My wife and I left Missoula 30 years ago because just day-floating the Bitterroot River was getting to be a PITA, especially fighting the traffic on Highway 93 to get back home, and the hunting was crowded anywhere on public land from Missoula to Hamilton.

On the occasions when I have to drive through the area now it's obviously far more crowded. But then I was born and raised in Montana when it had less than 2/3 the people it has now, so my perspective may be a little skewed.

“Montana seems to me to be what a small boy would think Texas is like from hearing Texans.”
John Steinbeck