Montana. Advice help: moving to Helena MT

[Hunter1966]

Hi Guys. Me and my wife are considering to sell our second house in the middle of ND, moving to Helena. We live in Miami where ours daughters and grand kids live. But while for my wife is ok, I cannot stand there for more than 2 months in a row. I'm a hard core hunter and, as second option, fisherman too. And I hate the hot days. I hunt quite every single day from the opening season to January 31. From upland birds (pheasants, partridge and grouse), rabbits (jackrabbits and cotton tails), waterfowl, big game (deer, elk, bear). I love outdoor. I' love snowmobiling. My wife love just hiking, mushroom hunting and some days snowmobiling . Most in spring, summer and fall. She love to go shopping in the big shop (Walmart, TJ Max, Costco) and love to drink tee, beer, wine in nice cozy cafè/bar/bakery and she like to eat differently from pizza, Americans, to most fine dining. She love the cozy shop too out of the chains. We are a couple very and deeply conservative and I'm 54 and my wife 57. We do not need to find job in MT. I'm an Italian attorney, permanent resident in USA, working for my office and customers in Italy from my office set at home in Miami and ND now.

The decision to move to Helena is because where we are now in ND I do great: plenty of upland hunting and fishing. Riding horse and snowmobiling, even if the land is most flat, windy and unbelievable cold. But we can hold also the extreme low temperature. We have enough hot down in Miami. But my wife complains she has zero to do: our town is just 2000 people, 2 restaurants and that's it. First city (Bismarck or Fargo) two hours driving. But I do not want to move to Fargo. And she doesn't want to move to Bismarck.

So, we visit Helena and we liked it. We visit Great Falls too: but my wife likes the downtown little and cozy shopping center of Helena.

On the premises that the agreement between me and my wife is not to live in Helena town, but in the surrounding area in a radius of 20 minutes (not more) from Helena town, what do you can tell me about Helena: living quality for a couple with our requirements ? weather: foggy ? dry ? most cloudy or with enough clear and sunny days (even if cold, it doesn't matter), snow ? Hunting from upland to big game and fishing ? Things to do for my wife beside outdoor ? Good social climate for conservatives ? Place to avoid around Helena (I hear there is somewhere a lead superfund site and some flooding area) ?

Thanks to all

 

[FLAK]

Helena is "Rainbow Compliant", so to speak.
Even got the stickers in the store fronts.

 

[Hunter1966]

Is there somebody that can help me ?

 

[bobr1]

Montana sucks....I've heard Denver is pretty nice

 

[MTHunter20]

Wow no help here huh? I moved to the Bitterrroot Valley from TN this summer so I can’t help much with the Helena area. I know my family I love Montana though. I’m sure you’ll love it compared to ND and definitely compared to Miami. Good luck with whatever you decide.

 

[MTSasquatch]

Montana is full. Heard North Dakota is nice though.

 

[Wapiti1]

Stay out of East Helena unless you can do the research on the property. That is where the smelter is.

Anywhere in Helena proper is fine. If it were me, I would look from there to Townsend, and back toward York if you don't mind a gravel drive to town. There are also some nice places as you go toward Jefferson City.

Helena is a nice town. It's not Bozeman or Missoula, yet.

Generally good weather. Winter can be a bit foggy. The valley will be cold and get inversions from time to time. Otherwise, it's not rainy, and on the dry side. Not a huge amount of snow, but cold snaps into the -30's most winters.

Trout, perch and walleye all found in Hauser, Canyon Ferry and Holter. You'll have to drive a way to get to good pike lakes. Lots of small stream fishing. Limited upland birds. Mountain grouse and a few pheasants down the valley past Townsend. Best birds are back toward Great Falls. Some waterfowl, but again, better out by Great Falls.

Surrounded by deer and elk. Antelope by draw tag in the valley, tough draw. Easy draw antelope are 6-8 hours away for buck tags. Doe tags are easier.

Jeremy

 

[Broomd]

Reads like you guys have a good plan....We haven't been to Helena yet, but would like to visit, fish Canyon Ferry area, etc.
Good luck, enjoy the West... Abbondanza!

 

[nodakian]

Montana is full. Heard North Dakota is nice though.

Nope, we’re full, too.

 

[Bdjones]

Nope, we’re full, too.

It's gotten empty in Watford City since the fall of oil lol

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[Southwesterner]

CMR has some monster bucks and the front range near Augusta has great elk opportunity

 

[X-file]

Helena is actually quite liberal by Montana standards. Not as much as Missoula or Bozeman but more than say Butte or Great Falls. It has changed a lot in the last 5-10 years. City and county push liberal agendas.
As stated above you need to do your research if you look at property in East Helena. The valley area is very flood prone and in most cases the damage is due to ground water which doesn’t have to be reported as “flooded”. The north valley has had many questionable builders just throwing houses together or poor septic or water systems
For the weather portion of it. There are some extremes. Saturday it was 96. This morning it was 30 and snow in the mountains
March last year the valley hit -39 and a month later it was 80. The wind blows often and strong. This year during the same stretch I believe the highs were 40-60 the entire time.
Surrounding areas have very few properties available. So many people running from the cities and buying whatever is available driving property values above what the average wage can afford and pushing their liberal believes.

Helena is still a nice place to live but it is not the same place it was 10 years ago. It’s nice being able to visit any of the other cities for a day trip. Hunting and fishing opportunities in all directions within a couple of hours.

Good luck in your search


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[Hunter1966]

Nope, we’re full, too.

I'm a ND resident. Still here in my ranch.

CMR has some monster bucks and the front range near Augusta has great elk opportunity

what is CMR please ?

 

[Hunter1966]

Southwestern what is CMR please ?

 

[Southwesterner]

Southwestern what is CMR please ?

Charles M Russell National Wildlife Refuge. That part of the state is great for Whitetail

 

[Lingling]

I enjoyed living in Helena. Lots of all you like close by. Biggest muley I ever saw hung out around the Catholic Cathedral right by downtown. Good restaurants, low crime. Good hunting and fishing culture.

 

[Mt Al]

Not adding much new here. Helena, IMHO, is the best Montana town to live in if you like the whole variety of outdoor fishing and hunting. Not that it's a terrible drive from Bozeman or Great Falls, but Helena has the quickest access to several lakes with great fishing. Plenty of fly fishing nearby also. Go in any direction for Forest Service land for mountain grouse, mule deer and elk, though some of it is limited draw around Helena. My wife likes the downtown. There's a bit of a "slower" energy in Helena in my opinion (key phrase) due to the large number of government employees relative to other towns in Montana that will have a higher number of entreprenuers and small companies.

 

[cboom]

Helena is actually quite liberal by Montana standards. Not as much as Missoula or Bozeman but more than say Butte or Great Falls. It has changed a lot in the last 5-10 years. City and county push liberal agendas.
As stated above you need to do your research if you look at property in East Helena. The valley area is very flood prone and in most cases the damage is due to ground water which doesn’t have to be reported as “flooded”. The north valley has had many questionable builders just throwing houses together or poor septic or water systems
For the weather portion of it. There are some extremes. Saturday it was 96. This morning it was 30 and snow in the mountains
March last year the valley hit -39 and a month later it was 80. The wind blows often and strong. This year during the same stretch I believe the highs were 40-60 the entire time.
Surrounding areas have very few properties available. So many people running from the cities and buying whatever is available driving property values above what the average wage can afford and pushing their liberal believes.

Helena is still a nice place to live but it is not the same place it was 10 years ago. It’s nice being able to visit any of the other cities for a day trip. Hunting and fishing opportunities in all directions within a couple of hours.

Good luck in your search


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Sadly it seems everywhere is changing to fast.

 

[slim23]

we moved to butte in mid december from southern illinois. We have never been happier. The country is unlimited and amazing. we have been to helena shopping and exploring 2x. Property prices are unbelievably high and going higher. But the people are super nice!

 

[S.Clancy]

If you don't need to work but still live within an hour or so of Helena look at Elliston, Augusta, Avon, Townsend. I'd much rather live there and go to Helena for groceries/stuff occasionally than live in Helena. FYI, I live in Helena. It's a great area but the town is a hassle. And property is ridiculous right now.