Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Hunter's Campfire Info needed on living in Iowa

Fellas I have a job opportunity that would require moving the family to the Davenport Iowa area. I was wondering if anyone was familiar with it and could maybe list some pros and cons or general info that would help me with my decision. Thanks

I work in riverdale, ia, which is on the east edge of the davenport metro area.

Square Shooters is your go-to...

B&B guns say no to...

K&K true value is a great place.

Try the 11th st Precinct for a grilled tenderloin sandwich and hand cut fries.

Try Sports Fans Pizza in Bettendorf.

Tappa's Steak House (you'll drive by it 3 times looking for it)

Davenport is very close to the modern cradle of American gun making.

Leclaire, Ia, and Green Rock, Carbon Cliff and Geneseo IL are all just minutes away...
Davenport has a bridge to the U.S. Army's Rock Island Arsenal

How could you NOT want to live in a place that has this kind of a car driving around somewhere?

My son is farther north and west in Iowa and says that there are tons of deer and turkey around to hunt. Iowa doesn't allow rifles for deer hunting...shotgun, bow or muzzleloader only.

There are two corn fields in Iowa - the one on the right and the one on the left. They want you to slow down and enjoy that view; the speed limit on any highway that is not an interstate is 55MPH. Whenever we travel off interstate in Iowa, the girlfriend drives.

Less hunters in Iowa than in the east with 100 times more public land.

I live about 40 miles from Davenport to the southwest. Look at housing outside of Scott county for tax reasons. Closest Gun Club in Iowa is Bluegrass to the south of Dav.

If you're a liberal Democrat and college professor....you'll fit right in!!

Not Really... U.S, 30 and 61 both have 4 lane sections that run at interstate speeds.



sorta true... the two southern tiers of iowa counties have a rifle legal late season for antlerless only...

It could be debated that being in Iowa is not considered living. Can't say because I've only been through Iowa once.....at night....in a freezing rain. I didn't care for it.

Lived in Davenport as a child and have been back several times as an adult. Wouldn't live there and sure wouldn't bring up children there.

I can only speak generally as I live on the opposite side of the state but have been there several times. It is an old river town (Mississippi) with some grand, big, old homes, and areas, and some trashy areas too. But you are on the Miss flyway and of course there is fishing on the grand old river.

Eastern Iowa is generally more timbered than the north and the west so deer and turkeys should be ubiquitous. The only issue is working out access. Pheasants are generally down everywhere but they are still there if you are willing to put in the effort though it is not the best are of the state for them. The NE corner of the state even has some ruffed grouse and trout streams with mostly hatchery trout placed.

There is at least one four year liberal arts college - St Ambrose College - and Palmer Chiropractic College is in Davenport.

Iowa is largely a farming state and generally "red" except in the urban areas like Iowa City, Des Moines, Ames, and Davenport which often tilt the state "blue." Though we did just elect conservative Republican Jodi Earnst to the senate.

I don't know of sporting good stores or eating places as mentioned above but am sure there are some good ones; I have been to a few but can't recall their names. You are just an interstate 45-50 minutes to the east of Iowa City, the University of Iowa and world class health care. Davenport does have at least one teaching hospital and perhaps more. I do not know about the school systems. The Interstate by the way transects the state from Davenport in the east all the way to the west, and then south to Omaha and north to Sioux City on the Missourri.

That's about it from the top of my head

Check out where you are going to live. I live north of there and we have the highest water and sewer rates in IA. They are so high in our city, that 75% of the people are more than 90 days past due on their bills. If you are a dummercrat, you will fit in.

Not sure what your experience was, but;

If I had to live in an urban area, I'd pray to find a place like Davenport.

Hey Tomme Boy,

Pauls had dozens of boxes of armscor .22lr on the shelf last night...

I live in Cedar Rapids, little over an hour west of Quad Cities. Bettendorf is nice, but pricy to buy a house. In my opinion, its way too close to Chicago, with problems that are associated with Chicago......

I consider Iowa a bastion of liberalism.

For Davenport, and other Iowa urban areas, that is mostly the case.

Edit; But it's mostly the case with all urban areas of the U.S. I'd have to say that Iowa is a bit redder than most of the states around it.

So, in a nutshell it's high taxes, no rifle hunting, and lots of democrats. That's what my research was turning up. I have an incredible career opportunity on the table and it could lead to even bigger and better things. Being from the south, I am not sure how we will adjust. Most of the snow I've seen melted before it hit the earth. Tough decision. Thanks for all of the info so far.

Which is also the source of most of the criminal problems in CR.

I don't know about "a bastion". Illinois to the east would be a bastion of liberalism and thank God I don't have to live there. Minnesota is a "blue state" but primarily due to the Twin Cities. IA is kind of the same. Mostly conservative farmers until you get to the bigger cities.

Farmers aren't conservative, they enjoy their govt handouts.

A buddy from Tennessee came to the area working a powerhouse job. He was as conservative a southern gentleman as you'd ever hope to meet.

He fell in love with the Iowa Q.C.s and spent most of a year there after the job ended.
He was an avid fisherman and hunter, and also liked to eat (and drink) well.
The area was right up his alley, and his 5th wheel trailer became the hangout of several local fishing fools.

I've bought property in preparation of moving to Wyoming on my retirement.
If it fails to come off, it'll likely be because I found a place on the wapsi river N.W. of Davenport.

The east coast of Iowa is left, and the west coast is right.

Not true. But seeing that you're from Missouri you just keep thinking that.

No argument on that point from me. Socially conservative then if you like.

^^^^^^^This man is spittin the truth there!!!!!^^^^^^^^^^^

George, it's Joni Ernst.

Iowa does have very nice interstates ..... I80 and I29 were both redone in 2009...... probably a payment for making Obummer's name big in the primaries..... reason enough for me not to do other then pass through.

Be sure and wave.

Having lived in the Midwest as a kid and moving South I would give it a go!

There's something to be said for a real four seasons.

You can always move. Back in few years if you don't like it.

Midwesterners are good folks.

Mike

Southeast Iowa is usually the warmest area of the State in the winter time. Yes, eastern Iowa is full of liberals so if you are a conservative we could sure use you. All in all the Quad Cites has everything you need and don't be afraid of a corn field. There are deer, turkey and pheasants in those fields and fish in the water. A buddy of mine is from Bettendorf and he likes the weather much better than in Des Moines. He grew up just a block from the Mississippi river. It's not Texas but it's not bad. Come and help us decide who will be the next conservative president in 2016. kwg

Thanks!

This isn't quite right. The lowest tier of counties has a late season rifle season, and anywhere else you can use a handgun of any sort, as long as the chambering is in a straight-walled cartridge. If you're a stand hunter, a TC Encore set up with a .375 Winchester, .45-70 Govt, .357 Max, .44 Mag, .454 Casull, etc. is a GREAT option - I used one in Iowa for 8 years and killed bunches of deer with one. Any accurate handgun is better than most shotgun slug options, and if you reload, WWAAAAYYYYYY cheaper to shoot.

I almost always assume that rural folks are conservative. I guess that's why I am always amazed that Iowa has so many libs.

I just went down to the court house and bought my deer tags for the 2 early gun seasons and the late muzzle. I asked and the gal told me there would not be a late antlerless rifle season this year. The disaster we had a couple years back with the "blue tongue disease" wiped out probably 70% of our local deer population and they just now figured out we don't need to thin out any more does.

I do all my Iowa deer hunting with a handgun, the only way to fly.

Most rural folks are conservative I think. But like most everywhere else in the country, when you look at the political map the blue areas are small but heavily populated.

We do have both US Senators, 3 of 4 US Congressmen, and our Governor under the R column. Hopefully they all remember why they were put there.

I use to cover Iowa as a sales rep for many years... I loved going down to Iowa... plenty of great folks...I liked the Quad Cities area quite a bit... had a rep I supervised that was based out of there so spent time there frequently...

In all of my travels, I've been to a lot of places you could do a lot worse than, than ANYWHERE in Iowa...The Quad Cities included..

Liked all of it better than Metro Minneapolis...

Seafire, how do you really feel about Minnesota?

George is correct. Illinois is a bastion of liberalism.



It would be difficult to overstate the influence of a megalopolis like chicago...

I went to my doctor and told him that I wanted to live forever. He replied that there were three things I would have to do to make it happen.
"Well what are they?" I asked.

Marry the biggest fattest woman you can find.
Buy a Dodge pickup truck.
And move to Iowa.

I said "No problem, There are lots of fat women and the Dodge dealer in town will gladly sell me a truck.
And I can move to Iowa, but will I live forever if I do?"

The doctor replied " Well maybe not forever but it will sure seem like a lot longer."

whelennut

IOWA I-diots o-ut w-alking a-round.......

Yup....I stand corrected. My son said he told me he couldn't use a rifle where he was at, but could in counties in the south of the state. Guess I only heard "no rifles." Gotta get my hearing checked!

Did you come up with that or did you read it here a couple thousand times you dumbazz

Both coasts elected a conservative to replace the commie Harkin.

Its the Norwegians.

Weiner....(grins)

Lets hope it was corrected this year

You are Norwegian....

Mickey, I have gotten diarrhea twice in Alabama and I don't hold a grudge

I could avoid Wyoming based on the fact Dick Cheney gave us another queer....but then I'd sound just as idiotic as you do

I liked Alabama, but I'm probably as afraid of a sunburn and the temps as Mickey is the freezing!

Super-genius....did you just come up with that one?

I kind of like Alabama, will be going there again in a week and a half. Good folks with Mickey being one of them. They are just afraid of God's Country (Iowa) can't help it

They do appear to have collectivist genes, sorta like the Jews.

I'll bring down a semi-load of corn to LA.....to hunt...I'll fit right in.

Geaux Tigers!

Yep!

and yet where they settled in Montana is conservative......my family is only bout 100 years off the boat from Norway.....

It only applies to direct descendants of Ole and Lena.....Sven and Annie.

Ouf Dah

We haven't even touched on the crazy Bohemians.....

jac3k:

Amen to the endorsement of Square Shooters.

If you visit Davenport IA or move to the area, I recommend that you find the most convenient Whitey's Ice Cream store as quickly as possible. You will learn that their super-premium ice cream is not only delicious, it is available in company stores from Coralville IA to East Moline IL and in many area grocery stores.

And do visit the John M. Browning Museum at the Rock Island Arsenal.

We made the whiteys on 53rd yesterday...

Turtle.
MMMM MMMmmm