Home Forums Hunting & Shooting General Big Game Best state in the lower 48!

Which state has the best opportunity for outdoorsmen? Hunting, fishing, recreational opportunities?

I grew up in GA and it was great as a kid. Pretty good fishing for bass and the salt was fairly close. Deer were plentiful and tags/seasons generous. Some small game. Birds were hurting even back then.

Lived in Colorado for a bit. Great weather, mountains, access to wilderness. Great opportunity for elk and deer every year. Great trout fishing. Looong way from the salt.

WA has a lot going for it. Really diverse geography, 2 species of elk, 3 of deer. If you're lucky, sheep, moose, and goat. Large coast and fjords with decent fishing and shellfish. Decent upland and duck. Coast to high mountain desert in a hour or two. Fugged up game regulations and tribes are a bane to fish and game.

What say the Fire? Where does the best opportunity for an outdoorsman exist?

I will vote for Texas. Yes,Texas is mostly private land,but where else can you hunt kudu,eland,markhor,axis deer etc..without leaving America.

I vote for Texas, Plus 1. You can hunt year around, fish fresh water or salt, best Quail hunting in the World, with the exception of the big 5 dangerous game and ZULU'S, it's almost as much fun and a lot closer. Rio7

Picking a state to retire in.. It is a hard choice. Want it all but....

I wouldn't put Michigan at the top but for a state East of the Rockies northern Michigan has a lot to offer, two peninsulas surrounded by great lakes and full of inland lakes and rivers your never more than 10 minutes from water, sand dunes, great grouse hunting, trout and steelhead fishing, excellent walleye fishing, one of the leading states in the country for ATV and groomed snowmobile trails, islands, good waterfowl hunting, numerous large tracts of remote public land, decent deer hunting, a huntable bear population, and a few elk (though you can spend years or a lifetime trying to draw a kill tag).

Texas has some things going for it. Worlds largest petting zoo and hundreds of miles of coast! Some rugged mountains and some good ol southern pine forests with everything in between. Hunt anything you like, as long as you can afford it. It wouldn't suck.

I've a lot of family in Michigan. Nice place. Not sure I'd ever want to live there. Lol.

Always thought Utah was a beautiful state. I recall hearing hunting opportunities are limited though? Not much over the counter big game? No salt coast either, but damn......some beautiful country.

Still have acreage in Minnesota, Just debating the winters.. Fishing and hunting is there. Taxes not so good..

All I know is that Idaho sucks. I do not know Texas as, short of a pig hunt or two, I do not hunt here.

Texas - by a landslide.

yea...Idaho sucks...

Idaho does sound awful. Lol.

Not for scenery but for hunters and fishermen....

Arkansas, Louisiana, Mississippi, & Alabama have L O N G deer seasons with liberal bag limits

and good fishing.

Obviously more really big bucks come from Kansas and a few other areas but if you like to hunt for more than a week or two

these States offer plenty of hunting & fishing ops.

We don't have Mule Deer, antelope , Mtn goat, moose etc. but WT galore.


Jerry

Daughter and SIL are in the Benton area, went hunting there one year on a leased land logging area. Looked great, all signs said deer should be there. Cover, food, water etc. No recent deer sign at all. Bobcat yes..

Benton TN?

AR, Arkansas.

I don't know about ALL the area but am familiar with much of the deer hunting around Benton Ar.

I can say that I don't have any idea of where they looked AND I don't know of any specific area where deer are that scarce. Also the whole State isn't overpopulated w/deer but the Southern half of the State is well supplied. There are several deer zones where the annual bag limit is 4, 5, or 6 deer.

Regardless of where you live/hunt, the Statewide annual bag limit is 6. In most places that is 2 bucks + up to 4 does.
You can hunt in'different' zones and kill/register 6 deer TOTAL.

You are correct about the lease logging (timber) land. The majority of those TARs (timber access roads) are gated and locked.

Jerry

I love it here out west, but do miss hunting squirrels! Shooting ground rats out here ain't the same as hunting grays in a the oak woods.

From a purely geographic and flora/fauna perspective, I don't think California can be beat. Shame it so fugged up.

Texas! Love that place!

Mooner,

you sure got that right. Try growing up there from age nine and watching the mostly detrimental changes over the years. It's truly maddening and saddening. I haven't lived there as a resident since 1999 but will retire there "soon". Fortunately as far away from the madness of SoCal as one can be and still be in the same state. Too bad for you, as the geographical and biological state would fit but not the political "State".

Are you retiring or do you have a "transferable skill" and can get work about anywhere? Have you looked into NW PA? There's great fishing for a variety of species in rivers, creeks and lakes including Erie, ice fishing too if you're into it. Hunting is/can be pretty good with a wide variety of game including plenty of squirrels. For a guy who's lived out west and knows and enjoys public lands, there's the Allegheny NF and plenty of State and lumber company lands in NW PA. Turkey hunting ain't bad, deer and bear hunting is available. Land/housing prices were reasonable a few years back, might still be as the area is part of the "Rust Belt" and populations aren't growing rapidly as in the southern tier. Weather isn't horrible, the odd tornado and blizzard, heat and humidity aren't fun for a month or two in the summer, but not nearly as bad as further south and east. Stay an hour or so south of the big lakes and you miss most of the lake effect snow. If you have a nice vehicle you may want to pick up a winter beater to deal with the salt on the roads. Mostly "conservative" values in that area. All in all not a bad area, were I in the position to do so I'd consider living there again as the nearly two years I was there impressed me.

I'd be right with you in looking for a place like you are if my wife hadn't settled in a very wonderful part of Cali and said she's DONE moving. Between the two of us and our careers we've moved something like 19 times since '96. I'd consider parts of Missouri, Arkansas, PA, Ohio and of course WY, AZ, NM, MT and those sorts too.

Wishing you the best of luck in your search. So many great choices in the Lower 48.

Geno

It's not a whole state but Chicago has to rank right up there. Every Monday we read about the hunters' success over the weekend. Crab bait is also plentiful.

Unlucky for you I was there last year for a week, Idaho is at the top of my list for overall big game and I have hunted Texas too. I would not be shocked if when I die I wake up in a certain valley in Idaho , never been anywhere as beautiful.

I'll stay in Colorado.

Pretty obvious which state is best when the question has to be phrased to exclude it...

Shut up, dang it. You want everyone to find us?

Depends on what a person wants in the outdoors. If you want freedom to roam and plentiful access to hunting and fresh water fishing, it's hard to beat most of the states in the mountain west. Game available there varies some from state to state, but most are pretty good. But, to be close to salt fishing out west you have to be in WA/OR/CA and deal with different social/guv issues than most of the mountain states.

50 years ago I would have said California hands down - that's gone. The hunting/fishing and access/space to roam were quite good when I lived in WA more than 30 years ago. But - given the social bent west of the Cascades these days - eh?

Then again - AK surpasses all.

If it wasn't the for fact that most of our deer aren't much bigger than large dogs, Florida is an outoorsman's paradise.

Idaho, and Montana are terrible. Don't move here.

I'll be hunting Axis next week in Junction,Texas and then making a trip offshore from Freeport. Lots of opportunities in the Lone Star state. I love Elk/Muley hunting out west but it's so hard to draw a decent tag anymore that I'll take Texas as well.

Check the state tax laws, license fees, game allotments, draw system, etc.
Choose wisely

Geno - Not looking to move per se, just contemplating and curious as to others ideas of what constitutes the "best state". I'm here in WA for now and if I move it will be to the SE to be by family.

RC - That bait is rotten before it even hits the ground. Lol

Sitka - I like the sun.

257 - Always been fond of the Panhandle.


Honestly - New Zealand is probably as close as it gets to my ideal. I'm sending Trump a letter. We need a 51st State and Puerto Rico ain't gonna do it.

Rhode Island in a landslide...😉

I havent found the best one yet, hopefully before I retire. Sure wish British Columbia was a state.

You and me both.

(except Vancouver. Let the Canadians keep Vancouver)

Texas for variety. There is great inshore/offshore fishing. There are more freshwater lakes than you can count. It is an excellent state for migratory birds and also resident quail/turkey. Whitetail, mule deer, hogs, javelina, pronghorn, aoudad, and Nilgai are all readily accessible. There's also the huge exotics option. Yes, it is mostly privately owned. Yes, it's definitely more expensive than buying an over the counter tag. However, I don't think it can be bested on the number of year round options for sportsman.

Lol...Forgot about Vancouver. SE AK is prolly as close as you get. Its the land of Goats, Deer, Xtra Tuffs and good beer. Not much to complain about, unless you prefer sunshine 😄

I refuse to live in ANY State with a deer season of 3 days or ? maybe up to 2 weeks! !

Too much time restriction and time competition. I'd love to live in Wyo. Co. NM but it'd be hard to adjust to such short seasons, minimal bag limit and/or draw tags. I'd rather live in the SE USA and hunt in the West.

In the SE, we also have, squirrel, rabbit, duck, quail, & vermin. Fishing is readily available.

It boils down to a man's priorities.

Jerry

Though I prefer big game, I really like chasing upland birds/small game as well. For me, the best state that I've found is Idaho. In any given year you can hunt whitetail, mule deer, pronghorn, elk, and black bear OTC. Upland birds include 5 species of grouse, plus huns, chukar, quail, and pheasants. My ideal location would be somewhere in the south central part of the state. A good second would be the Salmon/Challis country.

Rock Chuck correct, great success rate there. I like Texas too.

Leaves out AK... we only get 142 days of deer season...

Shush,
Hush,
quiet,

The Idahoans don't want them to know.

Geno

Where did you find an OTC antelope tag?
Most of the elk tags in the south central area are by draw. The OTC elk are farther north.

Gotcha,

For me their is no "best state" or I'd move there, assuming I could drag the wife.

Agree with your other post about BC. We could carve out Vancouver/Victoria maybe, Puget Sound shoreline south of Bellingham and continue on down all the way to Potlandia, Salem, Corvallis/Eugene. Maybe keep the area around Astoria down the coast, but cut them OR cities out. Then Start cutting CA off at the coast from the Bodega Bay area over east to Santa Rosa, across to Sucktomento and south on the West side of the Sierra Crest to SoCal . Maybe even keep going down the Pacific Crest trail to the Gulf of California, cut back to the coast on the border and annex Baja (kick the cartels out, the regular folks down there are usually pretty nice, tie TJ into SoCal) for the great fishing and Mexican food and give the snowbirds a place to go. Include AK on the North and I could just about call that whole area I described as the "best State", as I could hunt and fish for just about anything I need/want. Go to Desert, Real Mountains, Coastal rainforests, oak parks, Doug fir forests, and all the saltwater and freshwater places.

But, I've been called a dreamer.

When you do retire I hope you find a happy place in the SE.

Geno

Ah, don't worry about it, that's what girl friends are for! :-)

Looking at a US map draw a circle w/ a 520 mile radius centered on Bozeman, Mt. That area would encompass everything I would desire. Lots of choices for great places to live, hunt, fish and enjoy English as the primary language. If you excude Colorado.


mike r

Stay away from the front range and Colorado is a great place.

I knew as soon as I hit post you'd want to bust my balls about the pronghorn part. I guess technically its not OTC, as it comes through the Controlled Hunt drawing, but there are units in ID that have unlimited tags for archery pronghorn hunting. Meaning that they could be hunted every year. I know you know this...

Likewise, my choice of south central was not predicated on the local elk units being OTC. But, it's a chit load closer than where I am and it'd be close to a whole bunch of other things that I'd want to do.

Oh, ok. Those. They started that some years ago and now they're doing it for deer archery in a few units. What it does mainly (besides raising money) is to limit where you can hunt. If you draw a permit, you're limited to that hunt. Unit 54 used to be the most popular deer archery unit in the state. It was crawling with bowhunters during Sept, then they'd all grab their guns and hunt in other units during the gun season. Now you have to draw a permit to bowhunt. The permits are unlimited but when you get one, you can't gun hunt later. It really cut down on bowhunting there.

LOL MadMooner I have to vote for Loudon. I will have to say that McMinn Co is pretty to beat.

Pennsylvania suits me just fine.

Texas has a lot of variety. Hunt in the woods, hunt in the mountains, or hunt in south Texas where there are really big deer. Lots of ducks,dove and quail too.

I'd gtfo of there as fast as I could. MT or TN call my name daily.

Well it's not Colorado. I would move but the wife won't leave the grand-kids. I'm not sure where I would go; somewhere in the West for sure. Maybe Alaska, Montana, Wyoming?

KC

MadMooner: Montana is the answer to your inquiry.
Just ONE, for instance:
Elk Hunting - Archery season starts this year (2,017) on September 2nd and runs through October 15th then the same archery Hunter can take up his Rifle and Hunt Elk from October 21st through November 26th - that is 66 (sixty six!) days of Hunting that one species!
AND... if said Hunter applies for certain special tags he can harvest TWO Elk and in some instances EXTEND that 46 day season.
By the way the Deer Hunting seasons run in concurrence with the Elk seasons here - so one can Hunt Deer (two species) at the same time they are Hunting Elk.
The fishing in Montana is YEAR ROUND and many say it has THE best fly fishing in the world!
I don't know that for sure as I am not much of a "world traveller" - but my bucks up friends who come here to Montana from Europe also concur with that contention.
I am a beginner fly fishing enthusiast (30+ years now) yet I have caught Trout on a fly in every one of the twelve months of the year - and the ice fishing (bait) is simply wonderful hereabouts.
We here in Montana enjoy boundless opportunities for Game Birds, Waterfowl (including Swans and Sandhill Cranes), Varmints, predators, Big Game and Small Game!
Big Sky it is!
Hold into the wind
VarmintGuy

I would like to live in Montana during the summer.

My current retirement plan is British Columbia in the summer, Texas Gulf Coast in the winter, hunting my way between the two throughout the fall. Unless I can afford to buy myself one of those swanky quail plantations in the Red Hills on the Georgia, Florida border for the winters.

I like several areas, but south west Wisconsin has a lot of draw, for me. The lower Wisconsin river, and the watershed thereto is truly a sportsmans paradise.

North central Arkansas also has a lot going for it.

I'm also fond of Wyomings Bighorn basin, along with the Wind River and parts of the Red Desert.

I would be quiet Varmint Guy!!!!

To me it would be somewhere in the west that allows you to easily travel and hunt 3-4 states. All those saying Texas better have a surplus of money if you want to take advantage of hunting here, each of the described opportunitys come with a hefty price tag.

It would have been a boring thread seeing 100s of posts of "Alaska". Oh sure, it would have been broken up a little by a few of the usual morons; but, it would still have been boring.

If I lived south of the border I'd think hard on Montana and plan on heading south a bit for at least part of the winter!

Certinly no shortage of morons here

We chose Northern Wisconsin for the Northwoods atmosphere and four seasons. Great Hunting, Fishing is out-of this world. We would have tried Ketchikan, AK, but the wife can't get too far from family. Montana would have been our third choice. The only bad thing about Northern Wisconsin is the long winters. Late Oct to May is not warm So we take a month or two and head down to the Florida or the Alabama coast. Breaks up the winter. If you can handle a week or two a few times a year of 20-30 Below Zero, I would look at any county north of Highway 64 and close to Hospitals, shopping, etc. I would give Sabine County in Eastern Texas a look also. That place mimic's the North woods without the cold. Not too far from Tornado Alley though. Lots of choices in the lower 48. I'll bet Maine, Vermont, Oregon, Utah, New Hampshire, has some great places.

For salt water/fresh water fishing, ducks, geese, squirrels, rabbits, WT hunting, Louisiana isn't bad. We have plenty (too many) hogs, too.

It's known as the Sportsman's Paradise and for good reason.

Local Cajuns know how to cook what they kill.

These guys can make road kill (fresh of course) taste good.

They don't cull much...

DF

It does, best try California or Texas.

Idaho is the absolute pits---You have to endure conservative, hard working family oriented people every where you go (except , maybe Ketchum) and you'll probably have to drown your sorrows buy looking at beautiful sights in all four seasons while hunting sheep at 9000 feet and pronghorns in the sage brush.
I almost can't stand it, think I'll move to New Jersey when I come to my senses.

Depends on what you like....fishing would be tough to beat LA...TX....if you fly fish WY....
All around I think Wyoming....would be my choice....cheap living and in the middle of some great sporting opertunities...

Now, that's funny...

Got a chuckle out of me, for sure...

Point well made...

DF

Texas is way the heck to hot to take top spot. Plenty here, but to dang hot to enjoy it 6 months or so of the year.

I would've done Vermont a long time ago if the hunting was any good.

Yes, they do. Glen Guist (Swamp People) made 'crow' jambalaya from road kill crow.

I lived in Hammond for 9 yrs. they do cook some good.

Jerry

I enjoy SC, deer season from Aug 15 thru Jan1, salt on 200 miles of coastline, huge inland lakes. Only other state I would consider is LA for the saltwater fishing.

Texas does have great hunting and fishing. I still occasionally go to South Padre Island to fish. However, when I lived in Texas, I found that it was cheaper to fly to Oregon to hunt quail than to hunt them near home.

Haven't spent much time in PA, but some of my old Marine Corps buddies went back there after their stint and never left. They claim it's the best. Although most say their home is the best, I bet there are some really nice areas of PA other than Pittsburgh or Philly.

Agree, my vote is firmly for PA being the best.

There sure are. I recommend taking a drive on Rt. 6 sometime.

We should work out a trade with Canada. They can have Wi, IL, and everything N of NC and E of WV except Maine, we get to keep Maine. Then we get Manitoba, Alberta, and BC except for Vancouver. NWT and the Yukon become communal property of both nations.

I have tried to convince my bride of 30 years that we should sell our Louisiana land and buy property in the Black Hills in Eastern Wyoming. We have traveled all over the West and the area around Newcastle and Upton in Weston County impressed me the most of a place I would like to be. Wyoming is our least populated state and the demographics and politics seem about in line with what I like. My wife is balking at the idea, doesn't want to put any distance between us and our grandkids, and she has a fear of driving on snow. I like sparsely populated Northern California also, but that is not a consideration as long as it is ruled by Los Angeles and San Francisco.

Wouldn't trade my adopted home state of Georgia for Pennsylvania. Much friendlier to us non-liberals here. Just avoid Atlanta.....

Hastings, Don't talk her into anywhere she doesn't want to go. She will never let up on you when it snow's a foot or two, or when the temps drop into the minus zeroe.s. But if you like it, maybe a summer home there would work. Keep your place in LA and spend the winter's there. A friend of mine left here and moved to Wyoming and he now lives in Arizona. Said it isn't as nice as he thought.

Easily Lewiston Idaho area.

It's midway between the coast and rocky Mtn front. Plenty of rivers, national forests, and large wilderness in Idaho. It also has mild enough winters so shoveling snow isn't an concern very often if at all.

It's in an location where it's not far from the coast, the cascades, Canada, or the rocky Mtn front. Right on the doorstep are large natl forests and wilderness areas in idaho

But...but...but...there's no sagebrush!

There was a time when my wife and I were seriously contemplating Newcastle.

I can assure you, Hastings isn't going anywhere his bride doesn't want to go.

Besides, those good folks around Newcastle and Upton may have a prohibition on Cajuns...

DF

You are probably right Dirtfarmer. She is gainfully employed here and has a thousand admiring patients/friends not to mention the kids. I told her that if we moved the kids would follow shortly, but she isn't buying it. I thought land in Wyoming would sell much cheaper than Louisana, but I have checked with Arnold Realty up there and it is more pricey than you might think. Have you ever visited the Black Hills? We have been 3 different times to both South Dakota and Wyoming. I liked the Black Hills better than Yellowstone. A Cajun in Wyoming might not fit in much better than a Somali in Alaska. And they do have Somali in Anchorage, I saw them.

Easy choice for this boy.....

Beautiful.

Where was that photo taken, Pat.

DF

Oregon does indeed have some great places but it's all run from Portland/Eugene. It's become a really nut case liberal state and 90% of it has little say in what the liberals do.

I was lost when I took it......I have no idea....;)

A nice bear materialized in that green saddle a few hours later, but that's another story....

That's a great answer...

DF

Texas, of course.

I'm with you. My wife and I fell in love with the Black Hills too. Hot Springs SD was my preference but she liked the Wyoming side.

As long as it's America, it's good!!!!!

Virginia is nice if we could give northern Va to DC.

Except for the heat, I think Arizona would be nice.

Did you forget we have New Jersey and Massachusetts?

My short list;

Arizona and Montana tied for first place.

Wyoming & New Mexico on the radar.

I read the other day the Phoenix is now the nation's 3d largest city. Idaho is a nice distance from Phoenix, Seattle, and Portland.

Go for first!

If I was moving back to the lower 48, Id take Montana, Wyoming or Northern Arizona (williams/flagstaff area).

I have relatives in Michigan who get lots of deer every year but its all sitting in blinds or tree stands, thats just not really my thing, I guess If I were offered a solid job there, it wouldnt be too bad.