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

Largest U.S. cities by population

1. New York
2. L.A.
3. Chicago
4. Houston
5. Atlanta

This is what I remember from a few years ago!

New Mexico is nice, I've hunted there a number of times, good folks.

The govt is Dem and may not suit you as well as some of the other options you mentioned.

Do your research.

DF

Oops. I just went back and found that article. Phoenix is 5th, not 3d. Sorry about that.
It's now NYC, LA, Chicago, Houston, and Phoenix.

I have seen posts like this many times . One thing that does not come up is how much money you have to enjoy it. I live in S.E.Wisconsin and snicker at the fine gentleman that lives in N.W. Wisconsin. Good hunting? I have 7 ac. there , hunt public land and it SUCKS! Now, if I had enough money to buy 300 ac. that may change the attitude. Many here say Texas, maybe it is, " the best" . Now, for the Texas guys, add up the expense of land or leases , taxes, miles traveled , to hunt and it is a fortune. . . . and if you talk salt water fishing , , , post how much you have in a boat for the ocean. Now, I can go hunting in S.E. WIs. for deer for $24 a bow tag and have some fairly decent hunting 2 mi. from my house on public land . Few people hunt the big cattail marshes for good reasons. Many go to central Wisconsin and post how good the deer hunting is in Wisconsin . . . Problem is they fail to post that they dumped $ 200,000 on 80 ac. and a small cabin and fork out 3k on taxes every year.. Ok, he now has good deer hunting but he drained his life's retirement account to see more deer. ! ? . . As for me, I like to fish big rivers and and am willing to hunt poor to marginal deer hunting land cause i refuse to pay $200,000 for 80 ac. I would go to S.W. Wisconsin if I ever retire. Why? The bluffs are really , really cool, the Mississippi river has very good fishing for many species for fish. Walleye , bass ( smallmouth, large and whitebass) huge northerns, the best stinkin bluegill fishing I ever seen, big catfish ( flathead and channels) even sand sturgeon. . . and with all the bluffs there is a pretty decent trout fishery from all the cold streams. The bucks get enormous out there from the lime stone and certain soil. Ask Roundoak here about the big bucks . He will deny it most likely. Squirrel hunting too. The winters are harsh but not for long periods. Head west 100 mi. and there are pheasants in Iowa. I think for a POOR MAN like me ,on a poor mans budget, it is about as good as one can expect. If I had money I think Spearfish S.D. and west into north east wyoming was the most beautiful land I have seen . Not too hilly but just west enough to know you are out west. Hunting there is far superior to public land in Wisconsin, ( but the locals think it is poor hunting cause they never seen poor public hunting)

That's why I like it here in Idaho. It's relatively low cost for outdoor sports. We have nearly 50k square miles of public land and can hunt and fish almost all of it. There are few places in the state where you can't find elk hunting within 100 miles and deer much closer than that. A resident combination hunting/fishing license is $33. A resident deer tag is $20 and elk is $31. We don't have the deer numbers like they do in the eastern states but we do have some very respectable deer, both mulies and whitetails. You can hunt flat desert land or mountains as rugged as any in the US.
Plus, traditionally Idaho votes deep dark red.

Ya, Idaho vote the color of blood red. I know a girl in Cottonwood Id. and she sais much the same as you Rock Chuck. She gets elk too , even at 54 , and she has shown me pics of some dang nice whitetails too. So , it makes a world of difference what it is going to cost you for good hunting. For you it is cheap, for Texans it is not cheap. I have some of the best trout and Salmon fishing on Gods green earth and dont go there. It is Lake Michigan. A dependable boat that is big enough will set you back at least 10K. Then gas, ins. maintenance , ETC. gets every expensive. I could dump 10K , but to get out there 10 times a yr.?? Lot of money .

Montana is full. I hear every other state has room, though.

Didn't think there was anything w/ that much elevation in NE Mt.

Pat would tell you exactly where that was if he could remember. He was lost. 😉

DF

I grew up in SW PA. I left there as soon as I could escape.Spent ten years in NM and now 41 years in Colorado. I don't go east of the Mississippi if I can hep it. Folks back there have whole different way of thinking about things that don't match me. I looked into WY,,MT and ID when I retired, Too darn cold or windy. AZ, NV are too darn hot.Wouldn't even consider CA.
I guess I would go back to NM if I wasn't too old to move

That's where I lived for 30+ years.....I can find my way back there on occasion. Five hour drive from my driveway to that place where I snapped that pic.

I don't know which is best, but I do know Maryland ain't on the list.

Okay, y'all just move along now. Nuttin to do/see/shoot in Idaho.