Idaho or Oregon?

lostriverproductions

Active Member
Dec 27, 2011
475
67
Goshen IN
So I had an opportunity come up at work where they would like to transfer me to the west ( I currently live in IN). They would prefer me to transfer to Pendleton Oregon, but Twin Falls ID wouldn't be out of the question. I know zero about Oregon's hunting opportunities for residents, I know a little about ID but not much.

What state offers better hunting opportunities for residence? I would hunt any big game that I could.
 

kidoggy

Veteran member
Apr 23, 2016
9,855
10,861
58
idaho
So I had an opportunity come up at work where they would like to transfer me to the west ( I currently live in IN). They would prefer me to transfer to Pendleton Oregon, but Twin Falls ID wouldn't be out of the question. I know zero about Oregon's hunting opportunities for residents, I know a little about ID but not much.

What state offers better hunting opportunities for residence? I would hunt any big game that I could.

for me twin falls is a given .great hunting and fishing opportunities in Idaho. not saying same cannot be said of orygone but

Idaho is a red state , Oregon is a blue. that alone ,game or no game , would make my decision.
 

gonhunting247

Veteran member
Jan 21, 2014
1,221
797
I think if you're just comparing hunting I'd go to ID without a second thought.. That said, OR does have a lot of opportunity. It takes a while to figure out how to get the most out of it. I will say IMO it's easier to capitalize on the otc hunts if you are closer to the west side. If you're willing to use multiple weapons (Archery,Muzzle loader, Rifle) it really expands the time in the field. Access here is getting tougher all the time though.
 

Timberstalker

Veteran member
Feb 1, 2012
2,242
6
Bend, Or
Idaho! I live in Oregon the hunting here has been going downhill for decades and theres no sign of things getting better. We can’t use dogs for bear and cougars. We now have wolfs, no chance of controlling them when we can’t even control bears and cougars. We don’t log our national forests like we used to so habitat is an issue too. Too many liberals in this state making it nearly impossible for proper game management. The deer and elk population has plummeted badly and our fish and game department can’t fix it. I don’t know if they even know how.

We do have many opportunities but that one of the problems, we don’t have the numbers to support the opportunities. Selling tags is how our department get funding, so the sell more than they should at the expense of the population that is already far below where it should be.

I’m not far from giving up on hunting in Oregon. That’s a sad thing for me to admit, I used to love it here.
 
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conibear

Active Member
Oct 15, 2017
210
81
Goshen, IN. Wow. My old man used to work the Erie Lackawana railroad and talked about Goshen. Used to dread visiting my grandparents in Huntington. Ugh.

Anyhow, Idaho without hesitation, for many reasons. Hunter recruitment in OR is on a steady decline and for many reasons.
 

boiler

Active Member
Dec 26, 2015
302
130
Indiana
Goshen, IN. Wow. My old man used to work the Erie Lackawana railroad and talked about Goshen. Used to dread visiting my grandparents in Huntington. Ugh.

Anyhow, Idaho without hesitation, for many reasons. Hunter recruitment in OR is on a steady decline and for many reasons.
Haa, Huntington, IN that's where I live! Never thought it would make the forum. I'd choose ID.
 

Ikeepitcold

Administrator
Staff member
Feb 22, 2011
10,023
1,609
Reno Nv
I almost made the permanent move to Idaho Falls years back. I live in Meridian just outside of Boise for a year and really enjoyed it.

Like most have said the hunting opportunities are far better in ID then in OR. There are plenty of OTC units to hunt and some really great trophy hunts for deer and elk in draw units. Fishing is epic in the Snake river.

The folks that live there are very friendly. I don't think you would be disappointed choosing ID.
 

DRUSS

Very Active Member
Jun 22, 2014
537
157
nw oregon
Idaho, much better hunting opportunities and more of them to choose from. If you were more into fishing then it might be a little different. I live in Oregon and Idaho has always had a certain draw for me, I just can't get away from the fishin.
 

graybird

Active Member
Feb 22, 2011
388
119
Colorado
I'd move to Twin Falls in a heartbeat. A few years ago, I had a lot of work up there in the area and was there every other week for about 3 years from about March to October. It's farm country, but it doesn't take long to get into the hills.

One thing often overlooked is the predator hunting in those high plain lava fields. Coyote hunting is at premium if you enjoy it.
 

Colorado Cowboy

Super Moderator
Jun 8, 2011
8,328
4,715
83
Dolores, Colorado
I was born and raised in California (1941) and my wife and I knew when we retired we would relocate. Really liked Bend, Or, but had a friend there and after talking politics and how hunting had changed, crossed it off the list. I was offered a job at INEL (Idaho Nat. Energy lab) in Idaho Falls and wanted to take it, just couldn't agree on the relocation pkg. I spent a week there looking around, really nice place and of course IMHO the hunting opportunities and better.

All that said and done, when I retired we relocated to SW Colorado....too bad your company isn't here too!
 

JimP

Administrator
Mar 28, 2016
7,313
8,693
72
Gypsum, Co
The problem with Oregon is that it is becoming another California very quickly. That is except for the southern part but then you have to deal with the population base up north that controls everything.

Idaho is still pretty much wide open. Most hunting tags are over the counter and the draws have good odds.