Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Hunter's Campfire What's the best western state to live in?

Yup.
Twin Falls is kinda ugly, but we are close to some nice country, Stanley being one such spot.

Got Land in Montana...that is where I will be when economics don't need to come into play...but for now Colorado will be home soon.

That is a bit uncalled for. And from my experience entirely untrue.

No, I am not a member. But I know a lot of Morman's quite well. As a group they are a lot nicer to be around than most groups.

As to Western living, I admit I am a bit prejudiced toward Id after 53 years. But some of it is justified. Our big game tags are still sold over the counter. Tags are much more accessible than Or or Wa.

We can not buy two deer tags any more, and general season for deer no longer occurs during the rut in most places, but concessions must be made for the exponential population growth in the Boise valley over the last twenty or thirty years.

It is really not a bad place to live as long as you can stay outside a 50 mile perimeter to the west and south of Boise. It almost still feels like Idaho outside that perimeter.

We have a huge allotment of easily accessible public lands. Big game, small game, bird, and predator hunting abounds on the public lands. Water fowl enthusiasts do pretty well on the Snake River corridor.

Housing is easy to purchase. The subdivisions are full of short sales and repossessions just looking for new owners.

Jobs are a little hard to come by right now in the
Boise Valley and competition is stiff for the jobs which are available. But it is a pretty decent place to retire to.

Oh, and gun laws. CCw permits are fairly easy to acquire. Open carry is legal in Id. Id and Or are class III friendly. Wa is not. Id has no gun permits or registration, no waiting period, and I think the federally mandated instant check is still free in Id.

NO, NO, NO! Idaho sux!!!!
Listen to the Montana thread going right now.
Montana is where's it's at, or Utah, or Or. or Wa. or Co. or Wy.
Gosh anywhere but Idaho!

Well not real saltwater fishing.

As bad as CA is, that's the hardest thing I would find coping with, leaving and moving away from the ocean..harder than dealing with the liberal politics. If I did move out, it would probablly be OR WA, or one of the Carolinas. Salmon fishing in Idaho might ease the pain.

Wyoming and Montana have unemployment rates of about 6.5%, tied for 6th lowest in the country. They also have lots of people that believe they should take of themselves and stay out of prison, leading to relatively low tax rates.

Alaska. You have to get as far away from the nut cases on the east coast as you can. In Alaska you can get so far west, that you are more east than the east coast is.

My best friend lives in Caldwell Idaho. I visit as much as I can. I don't care much for the inbred types (which are everwhere) and the California types (which are almost everywhere)but it is really pretty. I don't care much for the hunting/fishing regulations either. You can't blow the dust of a turtles back without paying something.

I personally like the idea of Montana, though if I had to make do, Wyoming, Idaho, or Colorado would work. Only problem is finding an entry level civil engineering job in those states. Small populations aren't conducive to lots of engineering opportunities, I guess.

Yah been there what the average wage. Turned down too many jobs in that State you have to be able to make a desent living. Not a bad place to retire.

say what yah want, i may not make alot but ive got a 1900 square foot house on a lot and a half with an attached garage and shed wired for power for all of $65,000.....bought it before we came partners in the paper and were just working for a paycheck over here in one of the poorest areas with the highest unemployment in the state.....aint making a 6 figure salary but have no problem making the mortgage payment and have the time and money to hunt and fish with in the state....im happy enough with that....

I relocated to boise from the southeast after researching it for a couple of years.Looked at colorado wyoming montana utah idaho and decided on boise over colorado springs,co. because it is less populated.
The economy was just starting to slip so my timing wasn't too good -i'm back in the southeast working until this spring then i'll be moving to western oregon somewhere ? still not sure where.
From a midwestern/southeastern point of view -the hunting is so-so -there are thousands of acres of public land to hunt -it's either barren wasteland or straight up and down.
I have walked/hunted the owyhee desert for many miles and very often not see a single game animal -every once in a while you will see a pronghorn or deer .Sage sparrows and cattle with a jackrabbit/coyotes here and there.
Wyoming and montana have much higher game populations as far as where i've been -also utah gauging from passing through the northeast corner has a lot more deer.
All five of these states are expensive to live in and have low paying jobs although now you can say -pretty much no jobs generally speaking.
You will not be welcomed with open arms -people in idaho have a way of life that they are use to and are tired of newcomer after newcomer.
In talking to ppl about idaho i was told the winters are mild -buloney- snow high winds etc. ain't mild to me.
Summer time expect 90's 100's quite often and wind blowing fine dust basically no rain.The lack of rain and greenery is what i don't care for -they call boise the city of trees -yeah if you plant it and water it.
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A place with good hunting has no economy.

Name your poison.

BMT
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This is pretty much true except for wyoming but the ppl in wyoming are the least welcoming from what i have seen.
I went praire dog hunting/relocate researching there and laughed my butt off at the real estate prices -a single wide trailer [old] in the middlle of nowhere for $110K !
From what i have found about these five states -salt lake city ,ut would be the best bet.
It has all the things you mention plus a pretty good economy etc. but this research is 1 1/2 too 2 yrs old -so take it w/a grain of salt.
The western u.s. is nothing like michigan or ohio where i'm originally from if i were you i would travel there and spend a little time before just striking out.Go in the hot or cold months and see what the weather and so forth are really like ,ppl who have lived in the mountains think places like the valley [boise treasure valley] are mild.Summer time can be just as hot as the southeast but without the humidity.
Western oregon and washington state APPEAR to be very nice -green -moutainous -huge forest -elk -bear -cougar etc. about 10-12* warmer across the board in the winter than boise.
Do some reading at city-data.com -pretty good place for researching -although the kind of ppl you will get opinion from aren't ppl like here at the fire.
People will say that mormon and latter day saint folks aren't too welcoming unless you're one of them -somewhat true but no different than anybody else.
I have met great ppl everywhere that i have ever been -things are what you make of them -good luck !-Mike

Really depends on what you have to offer, when you move to a new place. Its a 2 way street. I've lived in Wyoming 25 years, and have enjoyed most of it. Yes, its less social than Michigan or other midwestern states, but it gave me what I wanted. Most likely, I'll retire back in Minnesota or Michigan if possible, to be near relatives. But my hunting, fishing younger years here in Wyoming were usually grand. There's a time for everything, like it says in the bible.

Arkansas,we shoot skeeters in varmit season.

Ah toll ya'll dis place sux.
It's either to flippin hot, or to dang cold, wind blows like hell, dusty, dry, no game much. If you get off the beatin path it's kinda remenissant of Deliverance, or yuppies from Cabela's or REI, one or taother.

Colorado is definitely the best place to move.

Definitely do NOT move to Wyoming. The people are nasty, the terrain is dull, game is hard to come by, the politics are inscrutable, and there are no jobs.

Trust me, I've done the research.

Funny thing living in the west , everyone lives here for the same reasons pretty much. So if you have big hunting dreams...so does EVERYONE else , and I mean everyone. I saw a pickup from Florida in one of my elk holes during archery season this year...Florida...[bleep] me.

Colorado used to be a great place. Its been overrun by left coasters.

Hunting is decent with a variety of game. But compared to the southern states hunting isn't as good.

3 short seasons for Deer and Elk. Both at the same time. Short Archery season in the Mountains same with muzzle loader. You can get 2 deer and elk but only if you do the hunt a certain way. If I get a general archery license for either sex i'm out of any rifle season. All deer license's are a draw.

Kind of a PITA.

Plus its fairly expensive to live here.

I hear there are openings in california though.

Used to elk hunt the Selway along the Lochsa river area; it pretty much decimated now.

MM

I dont know about the idaho thing, i have lived there 20 years moved to ne montana last spring, idaho has lots of people, everywhere you go there will be someone in front of you and behind you, overrun with 4wheelers that think they can go anywhere they please anytime of the year, nows a good time to buy a house there, i will sell you my extra one,,,,,, jobs in the construction- realestate non existint, huge migratory work force that present there own problems, excellent fly fishing on the owyhee river in oregon, virtually no deer or elk, compared to the past few years, poor upland bird opportunity, i used to shoot over 200 chukar a year there, not any more, idaho fish and game will end up having a draw for all big game if they want to have any populations at all, just like oregon and nevada, so you wont get to hunt every year even though you live there, i have mules, to get away from the people in the hills, spent a few years on the nevada idaho border, great place out there in the shadows of the jarbidge wilderness, pocatello area has about anything you need closer to other states to hunt in though,eastern montana western north dakota, jobs, housing, hunting , warm water fishing, 30 below for a few weeks and some wind, i lived in murtaugh idaho a while, more wind there and felt nearly as cold,i can shoot a limit of phes and sharptails most days, a handful of does, choice of a good mulie or white tail buck, few elk around, my friend and i harvested a bull last week archery gear, i dont if this is the best place but i wouldnt move to the boise valley for a free house and 70,000 year job ,ever,i have thought montrose or grand junction if i was to move, thought about arizona, but maybe a little to hot, i would be careful about the idaho deal unless you like people, gridlock, pushing and shoving in the grocery store, thiefs in the night, loud stereos and big chrome wheels,,,,