The best state to live in for hunting

[traviswdalton]

I moved from va to Illinois 4 years ago. At first it was awesome. Then you start paying taxes and the constant attack on the 2nd amendment is ridiculous. It took me a year to get a concealed carry permit. Spent the last year looking for a place to move. My vote was Alaska Wyoming Montanna etc. My wife hates cold weather so we made a compromise. Moved to sc and I can take any hunting trip I want every year. Plus we live on Lake Marion and I can basically fish year round. Drew unit 15 Archery elk in New Mexico for my allowance hunt.


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[robie]

Interesting thread.

A lot of people throwing out states that they "like", but not focusing on states will real benefits to residents. CO is a great states but the PP system is so messed up not a real benefit to being a resident vs non-resident hunter.

Before you leave NV look into getting a lifetime hunting license (not sure if NV offers one). I'm not sure the benefits in NV. But some states offer huge benefits to lifetime license holders. I believe ID and AZ are at the top. Someone on here will know the details better.

AZ I believe you get in the resident pool but pay non-resident fees.
ID something similar to AZ I believe.

UT is terrible draw odds for residents & non-residents alike.
TX no point just come hunt here whenever you feel like it.
NM better draw odds but not the best economy.
WY you can hunt region G every year on general deer tag.
MT you can hunt deer in the rut every year over the counter. I believe elk as well.
ID lifetime license as mentioned above and can get two elk tags each year.
CO no point with PP system
NV residents have the best sheep odds in the US. (~4% with 10 points)

These are very broad generalizations, someone can chine in with more specifics or point out errors in above comments. I'm not an expert on resident situations other than Texas.

If you aren't tied to a state and willing to move around in your 20's before you settle down look into this AZ for a year and ID for a year. If you can get on as contractor for civil engineering projects they should put you with decent money/experience and not be stuck somewhere for 5+ years. At your age insurance is cheap.

 

[TheCougar]

I’ve been thinking about this a LOT. I retire from the military in 2 years and my wife and I are looking for places to live. Not including Alaska, which is the default #1, I’ve ranked them as #2 WY, #3 ID or MT, #4 CO, then everyone else.

 

[TheCougar]

You are correct about the AZ lifetime license.

 

[AK Troutbum]

Kind of off topic to the OP’s question, but AK gives free life time hunting/fishing licenses to residents 60 years old. Another plus about hunting in AK is no snakes, no ticks, and no poisonous spiders, although, you may have a bear try to kill you every once in a while.


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[robie]

You are correct about the AZ lifetime license.

Just to put numbers to the what this would mean:
AZ Resident with 10 pts has 12% odds of drawing unit 10 early archery bull elk.
AZ Non-resident with 10 pts of 0.60% odds of drawing unit 10 early archery bull elk.

That is one of the best hunts in the country. You can go on some very good hunts every few years in the resident pool that would take most of your life to draw in the non-resident pool.

If I could move somewhere for 12-18 months it would be AZ. After that I get the benefits for the rest of my life (until they change the current law).

 

[NWhunt]

Ttt


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[Highlands Hunter]

If you like hunting quality Mule deer, go any place but MT.

 

[Jc213]

Interesting thread.

A lot of people throwing out states that they "like", but not focusing on states will real benefits to residents. CO is a great states but the PP system is so messed up not a real benefit to being a resident vs non-resident hunter.

Before you leave NV look into getting a lifetime hunting license (not sure if NV offers one). I'm not sure the benefits in NV. But some states offer huge benefits to lifetime license holders. I believe ID and AZ are at the top. Someone on here will know the details better.

AZ I believe you get in the resident pool but pay non-resident fees.
ID something similar to AZ I believe.

UT is terrible draw odds for residents & non-residents alike.
TX no point just come hunt here whenever you feel like it.
NM better draw odds but not the best economy.
WY you can hunt region G every year on general deer tag.
MT you can hunt deer in the rut every year over the counter. I believe elk as well.
ID lifetime license as mentioned above and can get two elk tags each year.
CO no point with PP system
NV residents have the best sheep odds in the US. (~4% with 10 points)

These are very broad generalizations, someone can chine in with more specifics or point out errors in above comments. I'm not an expert on resident situations other than Texas.

If you aren't tied to a state and willing to move around in your 20's before you settle down look into this

You can move mountain goat up to the “can hunt every year” list. Actually, as a resident you can harvest up to 2 goats a year on Kodiak. Oh, and don’t forget Roosevelt elk, we got those too!




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That sounds extremely appealing

 

[ianpadron]

These threads are always fun.

When I graduated college I moved from Wisconsin to Washington state. Wanted to be somewhere that had a booming economy so I could start stacking cash as a young guy and still be close to some decent hunting. On my way out here I spent time in MT and ID, both of which are freaking awesome...IF you can find a job.

I'll tell you what, Seattle is an absolute shit-hole, but the rest of the state is pretty legit. You won't find more epic scenery to hunt in anywhere in the lower 48. 10, 12 and 14,000 foot volcanoes, high alpine meadows, more bears than you can shake a stick at. Massive tracts of public land and wilderness, with the yuppies never setting foot too far off the PCT.

The waterfowl hunting is truly world class. 107 day season, 7 mallard limits, the Pacific Flyway is unreal.

Plus the fishing, though apparently only a shadow of its former self, is still pretty epic. Steelhead, salmon, trout, and warm-water species...all within an hour of any town in the state...tough to beat.

I'm 26, and look at the tech sector in the Puget Sound as my generation's equivalent of the Gold Rush. I'm going to stash as much $$$ from selling houses here as possible until my future kids are ready to go to school...and then Montana here we come.

If I knew then what I know now, I'd have stopped in Montana and gotten into real estate there...but at the time that was a skill-set that wasn't even remotely on my radar.

Life is an adventure and there are a lot of worse places a young dude fresh out of college could be than any of the Western states (aside from Cali lol).

 

[TW13]

Arizona. So many opportunities.

 

[AK Troutbum]

Alaska for sure...I moved here from Colorado over thirty years ago. I'm an extremely active hunter, fly fisherman, pack-rafter, and snow machiner. All together I take at least a month off every year, and I'm in the field. My kids grew-up eating moose meat and hunting with me...and still do. I've been all over the state, and there is still so much that I haven't seen...it would take two life-times.

...if I were forced to move, I'd probably look at Wyoming.

Well, it appears that you took the words right out of my mouth. I moved up from WY (love WY by the way), and have been here now almost 30 years. Fly fishing brought me here, when I was 23, and hunting kept me here. Raising my children (16 &11), on wild fish and game exclusively (the only exception is when we go out to eat, or visit family in the lesser 48). AK is where it’s at, period!


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[Ellensburg]

These threads are always fun.

When I graduated college I moved from Wisconsin to Washington state. Wanted to be somewhere that had a booming economy so I could start stacking cash as a young guy and still be close to some decent hunting. On my way out here I spent time in MT and ID, both of which are freaking awesome...IF you can find a job.

I'll tell you what, Seattle is an absolute shit-hole, but the rest of the state is pretty legit. You won't find more epic scenery to hunt in anywhere in the lower 48. 10, 12 and 14,000 foot volcanoes, high alpine meadows, more bears than you can shake a stick at. Massive tracts of public land and wilderness, with the yuppies never setting foot too far off the PCT.

The waterfowl hunting is truly world class. 107 day season, 7 mallard limits, the Pacific Flyway is unreal.

Plus the fishing, though apparently only a shadow of its former self, is still pretty epic. Steelhead, salmon, trout, and warm-water species...all within an hour of any town in the state...tough to beat.

I'm 26, and look at the tech sector in the Puget Sound as my generation's equivalent of the Gold Rush. I'm going to stash as much $$$ from selling houses here as possible until my future kids are ready to go to school...and then Montana here we come.

If I knew then what I know now, I'd have stopped in Montana and gotten into real estate there...but at the time that was a skill-set that wasn't even remotely on my radar.

Life is an adventure and there are a lot of worse places a young dude fresh out of college could be than any of the Western states (aside from Cali lol).

Same boat! Except I didn't want to get into the Real Estate game here. Living in this area is just a means to put away $$$$ and eventually go elsewhere.

Not many people your age have that mind set. Way to go. Keep being driven.

 

[rooster440]

These threads are always fun.

When I graduated college I moved from Wisconsin to Washington state. Wanted to be somewhere that had a booming economy so I could start stacking cash as a young guy and still be close to some decent hunting. On my way out here I spent time in MT and ID, both of which are freaking awesome...IF you can find a job.

I'll tell you what, Seattle is an absolute shit-hole, but the rest of the state is pretty legit. You won't find more epic scenery to hunt in anywhere in the lower 48. 10, 12 and 14,000 foot volcanoes, high alpine meadows, more bears than you can shake a stick at. Massive tracts of public land and wilderness, with the yuppies never setting foot too far off the PCT.

The waterfowl hunting is truly world class. 107 day season, 7 mallard limits, the Pacific Flyway is unreal.

Plus the fishing, though apparently only a shadow of its former self, is still pretty epic. Steelhead, salmon, trout, and warm-water species...all within an hour of any town in the state...tough to beat.

I'm 26, and look at the tech sector in the Puget Sound as my generation's equivalent of the Gold Rush. I'm going to stash as much $$$ from selling houses here as possible until my future kids are ready to go to school...and then Montana here we come.

If I knew then what I know now, I'd have stopped in Montana and gotten into real estate there...but at the time that was a skill-set that wasn't even remotely on my radar.

Life is an adventure and there are a lot of worse places a young dude fresh out of college could be than any of the Western states (aside from Cali lol).

Don’t the politics out there kinda ruin it? Aren’t the taxes crazy high? I’ve always like WA but it’s just so blue.


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[ianpadron]

Once you get out of Seattle, Olympia, Bellingham, the place is pretty Red and there are plenty of good ol' boys. Sadly, that's kind of the case everywhere in the West these days...although Seattle is definitely as bad as it gets. Weird ass place.

Definite culture shock for a 22 year old kid who grew up in North Central Wisconsin and thought Madison was as liberal as it gets

No state income tax in WA, but there is a 10% sales tax and 49 cent per gallon gas tax to make up for it LOL.

Our current Governor is widely regarded as the least competent in the nation by any trusted research institute.

BUT, the median home price in my market is approaching $900k...so as long as I'm selling inventory like that the pros outweigh the cons.

Once the kids show up though, we're outta here.

Sad, because if WA was a red state, I'd never leave.

Don’t the politics out there kinda ruin it? Aren’t the taxes crazy high? I’ve always like WA but it’s just so blue.


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[BuzzH]

Best State to live in, if you want to hunt the best there is to offer...is any State where you can make an obscene amount of money.

A surgeon living in Chicago, making a boatload of money, will get to hunt more, better, and quality areas than some poor bastard that's grinding it out working in a Western State.

Just the way it is...and its not going to get better.

I used to think that if a guy bought points, applied for enough tags, that you would get to hunt moose, sheep, goat, bison, etc. etc. etc. That may have been the case if you started 25 years ago...but not anymore.

If a person is really serious about getting to hunt a lot, for a lot of different species, multiple states, etc. don't do it the way I did. You wont get there, too many people too few tags anymore.

Get a high paying job, wherever the money is...cut your way in line in front of guys like me...buy your hunts, buy LO tags, buy commission tags, etc. Hunt the best out there, every year, while I'm busy applying for tags and grinding it out with the rest of the peons.

 

[2rsquared]

Would say TX but gaining access to private land is difficult/expensive.

Kentucky has a little bit of everything.

 

[Gobbler36]

Move to Tn you can basically shoot 12 deer a year
2 bucks and 10 does some counties are 3 does a day as long as you don’t go over your statewide limit, ducks in western portion and all the small game you can shake a stick at, buy dogs and coon hunt, trap and not to mention striper fishing, crappie, walleye, and some of the best small mouths in the country. And best of all is you don’t have every Tom, dick, and Harry from the other 49 states wanting to come hunt your deer.

 

[87TT]

Paying for a place to hunt or really high license and tag prices kind of ruin it for me. Also, you can't buy years on your life. Find a place that has decent hunting, get a job that you can live comfortably and still hunt when you want. All the money in the world won't help you if your dead or too old to enjoy it. Quality of life is way more important than cash.

 

[Calcoyote]

This thread has been a great interest to me because I love to hunt/fish/backpack and my wife and I are fed up with Oregon. We live South of Portland and people have LOST THEIR MINDS in this state. Liberal is not a strong enough word and they are VERY intolerant and violent to anyone that does not agree with them. We have gone on vacation for the last two years in Montana and Idaho. We have found a couple of places that we are pretty happy with.

With regard to Wyoming, if I could get my wife to sign off on it that would be my pick. I am still trying, but my daughter and son in law and future grandchildren are here in Western Oregon and my boss/wife wants to be within a day's drive of them.