I spent pretty much my whole life in Northern NY, but in April I moved to eastern Idaho. I got hooked on hunting the west and got sick of the travel. Now I can hunt elk every year. If you can get 3 other guys and drive out it's a reasonable trip price wise.
Nassau County here. I got hooked on western hunting .. I don't find treestand hunting fun anymore. The last two years I been ground hunting to practice on hunting the wind and staying silent.. This year will be my second trip out west and hopefully I'm better prepared. After reading the threads and researching I can see were I went wrong last year.
New York- never got comfortable in a treestand. Ground blind with my son or ground stalking. Recurve this season. My son wants to hunt out west for his 16 birthday. Hell, I wish I thought of it at that age! Gives me two years to get back in shape.
Since then, he's retired the crossbow and uses his compound.
Im a bit more east of you on the CT coast but I can't stand tree stands either. I just dont like the sit and wait game but it's what we got so I mix in as much upland hunting as I can to get some movement in.
I am really interested in hunting the west. hoping to move there in two years when my wife's contract is up but I'd love to make a trip before then.
I am just south of Albany a bit.
I go hunt west and and mid west every year, usually make two trips each fall, depends on what I draw or what other hunting plans I have. This year it's Mule deer late sept early oct and a whitetail hunt in Nov.
I only hunt about a week at most back home in NY and CT at this point I am spoiled.