester my wife about moving west I doubt it'll ever happen. We've both got great jobs in a good community and ample vacation time to visit the west. We currently rent a farm house for dirt cheap with more acreage than we could ever dream to own ourselves. The big one however is both of our families are only about 3-4 hour drive away, close enough to run home at a moments notice.

It boils down to the fact that life is too good here to pull up our roots and move. I guess that's a good problem to have.

 

[Nameless Range]

Then I remembered I have 5 or 6 guaranteed tags sitting in my nightstand and more public
land than I could explore in 5 lifetimes.

From a hunting perspective I agree with this outlook on life. Hunting is only part of the reason I would never leave where I live, but for fun I tried to imagine a monetary amount that could get me to move where this would not be the case. For example - if someone offered me a million dollars to move to some godforsaken place for a year, would I do it? I say in all honesty, that such a state of affairs as currently exists may be priceless. It's why I am on this forum, and why it is worth fighting for.

Life is too short. Maybe this kind of shortsightedness lends itself to never being rich, but I begin every fall with more daydreams than time and end every hunting season with a lot of gratitude and a prayer that I get to do it again.

 

[Deleted member 28227]

From a hunting perspective I agree with this outlook on life. Hunting is only part of the reason I would never leave where I live, but for fun I tried to imagine a monetary amount that could get me to move where this would not be the case. For example - if someone offered me a million dollars to move to some godforsaken place for a year, would I do it? I say in all honesty, that such a state of affairs as currently exists may be priceless. It's why I am on this forum, and why it is worth fighting for.

Life is too short. Maybe this kind of shortsightedness lends itself to never being rich, but I begin every fall with more daydreams than time and end every hunting season with a lot of gratitude and a prayer that I get to do it again.

Yeah I’m never moving to midland either.

 

[np307]

Beach, swamps, river bottoms, pine forests, hardwood foothills, mountains. Major cities, small towns, suburbs, farmland. 6 deer tags each year, 2 turkey tags, a bear tag, a bunch of squirrels and rabbits, all kinds of fish, both saltwater and freshwater. I put a pretty high premium on all of that.

 

[vanish]

As much as I hate our local growing population, I just can't find another place that has comparable hunting and fishing opportunities, amenities (having a decently sized population can have advantages) and climate.

New Zealand is about the only place we can see that might pull us away from Colorado.

Then again, if I ever mistakenly decide to drive I-70 on a Sunday afternoon again I may be forced to reconsider.

 

[buffybr]

I was 5th generation Colorado, but my job took me to Montana in 1975. I still have relation in the Denver area so I go back there several times a year. The Denver population cancer has spread all along the Front Range and deep into the mountains. I would never consider moving back there.

 

[beagle001]

Changing my residency is less than a pipe dream… I tried and tried to persuade my wife to move to Wyoming or South Dakota or Montana but now that we’ve got kids, she likes the idea even less. So, I’m stuck here in Wisconsin. It’s fine, but there aren’t any mountains here. Or muleys

 

[OntarioHunter]

Nope hate W. Oregon. Really like E Oregon. Moving in 7 weeks to Boise to be closer to my property in E Oregon. I have to be by airport so it has to Boise, otherwise E Oregon.

Boise? Ugh! You have my sympathy. What a rat race that place has become. So much wonderful farming and hunting ground covered over with pavement and new homes. My granddad's once famous fruit orchard and packing plant in Emmett was gobbled up decades ago. Sad.

 

[OntarioHunter]

I'm one of the ding dongs who moved from Wyoming in order for a promotion to take place. To Kansas. Now that I'm two years into the new job and location, I'm looking at multiple avenues to get back, fortunately I have the option of transferring to the Denver, Boise or Billings offices in my current position. Looking at Denver but living in Wyo, the commute is worth the residency.

Having access to public ground is something to hold close, trust me, the money isn't worth it.

But to get back to your question, it's not really the residency I miss or took for granted, it's the freedom of the west that trump's the money of the east.

Now let's talk about the ridiculous housing market in Wyo-Col and I might change my mind...

Of the three choices, I strongly reccomend Billings. It's a shithole by Montana standards but doesn't even compare to Denver or Boise. Doesn't take long to drive to good public land fishing and hunting opportunities. Choosing Bilings would be a no brainer for me. I've spent time in all three cities.

 

[OntarioHunter]

NW Ontario has never really been home to me even though we moved here in 1989. Still pretty good waterfowl hunting for a couple of weeks in the fall. Moose hunting has been exploited to death and deer hunting is almost exclusively limited to private land. Road salt ruining my vehicle really sours me for late season tracking in snow which is how I prefer to hunt. Fishing opportunities are literally limitless but no real fly fishing which is my favourite. I have the resources to relocate back to Montana but that would mean leaving my grandson behind and that boy really needs me. Like his late uncle, he is high functioning autistic. For whatever reason, Parker has developed a strong bond with his Papa. When his mom or the school have trouble, they call me. There's some kinda magic at work. When my kids were growing up I was gone away quite a bit for grad school or working on a career with US Park Service. Maybe it could have been better for them if I'd stayed closer to home. Guess this is a second chance to make a difference. Anyway, last fall I was not very pleased with how Montanans generally reacted to COVID crisis. That's not the kind of people I grew up with. Not the same place that's for sure. So I come back to hunt birds and shoot a deer and that is enough. When I want horns I fly to Africa. When I want fly fishing I go back up to Alaska.

 

[Carl 9.3x62]

I have lived in Wyoming my whole life. I love it here. Plenty of opportunity here for hunting and fishing pursuits. I have never hunted in another state, so I probably take a lot for granted here. I would love to live on the coast at some point in my life though.

 

[Straight Arrow]

Having always recognized winning the lottery of life by being born in the USA, it did not take long after visiting other states and nations to realize the huge blessing of living my life in Montana.
It was just a short time after arriving in Vietnam in 1969 that the epiphany occurred ... saying to me, "Get yer butt back to Montana ... and don't you ever leave!"
My wife says she has to about dynamite me just to travel across the border to her native state of Wyoming!

 

[belshawelk]

Boise? Ugh! You have my sympathy. What a rat race that place has become. So much wonderful farming and hunting ground covered over with pavement and new homes. My granddad's once famous fruit orchard and packing plant in Emmett was gobbled up decades ago. Sad.

Ya it is. Were going to head north up in the hills. Maybe Garden City or Idaho City. Somewhere away from most people but no more than 1.5 hrs from airport.

but anywhere is better than this complete Shi@hole Portland. Once one of the best paces to live in the country. 1.5 hrs to beach, mountains. Minutes to salmon and steelhead fishing. Mountain biking, skiing all about an hour away.

Ruined by whackos

 

[LuckyTom]

I’ve only lived in NC but I would miss aspects of it if I left but I’m with @wllm1313 on the new experiences thing. You limit yourself if you always stay in one place. My wife likes being close to her aging parents and taking care of them and I respect that but one day I will leave NC to explore a new state.

Like South Carolina? Just kidding. Go Panthers!

Changing my residency is less than a pipe dream… I tried and tried to persuade my wife to move to Wyoming or South Dakota or Montana but now that we’ve got kids, she likes the idea even less. So, I’m stuck here in Wisconsin. It’s fine, but there aren’t any mountains here. Or muleys

I always thought this might work. If you try it let me know.
Make sure your kids go to college out west. If you have to, secretly tell them look Dad will pay for some of your college if you go here, here, or here. But if you go to college close by then the deals off. Probably don't tell the Mrs. about this. Then when they go to college out west you will have an easier time convincing her to move. She may actually bring it up first!

 

[OntarioHunter]

Like South Carolina? Just kidding. Go Panthers!

I always thought this might work. If you try it let me know.
Make sure your kids go to college out west. If you have to, secretly tell them look Dad will pay for some of your college if you go here, here, or here. But if you go to college close by then the deals off. Probably don't tell the Mrs. about this. Then when they go to college out west you will have an easier time convincing her to move. She may actually bring it up first!

Man, that's sneaky using the kids. Shame on you. But it would probably work. If it gets everyone in a better place, what the hell. Where are the in-laws located? That might throw a wrinkle in the scheme.

 

[brockel]

I would say though…if hunting moose is the pinnacle of someone’s bucket list they should consider North Dakota. Lots of moose, pretty generous tags, resident only. Since I do wildlife work, making small talk with folks about wildlife and hunting is kinda part of the job and it’s pretty remarkable how many people over there have had moose tags or just drew a moose tag. More than any other state I’ve worked in by far.

I like the variety available to me as a MT resident, and then being close to really good NR hunting in nearby locales rounds things out. But particularly the last couple of years it’s gotten much more difficult to draw tags that used to be easy, and it’s gotten much more crowded doing just about anything outdoors. Reminds me more of Oregon or Colorado than MT. I don’t think being a resident is going to continue to provide the perks we’ve been accustomed to.

I enjoy elk hunting way to much. Although I’d like to shoot a swamp donkey some day

 

[Hilljackoutlaw]

I’ve only lived in NC but I would miss aspects of it if I left but I’m with @wllm1313 on the new experiences thing. You limit yourself if you always stay in one place. My wife likes being close to her aging parents and taking care of them and I respect that but one day I will leave NC to explore a new state.

See ideally you travel all over when your young and by time your 30 ur over it. At least that was the case for me. I called 10 different states home in my 20s by time I hit 30 I was ready for some consistency...meeting a good woman helped a lot to. Haha. The goal was always to be out west tho. And @wllm1313 is just saying that because he moved from the beautiful west to Mass. thats just silly.