Denver Colorado

[Brian Gillispie]

Hey all,

My life just took a sudden turn for the interesting.  I say Interesting cause it involves my continued survival.

There is a job opening in Denver Colorado that I could fill if I put forth the effort to try it out.

My Wife is the dictionary deffinition of Homebody,  she HATES the idea of moving anywhere.  Yet she states that Colorado Doesnt Suck.

What is Colorado like?

Schools for the middle school aged children.

How big is the City,  Can you live outside the city and get better prices on Land Homes and such.  Has the houseing crash affected Denver much?

How is the Trad Hunting scene in CO?

Clubs or archery associations?  Mostly wheelies or is there a strong Trad archery population.

Basicly I have NEVER considered Denver Colorado as a place that I would have ended up.  Let me know your opinions, experiences, pros and cons please


Brian G

[kadbow]

I was born and raised in a suburb on the west side of Denver.  Denver outgrew me and I managed to escape to western Colorado seven years ago.  I would dread moving back.  It is a big city and has big city pros and cons.  It is close to the mountains but you fight traffic every weekend coming and going to the mountains.  There is a pretty good trad community in CO and a state traditional club.  We have a great trad shoot every summer (300-400 shooters, vendors, great ranges etc.) and there is a great trad shop in north Denver.  You will be able to elk hunt every year (a big pro).  You can check housing prices on the internet.  Denver has 4 seasons, none of them too extreme.  Good luck with your decision.

[T-Bone]

Living in Colorado is great. However, living in Denver leaves alot to be desired.  Big city, with lots of traffic, and minimum of 2 hours travel time to get into the mountains.  Only one month to elk hunt.  Get the picture.

[bentpole]

Brian, hopefully Vince from Mohawk Bows will see this. He lives in Conifer. He'd be a big help to you. Or drop him a line at his web site. He's a sponsor here.

[Bamboozle]

Denver...the big city. My mailing address is Colorado Springs...yet I live well outside the city. Takes me about 20 minutes drive just to get to the north end of Co Springs. You don't have to live right in the city. Lots of areas you can live and be within a 30 min drive of Denver. Look at Douglas County just to the south of Denver. I've killed a lot of elk, deer and antelope in Douglas County. Home prices are a little steep in D.C. however. If you need more info just PM me. Overall...great place if you don't live in the city of Denver although it is a clean city.

[myshootinstinks]

I stayed in Denver for four months one time on a work detail and can identify with the negative comments.  However, as big cities go, I didn't find it to be too bad.  All big citys have traffic, crowds and and other issues but Denver is a pretty clean city. Lots of nice restaurants and "city" type things to do. An excellent trad shop in Arvada, Rocky Mtn Specialty Gear.  You have to do what you need to to find work.
     Colorado is a beautiful state w/ lots of game but also lots of people. You'll likely have to do your reseach to find quality hunting.

[northener]

I would jump at the chance, BUT, If mama is not happy, nobody's happy. If that saying applies to you I would probably not go, both of you have to want to make the move.

I have been to Colorado, (Western slope) hunting 9 times and I can not get over how beautiful the mountains are, every time I am out there I am thinking to myself how nice it would be to have this as my back yard.

[jhg]

You don't want to move here.
 I mean, who wants the option of fantastic trout fishing, white water rafting (or float trips for the quiet in us) fantastic ski slopes, great hunting, horses horses horses, hiking trails galore, great camping and a climate that just about is perfect.
Thats a lot of pressure ya know- what to do this weekend.

Denver is like any city. If you buy into a crappy neighborhood you will hate it. If you take the time to find a good area that suits you, you will be happy. 2 hrs to the western slope? Big deal.  Billions of dollars worth of tourist money travels a lot farther than that every year to enjoy what I have a short drive away.

Joshua

BTW, buy a house that has shade. You will be glad you did.

[Brian Gillispie]

I have been looking on the Colorado wildlife managment website and reading the regs.  Seems there are some species that a hunter only gets to kill once in a lifetime?  I may be reading this incorrectly.  Are these deer white tail or black tailed?  Are they the same gene pool as Iowa and Nebraska,  read that as HUGE deer?

Will I ever use my tree climbing stand in Colorado or is it all hunt and stalk?  Do you use blinds?  Is a day hunting deer a day walking 10 miles?  The country seems very open out there to me.  

How far outside of the city would I have to move/commute to have a house with a few acres to keep a horse and to give a dog some room to run?  Is this possible short of winning the Lotto?

Thanks much for the input guys keep them comming.

Brian G

[Matty]

I love Colorado, I couldnt imagine living anywhere else.  Denver... Ehhh I lived in Highlands ranch (s.denver) for a while too busy for me.  I like fort Collins way better. Lot's of good Shooting, Our Trad Family is growing but still Minimal.  Hunting season is only 1 month long like
T-bone said thats the worst part, Plus Deer and elk are at the same time which makes choosing what your doing a task. there are lots of Denver Suburbs which you can have all the amenities you are looking for. Just depends on where you are ACTUALLY working. DENVER proper or on the outskirts?  Great time to buy a home lots of stuff "on sale"
PM me if you need

[jhg]

Any property near the city with room for horses is not going to be cheap. EVERYONE wants what you want and it may take almost 500k to get something with room, water rights and some outbuildings. No water and it will be expensive to keep pasture using city water unless ya got a well and then how much can it deliver? Exceptions of course but expect to have to look long and hard to find a deal. EVERYONE is looking for a deal.

J-

[sendero25]

Denver is a BIG city, but compared to Atlanta, St. Louis, Chicago..etc.. and other eastern cities, it is still a cow town.
The traffic is bad but nothing like in the east.
Go west young man, go west!
You won't regret it. As cities go it is very friendly. Great restaurants, nightlife, museums etc.
And even if the drive is long into the mountains, it will be the most scenic traffic jam you every experienced.
I know, my profile says Florida, but I grew up out there and went to school at Colorado State in Ft. Collins.
I would recommend the move.  Be flexible!
John

[sendero25]

I also agree with Matty.  And plenty of people live a long way from Denver and commute.
I used to shoe horses out there and I drove from Cheyenne to Denver plenty of times.
(find a good cafe for lunch) Colorado, and most of the Rockies are an adventure, not just a place to live. Enjoy the drive!
John

[Hattrick]

Got my ears open on this one. my wife has a chance too do a 3yr transfer with her work there. She says all i have to do is keep the house clean (you no what i`m thinking)

[myshootinstinks]

I'm currently in Wyoming but lived in southern CO until the early '90s and as I said ealier, stayed in Denver for about four months.
 Housing?  In my neck of the woods a common 3 br house is near $200k, with a few acres the price can double. The Rocky Mtn west was expensive before the recession and not impacted nearly as hard by the economy as the rest of the country. So, while there are lots of houses for sale the price is still high.
 
  Short hunting seasons are in Wyo too. A great variety of game here but all the seasons occur at about the same time so it's hard to cover it all each year. Would love to see western states start extending archery seasons.

    There are areas here in the west that I much prefer over CO but compared to the east coast states, to me there's no question.....Pack you bags and come on out!  

[Brian Gillispie]

ok some more questions,


these are little things,  Are there Chiggers in Denver?  Ticks?

Will I be able to use my climbing tree stand in Denver or is it all ground hunting?

What is the minimum Hunting draw weight for a bow in Colorado?

Thanks much all,

Brian G

[SCATTERSHOT]

There are NO CHIGGERS in Colorado. There are ticks, though, but not a problem, and seldom encountered.

Tree stands are used, but most I know use spot and atalk in the mountains, because it's mostly mule deer. On the plains, though, there are whitetails and they are hunted from stands as well as on the ground.

I think minimum bow weight for deer is 40#, but you might want to check with DOW to be sure.

[Jimscol]

I can't comment on Denver as I live in Western Colorado.  Minimum bow weight is 35#.  Plenty of people hunt mule deer, elk  and bear from tree stands.  We have ten species, although two of them (desert sheep and moose are very difficult to draw).  You will get a great variety of hunting opportunites including (but certainly not  limited  to) above timberline hunts for mule  deer, dark timber hunting for elk, tree stands for whitetail or ground blinds for pronghorn. I moved here from the midwest 24 years ago and have never looked back. Jim

[Homebru]

Hey Brian,
I've lived in Colorado for all of 11 months.  I made "the jump" like you're thinking of last year.  It's a LONG way home.  I can give you a little idea of what life's like....I can give you a fairly fresh idea of what the relocation is like, including the "honeymoon" type stuff.  I've sent you a PM (or was it an e-mail) with my contact info.  Give me a call and you can get a new transplants perspective in addition to what you're hearing from the "old salts".

Tough decision.  I'll tell you what I've learned in the past year.

Homebru aka nathan in parker, co

[PrarrieDog]

"The rockies is the marrow of the earth"
I can't imagine living anywhere else.