Mule Deer and Moving

[blacktail sniper]

Well I will be retiring in 3 years and hope to finally be leaving the communist state of CA. Have spent a great deal of time around La Barge WY mostly hunting elk but fell in love with the Buffalo area when I took my daughter to 22 for antelope. Kind of had my heart on moving there but a buddy is hounding me to look at bitterroot valley in MT but the areas around there are just too hard to draw. Then there's also the Salmon Lemhi area to look at in ID which also seems nice. I need to narrow down some stuff and start looking. I love elk but mule deer and antelope still my favorite and would like to be close to them and or at least one of them and drive for elk etc. Any thoughts I know most of you spend more time in MT, WY or ID then me. I should be about 55 by the time I get there so hoping still fit enough to backpack or get new mules by then. thanks guys not looking for any honey hole advice just on places to move that provides the most opportunity for an old guy to make up for lost time and chase some critters. Just be the wife and I but im sure can make some friends or go solo. Also woudnt mind a little bird hunting used to guide for waterfowl so kind of over it but be nice to chase a few ducks and upland birds now and again.

 

[idahohikker]

For mule deer I would not be choosing Montana or Idaho. Colorado wouldn’t be my favorite place to live but I’d be half tempted for the deer hunting. Wyoming is a solid choice.

 

[realunlucky]

Idaho look at b&c entries

Sent from my moto z3 using Tapatalk

 

[Newtosavage]

Well I will be retiring in 3 years and hope to finally be leaving the communist state of CA. Have spent a great deal of time around La Barge WY mostly hunting elk but fell in love with the Buffalo area when I took my daughter to 22 for antelope. Kind of had my heart on moving there but a buddy is hounding me to look at bitterroot valley in MT but the areas around there are just too hard to draw. Then there's also the Salmon Lemhi area to look at in ID which also seems nice. I need to narrow down some stuff and start looking. I love elk but mule deer and antelope still my favorite and would like to be close to them and or at least one of them and drive for elk etc. Any thoughts I know most of you spend more time in MT, WY or ID then me. I should be about 55 by the time I get there so hoping still fit enough to backpack or get new mules by then. thanks guys not looking for any honey hole advice just on places to move that provides the most opportunity for an old guy to make up for lost time and chase some critters. Just be the wife and I but im sure can make some friends or go solo. Also woudnt mind a little bird hunting used to guide for waterfowl so kind of over it but be nice to chase a few ducks and upland birds now and again.

Our stories are very similar. We're looking at Colorado, mostly because our son is there, but the wife likes it too. Good luck in your search and congratulations on your upcoming retirement!

 

[BeaverHunter]

Montana. You can hunt elk and mule deer for almost 3 months out of the year. And their upland game hunting is phenomenal.

 

[Pacific_Fork]

If you can handle the cold the state to be in for hunting quality is Wyoming. Less than 600k people there, chances of turning into the next skinny jean hub like Denver, PNW, Boise, Missoula, Bozeman, etc are slim because the cold and wind. Now I do like to give credit to progressive cities/states because they have the best food options and overall stuff to do when you’re not hunting. Where as WY all you’ll get is frozen veggies, mash potatoes and corn fed steak. You can jump over into MT and hunt elk/deer there after you hunt trophy mule deer every year in Wyoming OTC. I’m leaving CA for ID based off of job opportunities and hunting. If I was retiring it head to WY, but then again I like to grow a lot of my own food and you cant do that there. If only we could kick 38 million people out of Ca it would be the best place to live on earth.

 

[Jimss]

Although Wyo has good deer hunting the quality of stinks compared to bucks available in neighboring Colo. All of Colo is a draw for deer but fairly good draws odds...especially for archery. Both Colo and Wyo offer OTC elk but I would pick Wyo every time for elk. It's tough to beat Wyo antelope.

With that said, before picking Wyo make sure you and your family don't mind WIND! THE WIND howls and is super depressing. I grew up in Wyo and can't stand the winters there. It's tough to beat the weather in Colo! I'm out in the hills year-round for work and play in Colo and weather is relatively mild. Colo is known for sunshine and mild weather.

Wyo has around 1 or 2 more months of winter and I hated it there from Nov through April! Montana has even colder temperatures than Wyo. I don't think I could live there as well! One word of warning...your wife may go into culture shock if moving from California to Wyo! Did I say the WIND BLOWS in Wyo and the winters stink?

 

[Newtosavage]

Wyoming is off my list specifically because of the wind. I hate wind. Hate it. More than snow, rain, heat or cold. My whole family lives in the panhandle of Texas where it blows like hell year-round and I have no idea how they deal with it. No thanks. No matter what it is you want to do, wind makes it harder and less fun. Unless I suppose you're a windsurfer, but I'm not and never plan to be. Wyoming is a beautiful state, but they can keep their damn wind. LOL

 

[blacktail sniper]

A

If you can handle the cold the state to be in for hunting quality is Wyoming. Less than 600k people there, chances of turning into the next skinny jean hub like Denver, PNW, Boise, Missoula, Bozeman, etc are slim because the cold and wind. Now I do like to give credit to progressive cities/states because they have the best food options and overall stuff to do when you’re not hunting. Where as WY all you’ll get is frozen veggies, mash potatoes and corn fed steak. You can jump over into MT and hunt elk/deer there after you hunt trophy mule deer every year in Wyoming OTC. I’m leaving CA for ID based off of job opportunities and hunting. If I was retiring it head to WY, but then again I like to grow a lot of my own food and you cant do that there. If only we could kick 38 million people out of Ca it would be the best place to live on earth.

Agree.. def will need a green house as that is the plan. I love MT but SW MT getting expensive and that's where a buddy lives and still has to drive 4-5 hrs to hunt mule deer. I def need to do some more research. the buffalo area less windy then here in CA where I live anyway. but in lookin at weather does it really get any colder then MT or northern Idaho.? I have froze my ass off in both those places too lol. CO agree 100% on Mule deer dam they grow big bucks just no experience at all there other then helping a buddy on a sheep hunt but that place is getting to be too puffy coat granola eater for me.

 

[Mt Al]

If you can handle the cold the state to be in for hunting quality is Wyoming. Less than 600k people there, chances of turning into the next skinny jean hub like Denver, PNW, Boise, Missoula, Bozeman, etc

True! Same cold as Montana, idaho, etc. Yes, more wind. A great friend from Montana went off to medical school recently and only looked in Wyoming to be away from "skinny jean hub", great hunting and few people. He loves it. Cody, Buffalo, Sheridan puts you close to Montana for bird hunting, but the bird hunting in Wyoming is just as good IMHO. You'll have piles of opportunities for antelope.

 

[blacktail sniper]

Thanks guys we were def looking at the buffalo area loved it when I was there and been eyeing the weather about every day and windier here then there. And my wife wants out of Ca as well. Shes been on a couple backpack archery elk hunts and did great and we got snowed out one year so I think she can handle it. I always wondered about the waterfowl hunting in WY? I have heard short season obviously but most guys just don't do it. I imagine can find a few on some BLM ponds or small rivers. I wont jump shoot like calling and decoying birds too much. Not much of a passion anymore but still fun to do from time to time.

 

[blacktail sniper]

Although Wyo has good deer hunting the quality of stinks compared to bucks available in neighboring Colo. All of Colo is a draw for deer but fairly good draws odds...especially for archery. Both Colo and Wyo offer OTC elk but I would pick Wyo every time for elk. It's tough to beat Wyo antelope.

With that said, before picking Wyo make sure you and your family don't mind WIND! THE WIND howls and is super depressing. I grew up in Wyo and can't stand the winters there. It's tough to beat the weather in Colo! I'm out in the hills year-round for work and play in Colo and weather is relatively mild. Colo is known for sunshine and mild weather.

Wyo has around 1 or 2 more months of winter and I hated it there from Nov through April! Montana has even colder temperatures than Wyo. I don't think I could live there as well! One word of warning...your wife may go into culture shock if moving from California to Wyo! Did I say the WIND BLOWS in Wyo and the winters stink?

What part of WY did you grow up in?

 

[Kerrbow]

Lived in Colorado for 7 yrs. (Estes Park). Hated having to pick a season to hunt and it was usually a short duration also if rifle hunting. Left there in 2000 and man have the political climates changed for the worse. Front range is definitely anti-hunter biased. One area in Colorado that has milder winter weather is the Arkansas river valley around Salida, Buena Vista areas. Gorgeous part of Colorado. Some parts of Colorado have bad beetle kill forests and it is getting worse. Good luck.

 

[blacktail sniper]

That's my concern with CO but dam they grow big mule deer though. I m leaning toward WY or Idaho maybe MT just not sure where. Buddy in the bitterroot valley loves it and its pretty but way too much money there and too far to go for mule deer for me

 

[blacktail sniper]

If you can handle the cold the state to be in for hunting quality is Wyoming. Less than 600k people there, chances of turning into the next skinny jean hub like Denver, PNW, Boise, Missoula, Bozeman, etc are slim because the cold and wind. Now I do like to give credit to progressive cities/states because they have the best food options and overall stuff to do when you’re not hunting. Where as WY all you’ll get is frozen veggies, mash potatoes and corn fed steak. You can jump over into MT and hunt elk/deer there after you hunt trophy mule deer every year in Wyoming OTC. I’m leaving CA for ID based off of job opportunities and hunting. If I was retiring it head to WY, but then again I like to grow a lot of my own food and you cant do that there. If only we could kick 38 million people out of Ca it would be the best place to live on earth.

Where you headed in Idaho.? For some reason I like that Salmon area south through Chalis or Lemhi. Never really hunted there but will be next year

 

[Jimss]

Blacktail Sniper, I grew up in Casper and also lived in Buffalo, Rawlins, and Laramie....went to U of Wyo.

 

[Kerrbow]

Are you going to retire or work out of the home? You could pick a state like Montana or Wyoming and then when winter sets in head to Arizona and hunt mulies thru the end of January. Best of both worlds and you don't have to put up with snow and wind as much. Plus the golfing is great in Arizona during the winter. Just saying.

 

[Jimss]

I had someone else mention that they wanted to retire in Wyo....and move outside of the state for the winter. I'm not sure that it's legal to keep residency unless you live in Wyo 365?

 

[Pacific_Fork]

Where you headed in Idaho.? For some reason I like that Salmon area south through Chalis or Lemhi. Never really hunted there but will be next year

Boise area. The The Salmon area would be very nice tho!

 

[Kerrbow]

I had someone else mention that they wanted to retire in Wyo....and move outside of the state for the winter. I'm not sure that it's legal to keep residency unless you live in Wyo 365?

I think if you live the majority of the year in one place that is your state of residency.