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