Moving to different State,PLEASE help me choose

[el greco]

Hi guys, I am leaving tonight to attend Coast Guard training for 11 weeks.At one point, around the 5th or 6th weeks my class will be given 23 billets(new duty stations) to choose from.
My wife and I wouldn't have any problem moving to:
Tampa fl, Jacksonville Fl, San Francisco,Houston,
Baltimore, Chicago.
There is a good chance that some of those billets will be in one of those areas I mentioned.
Now b4 we were leaving in Fl and I know there is a lot of public land for hunting. Now I would like to move somewhere where I could drive maybe an hour tops to find some public land.If you guys have any thoughts,please help

[centaur]

If CG dream sheets are anything like the Army, you will probably be in Kansas.

[Bear Heart]

Jacksonville gets my vote. Northern Florida and the southeast portion of Georgia has lots of public land. Pigs!

[Brianlocal3]

If the dream sheets are like the Air Force you'll end up in Korea or Minot!!

Jacksonville would be my choice , unless y'all are looking to see other places than your homestste.

I say put in for Alaska unless the wife is against it

[beendare]

I can tell you SF bay area weather is second only to San Diego, but if you live too close to SF- its crazy. SF and LA are what gives California a bad name...but they control state politics.

The only hunting from SF within an hour is a couple of private pay to hunt spots and public winter pig hunts at lake sonoma- about an hour north.

[Bud B.]

Gonna have to be biased here. Anywhere on the NC coast would be great (but not Hatteras...bridge problems of late). Even SC. Hogs populations in NC are growing on the coast and in SC they are very good. Lots of game lands within 1 hour drive of the coast (Columbus Co. Gamelands and Croatan Nat'l Forest here in NC). The cost of living is not bad either.

[gringol]

Tampa doesn't have much public land within a 1hr drive...

[Cwilder]

Baltimore. Deer, turkey, small game, preadtors, sika deer and wAter fowl. Long seasons for bow starting sept 7th until jan 31st

[bofish-IL]

My 2 nephews have lived in Okeechobee for 20 years and they claim you have to belong to a club to have good hunting for anything other than pig.

[EHK]

Good luck and tell Cape May I said hello.  I went to boot camp there in '89.  Semper Paratus!

[Rick Wiltshire]

I am from Illinois and have NO idea why anyone would want to move here.  VERY little public land and a State legislature that has run the state into financial dysfunction.   If you move to Chicago it would be, in my mind, even worse.  I am looking forward to getting out of the state once my kids are out of college.

[el greco]

Thank God I am not going to Boot camp guys.I have allready 3 years in the Coast Guard. I am going to Aschool, which they will train me about my rating (Marine Science Technician) and we actually do have a saying on where we are going to end up to depending on time in Service, coming from land unit or ship, performance in school,etc..
So it sounds like Tampa, and Chicago are out..

[Hot Hap]

I would stay away for Chicago!!

Hap

[Rick Butler]

I wouldn't rule out Northern Michigan if the opportunity presented itself.

[SELFBOW19953]

Do you like cold, really cold???  Check out Chicago weather right now.

[xtrema312]

Chicago no way.  It would take you an hour to get out of town most days.  Any place in Michigan could work for you.  I liked MD particular the Baltimore area.  Not sure on the hunting as I was there short of a year, but great area to live from my experience.

[rnharris]

Jacksonville if it were me excellent salt water fishing and really good hunting in the Osceola nat forest deer and hog very few bow hunters bugs are bad early season killed a ton of deer in and around lake city grew up in Tampa went to college there and got away as soon as I could I would run away from Tampa lots more options in north fla good luck

[Sam McMichael]

Go South, young man! Good hunting with generous bag limits, good folks, mild winters. Down side is heat, humidity, ticks, mosquitoes, and snakes. Those are present in a lot of places outside the South. If you pick Florida (a very good choice) check out TBOF, a great group to know.

[Gil Verwey]

Ooops I didn't read the CG part just the title. I have Colorado on the brain planning a 2014 elk hunt.

I know someone that just recently enlisted and his first assignment was Wisconsin (not his choice). He now is going to NC and also had a chance for San Diego.  

Good luck and if I had the chance I think I would go for either Florida billet, but I am looking out my window at 8" of snow and 0 temperatures right now. I think the cost of living would be better than San Francisco. Somewhere warm that is for sure.

[SELFBOW19953]

Coast Guard in Colorado???  Uncle Same takes a dim view of wacky weed!!