Where would you move to if you had your choice of any western State to live in?

[Rob Rob]

I am planning on retiring soon and will be moving WEST and would like to live in a State with the best chances for resident tag drawings. Being the experts that you are, where would you move to if you didn't live where you live now, if elk hunting was your top priority. (public land)
I prefer Montana, Wyoming or Idaho, I just do not know each States requirements with drawings, points, etc.


Thank you for your time!

 

[Colorado Cowboy]

My wife and I spent the 20 years before I retired in 2000 traveling to every western state looking for our retirement home. It came down to 2 states, Colorado & Wyoming. Specifically Lander, Wy and Dolores/Cortez Co. Hunting was not at the top of my list for our retirement home. (it was in the top 10) . We visited both areas at different times of the year for 2 years. I wanted Lander and my wife didn't. Too cold and windy. We ended up in SW Colorado.

Looking back, I still like Lander, but am not unhappy at all with our choice. We have lived here 21 years and the only area I like any better than here is Ridgeway, about 80 miles NE from here. We wanted to live in a rural area, wanted bare land so we could build our "dream home". We bought 6 acres with 5 shares of irrigation water (enough to keep a 2 acre pond filled). Our county gas around 22,000 people and cost of living is very reasonable.

I hunt regularly in Wy and here in Co. Pretty successful and suits my style.

We will spend the rest of our days here and are very happy with SW Color4ado.

 

[Winchester]

I did my last Army Active Duty assignment in Colorado Springs and then retired in Woodland Park. My wife and I really enjoy it … er, wait, I mean Colorado sucks … you should definitely not retire in Colorado …

 

[JimP]

When I moved here to Colorado to work it was a fantastic state. Over the counter tags and you could do almost anything with very little problems.

Now that the political side of it has turned a deep red there are more and more restrictions in place with more on the way. There are still a few strongholds that the folks that are moving in haven't ruined but very few.

A big problem is the Wyoming and Montana are heading the same direction.

If I were to move again it would be to Idaho.

 

[gonhunting247]

Both Wyoming and Montana seem like great places to live from a resident hunter standpoint.
Sounds fun, good luck!

 

[kidoggy]

Idaho . every other state sucks!

 

[Colorado Cowboy]

One state was not given serious consideration by my wife and I, that was Alaska. We lived all our lives in southern California, definately a warm weather state. After spending a month in Alaska in 2019, I know now that we should have included it in our considerations for a retirement home. Winters would be a consideration, but what we saw was spectacular. Cost of living is a lot higher, but not out of the question at least for us. Hunting, fishing and outdoor sports and living are definately world class.

Too bad for us as we are just too damn old to relocate there now.

 

[Colorado Cowboy]

Idaho . every other state sucks!

We almost moved to Idaho in 1977. I was offered ae engineering job at INEL (Idaho National Energy Lab) near Idaho Falls. Was all set to accept the job and relocate there, but just couldn't agree on the job package they were offering.

 

[Winchester]

One state was not given serious consideration by my wife and I, that was Alaska.

Great point CC!!
I lived in Fairbanks for 4 years while in the Army and loved it. The hunting, fishing, scenery is phenomenal at super reasonable resident prices. My wife and I discuss moving back there frequently. AKaviator will have current info if you want to know more about Alaska.

 

[mallardsx2]

If you were a smart saver and have a hefty retirement savings, I would advise you to relocate to where houses are still "affordable" and you can save the most on taxes and use that savings to go on two or three guided hunts per year and avoid the nonsense of the draws. I wouldn't relocate to another state just to draw tags. Even being a resident is a crap shoot with the OIL tags.

Battling others at retirement age on public ground for elk isn't my idea of an enjoyable experience. Personally, I want to see 5 bulls a day and no other hunters in retirement. But thats just me.

I guess if I had to choose I would move to Colorado.

My second option would be to buy the houses on either side of BUZZ and open a commercial fish cleaning business on both properties. lol

 

[AKaviator]

Great point CC!!
I lived in Fairbanks for 4 years while in the Army and loved it. The hunting, fishing, scenery is phenomenal at super reasonable resident prices. My wife and I discuss moving back there frequently. AKaviator will have current info if you want to know more about Alaska.

I would have chimed in on this, but elk seem to be his priority. We have elk, but it's not easy to hunt them every year. If it's moose, caribou, blacktail deer, dall sheep and black or brown bear you want to hunt every year, you might consider Alaska!

 

[gonhunting247]

I would have chimed in on this, but elk seem to be his priority. We have elk, but it's not easy to hunt them every year. If it's moose, caribou, blacktail deer, dall sheep and black or brown bear you want to hunt every year, you might consider Alaska!

I just returned from another spring bear hunt and each time I come back thinking I wish I would have spent at least a few years wondering around the great state of AK.

 

[Turbodude]

Good topic, I am planning on moving out of this socialist soon to be communist state here in 1-2 years, and thinking about either Idaho or Wyoming. Still weighing the pros & cons of each. Like Idaho’s redneck values

 

[kidoggy]

One state was not given serious consideration by my wife and I, that was Alaska. We lived all our lives in southern California, definately a warm weather state. After spending a month in Alaska in 2019, I know now that we should have included it in our considerations for a retirement home. Winters would be a consideration, but what we saw was spectacular. Cost of living is a lot higher, but not out of the question at least for us. Hunting, fishing and outdoor sports and living are definately world class.

Too bad for us as we are just too damn old to relocate there now.

there was a time a thought colorado was awesome .and it is . but I couldn't stomach the politics/policies.

 

[kidoggy]

unfortunately idaho is following in the steps of colo and the rest of the nation and soon a couple counties will dictate the entire states policies.

praise GOD for the gift of death!!

 

[buckbull]

I would pick Wyoming. Low taxes. Low population. Loads of public land. And as a resident, you don't have to compete with the out of state A-holes in the wilderness areas

 

[BKC]

I live in Colorado and can say from a hunting prospective, Colorado has it all. However, I do not like how my tax dollars are spent and the political climate. I have been in Colorado since 1965 and have seen it change for the worse and it is really accelerating now. I also do not want to spend my retirement $ twice as fast as I need to. I would move to Wyoming, I have always liked Dayton and the Tongue River. My wife's family are still here in Colorado, and for some reason she likes being around them, so we aren't leaving anytime soon.

 

[Hilltop]

I would pick Wyoming. Low taxes. Low population. Loads of public land. And as a resident, you don't have to compete with the out of state A-holes in the wilderness areas

Better be prepared mentally for this the majority of the year. Most people are not.

 

[RICMIC]

Except for my time in the Marine Corps, I have lived in the Peoples Republik of Minnesota all my life. I would have moved to Wyoming years ago & saved $5K a year on taxes and several thousand on tags and points. But, most of my family is here, and like CC have invested too much into my home over the last 30 years to just walk away and start over. WY is mostly desert sage country, and Yellowstone takes up the best part of the state. CO has the most mountains, but has been politically Californicated. Having never hunted in Idaho, I have no comment there, but you may find yourself living next door to Kidoggy. I've been looking on-line at property for several years, and there is very little available in those states that I would call affordable anymore.

 

[tim]

The best state in the west is the east coast. To many people have moved here already. I bet there is alot of vacancy on the i-5 corridor since they are moving to Idaho and Montana. I am making lots of money on the people moving here, but i am scared that the place i grew up in will be a little washington in no time.