Boast about your location.

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kapie

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northern az
I would like to hear about places to live if you like to hunt and fish. I would throw in having a decent sized lake also.
Also is your location, affordable. I first considered the great lakes area.Taxes and political climate have made me wonder. The UP interests me.
I also thought about Northern Arkansas. Missouri.
 
Good idea for a thread, but I'm not sure it falls within the scope of the forum. I hope so though; I'm very interested in this, too.

As a side note, Northern AZ? Why aren't you boasting? I lived in Phoenix for the last three years (just recently moved up to WA), and I always thought, Sure would be nice to live in/near Flagstaff. Great fishing, great hunting, great weather, AZ's great gun laws...

Am I correct to assume this has something to do with finding a place to move? Or is it strictly out of curiosity?
 
Idaho / deer, elk, moose, wolf, cats, coyote, grouse, chukar, pheasant, turkey, trout, bass,walleye, perch, sturgeon, steelhead, salmon.

Not really affordable though.
 
Washington:

Deer (blacktail on the west side, mule to the east), black bear, elk, yotes, bobcat/lynx, cougar, grouse, trout, salmon. I know there's some turkey and pheasant too, but I think those are both scattered to certain parts of the state.

Also, there might be some others, especially in the fish category. Never been a huge fisherman. I've also heard rumors of re-introduction of brown bears to certain parts of the Cascade mountains.

Is it affordable? Somewhat higher CoL than other parts of the country, but wages tend to reflect that, especially in professional/technical fields.
 
This is coming from a 64 YO. One of those "if I knew then what I know now...."

It would be out west. Montana, Wyoming, Idaho, etc. Maybe the very NW part of New Mexico. I have gone to SE Montana on hunting trips the past four years. Elk country is 30 minutes to the west, but our hunting area is still in the eastern hill country.
 
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There is a reason Bass Pro Shop was started in Springfield, MO, lots of hunting and fishing here. I can be hunting or fishing for bass or trout in less than an hour's drive.

Southwest Missouri has a pretty low cost of living, too. A $100,000 home here would cost twice that in Arizona. Gasoline was about $2.40 a gallon yesterday. My utilities bill on my 3 bedroom house averages $200 a month for water, gas, electricity combined.

I have lived in Colorado, and Michigan; content to be in Missouri.
 
I am about 15 minutes from the boat ramp at Boysen Reservoir. I have caught thousands (literally) of walleye, sauger, rainbow, perch, and crappie. Wyoming has other large lakes just a couple of hours away. I am 30 minutes from one of our blue ribbon trout rivers.

In the last 12 monthes I have shot 5 elk, 2 mule deer, a nice pronghorn, hundreds of p-dogs, and dozens of coyotes within 45 minutes of my home. Also on the menu are cottontail rabbits if you like hunting small game. I didn't draw a pronghorn license this year. I have seen, but do not hunt, bears, mountain lions, and a couple of wolves.

If you are into critters with feathers, we have a lot of Hungarian Partridge, a huntable population of chukars, wild and planted pheasants, and sage chickens as far as upland game. Throw an occasional "fool chicken" into the mix. The place is a waterfowl hunter's dream as far as ducks and geese.
 
Our state animal is the Whitetail deer and the State fish is the Musky. Both are primary targets for hunters and fishermen and both are present in very good numbers. The reintroduction of Wild Turkeys here is one of the most successful in the country. We have a good amount of pubic land and while Minnesota brags about being the land of 10,000 lakes, we have over 15,000. We have one of the most progressive DNR agencies in the country and many states have adapted and followed their philosophies on wildlife and fisheries. We also are dead center in the Mississippi Flyway and along with ducks and geese, experience a very good Woodcock flight every year. While there is not an trophy game animal behind every tree and access to private land is tough, there are plenty of opportunities out there for everyone.
 
All depends on what you want to hunt and fish for. My dad's place in East Texas (piney woods) is 30 min away from 5 lakes. Black bass, white bass, hybrid bass, crappie, cat fish are plentiful. I night fish for crappie during the summer months. The last couple of years I have been catching them in the 1.25- 2.0# range. Deer run through his place as well wild hogs and other varmints. His neighbor killed a 450@ hog earlier this year. Most I've seen are in the 200# range. My dad only sets the trap I built if one is working around the house. Then in a couple of days he normally traps it.
 
Buck460xvr is probably talking about wisconsin. As a Vikings fan I know that only in the land of the Packers would someone write that much ABOUT a state and not include the name of the state. If I'm wrong, so what? I accomplished my goal of insulting the packers. NC is a great place to hunt and fish too, by the way. If I were going to move close to here, though, I'd move to upstate SC (gaffney/spartanburg area). That area has everything NC has, AND low taxes.
 
courtgreene said:
Buck460xvr is probably talking about wisconsin. As a Vikings fan I know that only in the land of the Packers would someone write that much ABOUT a state and not include the name of the state. If I'm wrong, so what? I accomplished my goal of insulting the packers.
Click to expand...


As obvious as it was, I didn't think I had to really tell anyone I was talking about Wisconsin. As for the Packers/Vikings thing, I think the season so far speaks for itself. Easy to understand the hate tho.........
 
Missouri has very good deer hunting and is one of the best turkey hunting locations in te country, especially the spring. As well lot of public lakes with some really good bluegill, crappie, walleye, and bass fishing. Coyotes are open year round except late April into May. Small game is fantastic as well as waterfowl and our upland bird is good, especially dove.
 
I live in south western Virginia. Deer, turkey, black bear. Lots of clean cold streams for trout fishing.
 
As my name indicates...western kentucky. We have one of the lowest cost of living areas in the nation, wonderful gun laws, great whitetail, plus the Mississippi river, Kentucky Lake, Barkley Lake and the Ohio river all within an hour with other lakes nearby of smaller scale. We have airports nearby and several major interstates to get us elsewhere. I am 10 hours from detroit, 8 hrs from Destin florida, 16 hours from my cousins in texas...yep pretty much what your asking for.

And we're close to Mississippi fly way for waterfowlers
 
Well thanks for the reply's. Wisconsin and Michigan. Property taxes appear insane to me.
Northern AZ where i live. Elk and deer,some cats. Its very dry and to the point of my town running out of water.You can't have life without water. The fishing is limited. Housing is pricey. It appears as somewhere to move away from. Yes, the gun laws are good here. I'm also concerned with having places to hunt,being available. I give Texas as an example. Most hunting seem's to be done on game ranch's. Everyone pays big bucks to hunt. I could be wrong on this? Many years ago i went to Europe and went to a hunting club. Some of the members talked about hunting in Africa. I figured out that there was little public land and hunting was more for the wealthy. I had a glimpse of the future in the U.S. I also am thinking about my children. Its funny how many states have few lakes.
Just wanted some opinions.
 
The "affordable" thing can be a problem. I absolutely LOVE where I'm located now, but land around here is 10K an acre. It's only about an hour and a half west of Katy/Rosenberg in the west Houston area, lots of absentee landowners out here. Pretty country, LOTS of game, lakes here and there, the coast only 70 miles drive for good salt water fishing, great duck and goose hunting available from public land (about 100 miles) to local rice fields. We were lucky to find a HUD foreclosure and got a great deal on several acres of woods and a house. My box blind is 200 yards behind my back porch. My gun range is my back yard, part that ain't my garden. :D Yeah, we both love it out here. We were thinking hill country, but events happened and we found this place. Sure wouldn't change my mind now! Besides, we're a lot closer to family here. My BIL has 400 acres over near Kenedy, about 2 hours, and we're going to go help him with the hog problem in a few weeks. In Texas, helps to know folks with lots of land and, other than east Texas, there is not a whole lot of public land. I have lots of deer here, though, and occasional transient hogs for my hog trap. Life is good regardless. :D

NE corner of Texas is another area of affordable land and WMA hunting all around and lots of lakes. But, it was low on our list as it's a long way from family, not that Barksdale (hill country) wasn't, but NE Texas is WAY up there from us. East Texas is a little crowded, too, more folks live in the eastern part of the state, but they do have lots of lake fishing and public hunting lands from WMAs to national forests. You can go to the Texas Parks and Wildlife site and check out Annual Public Hunting for maps an info on the lands they have. There are five national forests in east Texas that give added public hunting. Most of the counties up there are one buck counties, though, and the land is forested, heavy cover for the most part. Lots of pigs up there, but can't hunt 'em at night on public lands, maybe in the national forests, but not on the WMAs.

Oh, BTW, Texas has no income taxation, but some counties, the property taxes can give you a heart attack. I guess they make it up there.
 
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When I lived in Port Lavaca (28 years) I worked at a local plant and had a house just across the street from Lavaca bay which has some GREAT fishing and even duck hunting back in the "Bonal" as we called it, a creek that runs into the bay. It was like heaven vs the cities. I could hook up my boat, drive down the street less than a mile either direction for a boat ramp, go fishing not more than a few miles across the bay. I had other spots around, of course, but this was an awesome aspect to life there. There's a WMA with fantastic duck hunting they put in during the mid 80s just about 20 miles south of town which I have hunted since it opened. I LOVE my duck hunting, couldn't survive in Aridzona, sorry. :D We had good goose hunting, too, public and some fantastic rice field hunting through outfitters.

For deer, in 1988, I bought this place I have up for sale now, 10 acres. http://www.landsoftexas.com/texas/land-for-sale/10-acres-in-Calhoun-County-Texas/id/2074390 Now, western hunters don't seem to like stand hunting and this is what you have on a small tract like this, but I usually got at least one deer on it and the place is ATE UP with pigs now days. The pigs are almost pure European phenotype having escaped from the Powderhorn Ranch and populated the county back in the 30s when there were no feral animals in the county. They're some pretty wicked lookin' pigs and I trapped a BUNCH of 'em. Never went without pork in the freezer as the trapping can be done year around, though I only trapped in the cooler months so i wouldn't have to drive down there every day to check the trap. Especially in the spring, snake boots are required wear, rattlers are thick. I've had me some good times there even if it weren't spot and stalk. I've done enough spot and stalk in the New Mexico mountains and the west Texas deserts. I'm gettin' too old for that anyway. :D I'd rather sit in my heated box blind now days and fight off the sleep monster. :D My knees just ain't up to a lot of walking anymore, not like I used to like to do. Age does catch up with ya and the extra pounds don't help. :rolleyes: Sad part, my beloved duck hunting is getting more like work. Walking salt marsh isn't real easy, either. One mile equals about 10 of high country, tripping over salt grass, waders getting stuck and trying to pull off. It's a pain, but I refuse to give it up.
 
Colorado- high mountain lakes, cold water trout.

Muleys, Whitetail, Elk, Cougars, bears, bobcats, lots of waterfowl...

Lots of public ground. Elk tags are under $50 for residents and there are several over the counter seasons.

If you stay out of the high mountain resort areas where the rich outta staters usually go, everywhere else is pretty decent and affordable.

Outside of the front range, the political climate is pretty much conservative common sense.
 
I am like MC, there are places to find for the right money if you look, and some of them are very nice once you put a little into them.


For me thee is nowhere else. Sorry but I have my roots here and they are dug in deep. We have some of the top bass and catfishing in the nation as well as miles of coast where you can catch just about anything from a croaker to a tiger shark if you want to set up for them. I could even begin to count the numbers of redfish I have caught in the 30-45" range right off the beach front nor the numbers of speckled trout while wading the surf or bays.

I can also agree with MC though, as soon as I can get out of the h-town area I am gone and not looking back. I have 115acres of family property I inherited in E.Texas as well as my own little 10 acres right up the road. It has plenty of deer and hogs to keep me busy, and I have the little spot to slip into if I am not happy with what I am seeing on the big one. These places are within about 2hrs of most of the best lakes in Texas, 45 min to Richland Chambers, Cedar Creek, and several others, 1.5 hours to Lake Fork, and 2 hours from Sam Rayburn and Toledo Bend.

The biggest thing with Texas is that some feel like an hour or more drive to get somewhere is a long ways, around here that's usually just getting you out of town good.
 
I personally love living in central SD. We are the heart of pheasant country, with good oprotunities for grouse, prairie chickens, and waterfowl (though I've neever been a duck/goose hunter). As far as big game goes, we have awesome whitetail, mule deer, pronghorn, mt lion, and turkey populations. Though extremely limited, we also have bighorn sheep, mountain goat, and elk hunting opportunities. Then, theres the fishing. We of course have the Missouri River system, with Lake Sharpe being only a couple of miles from my doorstep. Walleyes reign supreme, but theres' also awesome catfish, smallmouth, Northern, etc fishing available. We also have myriad stock ponds scatterd across our prairies, many of which hold great populations of largemouth bass (5 lb plus) and panfish. If I didn;t hint or fish, I'm not sure how much SD would appeal to me. However, as someone who loves the outdoors, I've been a lifelong resident and really don't ever see moving away when I have so much opprotunity to do what I love right here
 
Well I live in MN but ND would be my first choice. I hunt there quite a bit and I find it to be more in line with my politics as well. Not to mention it is still affordable once you get away from the oil fields.
 
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