Who has moved from the West to the Midwest or East?

[myshootinstinks]

How badly do you miss western hunting? Is it hard to acclimate? I'm considering such a move. All experiences, good or bad, I'd like to hear.
  Thanks in advance, Doug

[joebuck]

I grew up in the south, then moved to the West for almost 4 years(AZ and CO) then moved back to the south 3 years ago.......Living in the West it seems your constantly juggling the draws for big game opportunity. In the south you can be constantly drawing down on big game every year all season. This obviously because of our liberal bag limits on deer but..........we have no elk, mule deer sheep or goats...bears are coming back. I can not honestly give you a fair oppionion since I sweat fried chicken and catfish but my guess is you will kill more big game(deer hogs)in one year in the south than big game in the west because of numbers of animals and easy access. I know some guys out west that have to wait 2-3 years to get drawn for big game..We just drive out of town and climb a tree. Which brings me to the other major difference. Southern/Midwestern/eastern deer hunting is mostly a tree stand sport....while you are use to stalking and still hunting. I just came in from my backyard shooting because I know I will probably kill 3-4-5 deer this year with my bow from sometime between oct 1 and jan31st. It's comforting and great piece of mind to know you will have that opportunity every year for a full time bowhunter like myself and not have to wait on luck of the draw. I never got use to that out west.

[Flatshooter]

I second that. Just moved to Tn. from Tucson, where I lived for six years. Although I grew up in the northeast and hunted all the time, I just had this desire to go west and so I did when I retired. I am an avid bow hunter but found chasing mulies in the desert frustrating and rather unproductive, especially with trad gear. Most bow hunters (compound) learn to shoot out to 70 and 80 yards because that's about as close as you get. I was told the average hunter scores on a mulie about once every ten years. Of course there are exceptions but desert hunting is very difficult and dangerous. The temperature is extremely hot most of the time and you have to worry about illegals and drug runners. The latter would just as soon shot you as look at you. Except for over the counter bow licenses for deer everything else is a draw. Colorado is a much different story but you still have to draw for mulies and other big game animals. The exception is elk which you can buy over the counter in many areas. Bottom line, I'm thrilled to be back east where I can climb a tree and shoot three bucks and as many does as I like every year. When spring rolls around, I can hunt turkeys and shoot three of them. All without worrying about drawing a single tag.

[Roadkill]

My 30 years in the military took me all over the place.  I have lived on the east and west coasts and several central states and Alaska. Joe and Flat have it down.  Desert hunting is very difficult in this terrain and if you want to kill impressive deer or elk, this is the palce, but...
you may be drawn only evry couple of years.  I used a compound for a few years and was practicing to to go the world championship in Valla Park, Aus but got orders to get ready for the first Gulf war.  i did some l-0-n-g distance shooting and killed deer and javelinas past 60 yds consistently.  I must say the wheels were fine but actually seeing the arrow again made ARCHery more fun.  Last year I closed on a dandy 27-29 inch 4X4 mulie to 60 yards, three different times.  Couldn't close the deal as the vegetation was too sparse, but that was a great year for me out here.  I go back to MO or KY, sometimes WI every second or so years to fil a tag.  If you want to hunt-really hunt, stalk, maneuver and ambush-west is great .  if you want to fill the freezer wwithout hassel, stay east.  I jsut painted my house and when the market comes back up, we'll sell and travel back east to be closer to our kin-and soem additional hunting.

[wtpops]

Im going to watch this one. I retire in 4 1/2 years from Califronia to Arkansas. Its going to be strange, Im 50 years old and have never seen a whitetail deer (in person)

[Kelly]

I've lived in Wisconsin, Colorado, Wisconsin, Idaho and now Iowa. We do miss the West but far as bowhunting is concerned-not. Because of the short seasons-most only 30 days-and all animals during those same short seasons or on a draw, plus the added fact that most places where one has to live in the West to make a living are not close to the good hunting areasone has to take vacations to hunt anyway so got in the same amoutn of bowhunting in the West when I lived in Wisconsin. That said, I really enjoyed the bowhunting the West has to offer, but much prefer the longer seasons here in the Midwest, higher animal density and the fact one can literally be hunting every day of our long seasons within minutes of ones home.

[recurvericky]

I moved to Olathe, Ks after living in Eastern NC for 40yrs. The game laws are more complex here in KS and the number of deer that I can take are alot lower. Before I moved out to Kansas, when I purchased my big game license I received 5 tags and could get unlimited doe tags the entire sason. One good thing about hunting in Kansas is the short gun season. In Eastern NC the deer are hunted hard from mid october to january with guns. If I could combine the best for both Kansas and NC hunting I would have one fine hunting place.

[Bear]

I miss MT real bad, but when we were there we missed our friends and mountains here real bad. In my opinion if you have family, friends, established community there, stay.

That said, all things considered East Tennessee makes the best home I have ever had. Hands down the best people I have known. And, I spent last night several miles in the backcountry of Great Smokey Mountains National Park and was in my office at 8:30 this morning. Now thats just cool!

[Doc Nock]

I'm not sure this is what you're asking, but I spent 6 years in MT before wandering back.

when I got back to PA... after not seeing a soul most days hunting in MT, while out slippin from one drainage to another to find that "10% of the country holding 90% of the game", I went nuts!

It seemed there was someone behind every tree... after the paranoia stopped, I realized...there WAS someone behind nearly every TREE! (Or in it come archery season!)

More critters, more evenly distributed, than out West, but WAY more people and more and more "NO HUNTING" areas...some by hunters who band together and some who just hate our very existence.

But...what's different isn't always bad. There will be adjustments to make. As the more mid-West and S'uth boys shared, they have great long seasons... the E.seaboard states have a lot of bio-diversity...but more restrictions.

There are other trade-offs too... do your homework. And good luck!

[j yenney]

I'd say the west is where you want to stay. Wyoming has unlimited hunting opertunities. I live in northern wyoming and if your worried about whitetail, there's no shortage of them around. You can kill 5 a year, plus the elk. There's no hogs but other than that, there's nothing like walking around for a week straight and being lucky to see 2 bowhunters out in the field. I lived in texas for a while. I'd take wyoming any day of the week.

Good luck

[**DONOTDELETE**]

I lived in Tejas for 14 years, that is where I started to hunt whitetail & hogz. Other then the heat I miss it. I do miss hunting out that way and when I get the money to get a Mobil camper I'm back out west this time west of Tejas

[myshootinstinks]

I've done about all of my living in the west so I appreciate the different perspectives. Good info, keep it coming.  Thanks again.

[WESTBROOK]

I lived in Colorado for over 12 years and moved back to Mi where I grew up. The only thing I REALY miss is the climate, no humidity and no skeeters!

Never could slice 1 deer thin enough to make it last a year.

Eric

[donw]

i've lived is southern california most of my adult life.

i lived in tex and okla as a kid and was stationed in tex when i came back from overseas during the war in 'nam.

i recently went back on a trip and it's not the same as it was then.

if you're going to base hunting opportunities as a major reason to relocate, i would avoid here in the southwest of california. the population centers are here and it has a dramatic affect on game animals.

i live rurally and we seldom see anything larger than coyote.

[longbowman]

I spent my first 23 yrs. in PA.  Moved to Montana for 4 years and now live back in PA.  I miss the smell of the mountains and the solitude.  I miss the multiple big game tags each year.  I truly enjoy hunting whitetails and know that unless you're independantly wealthy you can't actually live where you hunt in Montana.  (I know there's exceptions) but here I hunt right out my back door.

[Roger Moerke]

I will throw my 2 cents in as well, I grew up in Minnesota and I do miss things, mostly family and all the lakes.
Lived in Missouri for 20 years hated the weather but the hunting was very good.Prior to that lived in Oregon for several years and loved the state I'm sure it has changed with pop. etc. but there were so many things to do with the ocean, and the diverse topo changes from desert to rain forest.Lots of game species to chase all though for some you have to draw.
 I now live in Colorado and like it but I defintley miss the long archery seasons of the Mid west, I could not handle the south personaly, has something to do with being born in a snow bank!
When I was in the Mid-west always wanted to be hunting the West and don't regret coming here but now I will be makeing plans to hunt the Mid-west after archery season is over here which is way to soon. So there ya go.

[myshootinstinks]

Well, thanks fellas.  Part of my reason for considering a move east is the long deer hunting seasons. I'm with Kelly and others that have mentioned that all the seasons out here happen about the same time, the month of September.  In recent years I've basically focused on one species for each season,in other words deer this year, elk the next, etc.
  Another reason is simple economics. What I do for a living can be done about anywhere in the US and it pays the same wherever I go. Home prices in most of the midwest are around 40-50% less than in Wyo. so it only makes sense to get more for the $$$.

[Kelly]

If you do make the move get a Lifetime Hunting license(if available in Wyoming) before you move.

[Roadkill]

Kelly's right, but hell Kelly's always right.  i wished i had purchased one when I was stationed in CA-I'd have a private ranch all  to myself.

How ya doing Kelly?
Skip

[2Knives]

I'm from TEXAS and love it!!
Hunted everything I could find and loved it!!
Joined the military and spent 8yrs without hunting anything...it just about killed me.
Then I got an assignment back to the states...Wyoming!!
I loved it!! Spent 5yrs there and then went to Korea and now I'm in South Dakota.
I love TEXAS...but I'll stay in the West.
I'll stay in South Dakota unless they'll let me go back to Wyoming.
I like how me and my hunting buddy can hunt Elk for 2 weeks straight and not see anybody else if we don't want to.
I went on and Elk hunt 1 year for a week and half all by myself...gives you ALOT of time to think thats for sure!!!