delta53
Member
I will be retiring in a couple years and want to live the last 25 free what does Idaho have to offer that I won't find along the northeast coast ?
Tell me about Idaho
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phoglund
Member
Lots and lots of potatoes! 
deadin
Member
Space, and a heck of a lot less people.
Pros: Fewer people, shall-issue CCW, state pre-emption
Cons: Some really dense cops (for example, friend of mine had to pack his Winchester 97 with him since his truck, which ran out of gas, couldn't be locked. To make a long story short, I got to hear one of Gem County's finest withing earshot of the cop radio asking how one clears a Winchester 97. The punchline? It was on half-cock.)
Cons: Some really dense cops (for example, friend of mine had to pack his Winchester 97 with him since his truck, which ran out of gas, couldn't be locked. To make a long story short, I got to hear one of Gem County's finest withing earshot of the cop radio asking how one clears a Winchester 97. The punchline? It was on half-cock.)
Thefabulousfink
Member
Idaho is a Rocky Mountain state, huge mountains, dense forests, and tons of outdoor recreation. Southern Idaho is a bit more open with deserts and plains land, once you get north of Boise the mountains and forest close in. There are quite a few places in Idaho where you could walk 100 miles in any direction an not run into any civilization. If you like skiiing there is Sun Valley in the south and Silver Mountain in the north (along with lots of smaller resorts). There are thousands of miles of public land for camping, hunting, and fishing. Land is still relatively cheap, and what would buy you a 1500 sq ft house in CA can buy you 20 acres (more if you live out in the boonies).
ArfinGreebly
Moderator Emeritus
Some of my impressions
I have a few posts on this.
http://www.thehighroad.org/showpost.php?p=2865347&postcount=58
. . . where I discuss both Nevada and Idaho as places to live.
http://www.thehighroad.org/showpost.php?p=2794547&postcount=44
and
http://www.thehighroad.org/showpost.php?p=2797119&postcount=71
. . . both in another thread on places to live.
I visited a friend in Boundary County (Bonners Ferry) last year in July.
Real pretty place. Borders Montana (another pretty place) and Wyoming (yet another pretty place). Also borders Nevada and Utah (pretty if you know where to look).
There's a cluster of states: Idaho, Nevada, Utah, Wyoming, Montana, that are all RKBA-friendly, have a lot of open space, are inclined to just let a man live. A Utah CCW is good everywhere in this cluster except Nevada.
You can pick your spot, balancing how much infrastructure you need against how much wilderness you want. Me, I'd go a little more North, say, starting at Cascade and going up from there. Coeur D'Alene is "civlization" and is not far from Spokane. Sandpoint is smaller and has a bigger lake. Bonners Ferry is a real honest-to-goodness small town (I have pics of their July 4th parade -- lots of firetrucks and tractors) about 35 miles or so from the Canadian border, and an easy drive into the small Montana towns of Troy and Libby.
If you started at about the latitude of Cascade and worked your way North, you could hunt and fish for 25 years and never run out of new territory, especially if you included Montana in that tour.
Cold winters, though. And mosquitos when it warms up.
That said, just about anything will grow there.
I have a few posts on this.
http://www.thehighroad.org/showpost.php?p=2865347&postcount=58
. . . where I discuss both Nevada and Idaho as places to live.
http://www.thehighroad.org/showpost.php?p=2794547&postcount=44
and
http://www.thehighroad.org/showpost.php?p=2797119&postcount=71
. . . both in another thread on places to live.
I visited a friend in Boundary County (Bonners Ferry) last year in July.
Real pretty place. Borders Montana (another pretty place) and Wyoming (yet another pretty place). Also borders Nevada and Utah (pretty if you know where to look).
There's a cluster of states: Idaho, Nevada, Utah, Wyoming, Montana, that are all RKBA-friendly, have a lot of open space, are inclined to just let a man live. A Utah CCW is good everywhere in this cluster except Nevada.
You can pick your spot, balancing how much infrastructure you need against how much wilderness you want. Me, I'd go a little more North, say, starting at Cascade and going up from there. Coeur D'Alene is "civlization" and is not far from Spokane. Sandpoint is smaller and has a bigger lake. Bonners Ferry is a real honest-to-goodness small town (I have pics of their July 4th parade -- lots of firetrucks and tractors) about 35 miles or so from the Canadian border, and an easy drive into the small Montana towns of Troy and Libby.
If you started at about the latitude of Cascade and worked your way North, you could hunt and fish for 25 years and never run out of new territory, especially if you included Montana in that tour.
Cold winters, though. And mosquitos when it warms up.
That said, just about anything will grow there.
Southern Idaho is desert with a few rivers here and there and some impressive gorges. Boise area is the most crowded, much less than the NE, but is only 30-60 min drive into the mountains. Central Idaho is in the middle of the mountains, some towns are resort towns, but many small towns exist that are affordable. Eastern Idaho is flat and windy until you reach the Tetons, then it's rugged and windy. Beautiful though. As you move to North central to Northern Idaho you start moving into forested lands instead of plateaus and high desert. Think more Oregon or Maine woods. There are a couple HUGE lakes by Coeur D'Alene. I've flown over the lakes at 250 knots for 20-30 minutes.
Pros of Idaho:
Hunting and fishing everywhere. There is a ton of public land in the State. You don't run into private property everywhere you want to go. There's not a lot of firearms restrictions. Not a lot of crime. Land is still relatively cheap (unless you're moving from Maine). You can pretty much pick where you want to live, no neighbors, small town, average size town, or live in Boise. Boise is growing like crazy, lots of technology. It's a big town feeling (relatively) and you can be in the boonies usually within an hour. Oh yeah, four seasons!
Cons:
Not a lot if you're planning on retiring. Some of the people are getting resentful of implants, especially from California, but it's getting a little better. As long as you're not telling everyone how the state should be you'll fit in fine. It can get very cold in the winter as others said. Up north they are having problems with contanimation from mining along the Montana border. I would've moved there but that kept me from going there, it's nice though too bad.
Overall not a bad place to retire at. You could do a lot worse!
Pros of Idaho:
Hunting and fishing everywhere. There is a ton of public land in the State. You don't run into private property everywhere you want to go. There's not a lot of firearms restrictions. Not a lot of crime. Land is still relatively cheap (unless you're moving from Maine). You can pretty much pick where you want to live, no neighbors, small town, average size town, or live in Boise. Boise is growing like crazy, lots of technology. It's a big town feeling (relatively) and you can be in the boonies usually within an hour. Oh yeah, four seasons!
Cons:
Not a lot if you're planning on retiring. Some of the people are getting resentful of implants, especially from California, but it's getting a little better. As long as you're not telling everyone how the state should be you'll fit in fine. It can get very cold in the winter as others said. Up north they are having problems with contanimation from mining along the Montana border. I would've moved there but that kept me from going there, it's nice though too bad.
Overall not a bad place to retire at. You could do a lot worse!
Standing Wolf
Member in memoriam
I looked long and hard at Idaho in 2002 when I was preparing to escape the People's Republic of California. I liked the place and people a lot; having to wait six months to exercise my Second Amendment civil rights, however, made altogether the wrong impression upon me.
Huh?
Where did you hear that BS?
back on topic.
Taxes here are a tiny fraction of what they are in CA, NV or OR, police from my few encounters with them are fair and do their jobs well.
I live in Boise, and despite it being a city it is more like a small to mid sized town in atmosphere, Boise unlike many city's is VERY Spread out, and their is a lot of open space, climate wise it is a nice mix, we get warm (sometimes hot) summers, and a good bit of snow in the winter, their is practically no limit of activities, like to Ski? their is a Ski Resort 60 minutes from the Capitol Building (Bogus Basin), Like to do river boating/fishing in the summer? the Boise River is open to everyone, prefer Lake Boating/Fishing etc? their is a big lake 30 minutes from the city center, Like cycling? we have more cycle trails than you can shake a stick at, we have HUGE verity of Restaurants and shopping, and we are only a 60 minute drive from the mountains, heck we even have an artificial beech near town.
If you prefer a smaller town near a city check out Eagle, it's only 5 miles from Boise.
Crime wise the whole area has less crime in a year than most other city's have in a day, and the town of Greenleaf have just passed a mandatory firearms ownership law.
Here's a website with info on Boise.
http://www.cityofboise.org/
http://www.cityofboise.org/public_information/index.aspx?id=about_boise
don't just read about Idaho & look at pictures, come have a look
Standing Wolf
Member in memoriam
From the owners of two gun shops and a cop over the telephone. If I'd moved to Idaho, I'd have had to wait six months to acquire the Colt Python I'd bought months earlier, but couldn't so-called "import" into the People's Republic of California. After six months, I could buy guns and ammunition, as well as qualify for CCW.
Colorado made me wait thirty days for my permit, no time to acquire my Python.
STANDING WOLF - "I liked the place and people a lot; having to wait six months to exercise my Second Amendment civil rights, however, made altogether the wrong impression upon me."
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S.W., in Idaho, all you have to do to apply for a CCW is have a valid Idaho driver's license and an established place of residence. That's been in effect since 1990. You do not have to live here for six months before applying for a CCW.
OPEN CARRY is legal without a CCW.
We moved here from Los Angeles in 1997, and as soon as we got unpacked and had our Idaho driver's licenses, my wife applied for a CCW. Came in the mail about three weeks later.
If you are referring to a RESIDENT hunting license, then yes, you must have been a legal resident for six months before being legal for a RESIDENT hunting license (fishing, too.) Otherwise, you would have to buy a non-resident license and tag to hunt.
(I used to hunt a lot in Colorado. At that time, Colo. had the same requirement as Idaho, for buying a RESIDENT hunting license. Six month residency. Don't know if it is the same now, or not.)
FWIW.
L.W.
??????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????
S.W., in Idaho, all you have to do to apply for a CCW is have a valid Idaho driver's license and an established place of residence. That's been in effect since 1990. You do not have to live here for six months before applying for a CCW.
OPEN CARRY is legal without a CCW.
We moved here from Los Angeles in 1997, and as soon as we got unpacked and had our Idaho driver's licenses, my wife applied for a CCW. Came in the mail about three weeks later.
If you are referring to a RESIDENT hunting license, then yes, you must have been a legal resident for six months before being legal for a RESIDENT hunting license (fishing, too.) Otherwise, you would have to buy a non-resident license and tag to hunt.
(I used to hunt a lot in Colorado. At that time, Colo. had the same requirement as Idaho, for buying a RESIDENT hunting license. Six month residency. Don't know if it is the same now, or not.)
FWIW.
L.W.
I would like to add that land prices have tripled around me and in the Couer d Alene area has had land and housing cost go up quite a bit. Land prices will more than likely go back down soon so you might not want to buy land for a little while.
I live up north by Priest lake and its beautiful. You do have to learn to live with long drives though. Priest Lake is about 2hrs from Spokane Wa and Couer d alene.
All in all its a nice place to live, as long as we dont get a buncha people up here...........
On second thought Idaho is a terrible horrible place to live. I am constantly under siege from bears,cougars and chucabras, so much that i know have an AA Gun mounted on my car and at my front door. And if its not that its the weather, usually we get 15 to 20 feet of snow a month. You are risking life and limb to move up here
I live up north by Priest lake and its beautiful. You do have to learn to live with long drives though. Priest Lake is about 2hrs from Spokane Wa and Couer d alene.
All in all its a nice place to live, as long as we dont get a buncha people up here...........
On second thought Idaho is a terrible horrible place to live. I am constantly under siege from bears,cougars and chucabras, so much that i know have an AA Gun mounted on my car and at my front door. And if its not that its the weather, usually we get 15 to 20 feet of snow a month. You are risking life and limb to move up here
AStone
Member
Rugged mountains. (NH, VT and ME x3. NY, RI and MA not on the same scale. Apples v. oranges.)
Big wilderness blending huge mountains into shrub steppe and desert.
Fewer people per unit area (by two orders of magnitude).
Survivalists. Free spirits (way beyond way beyond Boston & NYC).
Adjoining states showing similar characteristics.
Ready escape northward into even bigger territory should the need arise.
(It will.)If you've not been there, just pack the vehicle and go.
(Best to pack all that you need to stay, because you won't want to go back.)
What's in your wallet?
LoveMyCountry
Member
Don't forget the Jackalopes! Why I hear that they will eat you alive and then go looking for your relatives.
Actually, everybody I know that has moved here came first for a vacation and just fell in love with the place. Try vacationing in several areas since Idaho is very different depending upon which end of the state your in.
Lots of info on the Net.
http://www.accessidaho.org/
http://www.visitidaho.org/
Idaho Laws
LoveMyCountry
delta53
Member
Thanks
Thank you everyone who responded I noticed that not one person responded in a negative way, Imagine if I asked the same thing about New Jersey. I have 2 years till retirement and if I make it You may run into me it sounds like anywhere I pick in the entire area of Idaho I will be happy I promise not to bring more than one more person with me and I will not leave a forwarding address .
Jim
Thank you everyone who responded I noticed that not one person responded in a negative way, Imagine if I asked the same thing about New Jersey. I have 2 years till retirement and if I make it You may run into me it sounds like anywhere I pick in the entire area of Idaho I will be happy I promise not to bring more than one more person with me and I will not leave a forwarding address .
Jim
Al Norris
Member
There is one negative aspect about Idaho... Well, negative if it happens to be you!
People who come here, especially from the more socialist leaning states, have often been heard to say things like, "they don't do things this way back home," or "that's not the way we do things where I'm from!" Then they get outraged with the sudden appearence of people who are fluffing up a bag of goose feathers and heating a bucket of tar....
People who come here, especially from the more socialist leaning states, have often been heard to say things like, "they don't do things this way back home," or "that's not the way we do things where I'm from!" Then they get outraged with the sudden appearence of people who are fluffing up a bag of goose feathers and heating a bucket of tar....
delta53
Member
Don't worry
Don't worry I'm like a duck out of water were I'm at now, I'll blend in just fine
Don't worry I'm like a duck out of water were I'm at now, I'll blend in just fine
Nicolai
Member
Interesting. After the 2002 floods here and a drought ever since, blazing hot dry summers, an overabundance of scorpions (but fewer rattlers) this year, allergies to everything that blooms or pollinates, and the crazies from Austin and San Antonio getting closer, Idaho sounds pretty good. I keep kidding my wife that Boise's weather is better than what we routinely get here. Maybe we'll have to look closer.
My advice: Stay away! You'll hate it! This place sucks! Seriously though, I moved my family here to Boise a few years ago from the Twin Cities and we absolutely love it. If you like hunting and fishing, it's pretty hard to beat. My only complaint in that regard is that the pheasant hunting pales in comparison to what I got used to on the Great Plains. On the other hand, the waterfowl hunting has been a very pleasant surprise. I can't speak for much of the rest of the state, but Boise has quite a few unique opportunities to keep yourself entertained. From my house, I can drive ten minutes and (1) ride my mountain bike on numerous and phenomenal trails; (2) cast a fly to rising trout in the Boise River; (3) attend a Boise State Football game; (4) see an occasional touring Broadway show; and (5) chase chukar, quail, and huns. Add another 45 minutes to my drive time, and I'm skiing at a pretty good ski resort.
AStone
Member
Wow, you folks are really making me want to move there now.
I've only driven through, unfortunately.
It's amazingly beautiful there. And your descriptions make it sound delicious, as well.
Not sure I could make a living there, however...
I've only driven through, unfortunately.
It's amazingly beautiful there. And your descriptions make it sound delicious, as well.
Not sure I could make a living there, however...
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