Best state for folks like us

[Arctic Hunter]

I like it here in the Bible belt, but given the option to live anywhere in the US, where would you live?  Keeping in mind I live for bowhunting (and the outdoors in general).  Love hunting big game, small game, and pretty much anything outside.  Give me some reasons why...

Come on...brag on your state....or somebody else's state.

[Sam McMichael]

I might like to try the Rockies or mid west for a time, but in the long run, I would likely stay in the South. My family has been here since the 1700's so there is a certain familiarity about it.  It has a generally agreeable climate. Both the mountains and beach are close by. Hunting and fishing is good, and people are mostly friendly. Besides, I own a small tract of land with deer and turkeys, so I don't have to worry about losing a lease.

[tracker12]

I have often thought how nice it would be to live in CO/WY/MT for the big game hunting opportunities.  But when you look at it the seasons area pretty short for the most part and run together for archery.  Come OCT for the most part your Archery hunting is done unless you go the small game route.  I can hunt in MD for deer from 5SEP till the end of March now in some areas.  They turkey season starts.  I fish the streams for trout, lakes for bass or head to the ocean for some saltwater action.

[M60gunner]

If I had the $$$ I would consider a northern state or Canada. Hunt, fish then bale out during the winter!!
Az. Is hunter friendly but as stated seasons and bag limits are not as liberal as back East.

[Gordon Jabben]

I live in Northeast Oklahoma and love to small game hunt as well as deer hunt.  I have adapted to this area pretty well and really haven't got to hunt in the eastern half of the US.  I would have to pick the central part of Kansas, Nebraska, or South Dakota because of the good deer, pheasant, rabbit, and squirrel hunting and the low population of people.

[Matty]

Living in colorado I would say definately NOT here like tracker12 said. We have a terribly short season of combined bear,deer, elk.. Antelope has a 2 week head start. And then it's over. Nothing to do for 11 months.
Suppose you could argue the turkey, but most people here end up going to Nebraska. Lots of turkey on private areas at a premium $$. public land is like going to the mall

[joe ashton]

Colo is the place to be.  mule deer, white tail, elk, bears, lions, antelope, big horns, mountain goats, moose.  except the seasons run for the most part,the same time (sept) and deer is a draw, ( I'm getting a deer tag every two years). and no hogs.

[Whitetail Addict]

Other than the HIGH taxes here, I like where I'm at in NY. Good hunting and fishing, lots of public land and a lot of private land if you ask. I was born and raised in the Adirondacks, and my little camp there is just an hour away. The hunting isn't as "easy" as it is here in the southern zone, but IMO you can't beat the experience. I can hunt the rolling hardwood ridges, fields, and hemlock swamps around home, and have a virtual wilderness an hour away. If I was going to pick a new place to live, it would be somewhere that has a decent moose population, and I wouldn't want to give up my whitetails, turkeys and black bears. A spring and fall bear hunt would be ideal, and being able to bait would make things a lot easier. I could live without rabbit, squirrel, and grouse hunting, but I'd miss it. I imagine there are better states for folks like us, but all in all, I'm pretty happy here. Thanks.

Bob

[pumatrax]

I'm with Matty on CO. Way too hard to draw a license in most of the "good" units...In the over the counter areas there is way too many hunters competing for too few animals...I'm 60 years old , native of CO. and lived in the mountains all my life...just my perspective on it from about 50 years of hunting here....it ain't what it used to be...

[wtpops]

I moved to Arkansas from California a year ago and i am in heaven, the amount of public land here is just amazing and the quality of the public land is like day and night compared to California. The long seasons and large bag limits are amazing also. Deer season, 6 deer and 5 months long. Elk is a draw, Hogs on privet land, Bear, and the fishing just say my wife is in heaven too.

[timbermoose]

B.C. We got everything.  

[bear bowman]

I think I'd want to move south. I'd love to live in a state that has pretty liberal bag limits for deer, a long season and have the opportunity to hunt hogs. I live in Pa and hunt in Maryland. I have the liberal bag limits and long season covered just not the hogs.

[killinstuff]

Tony I'm surprised you haven't moved to Georgia yet.

[Jim Wright]

Not quite sure exactly what "folks like us" is but I would have left my little red state paradise years ago if I did not have a handicapped daughter. She is in supported independent living near me and I'm not going anywhere. If I was, I would be looking at western Montana, probably Missoula as I'm a city boy. Pretty moderate climate (if you think Montana is cold, spend some time around the Great Lakes). There is outdoor recreation in spades, nearly 3 months of hunting season and there is world class cold water fishing in all directions and a few nearby tail waters that fish year-round.

[PUDDLE JUMPER]

Big fan of Northern Rockies especially Wyoming. Would be living there if not for elderly parents. I could still hunt Kentucky on the cheap as a non-resident. Bail out on Kentucky summers and Wyoming winters, suit me just fine.

[Fireman2019]

I live in AZ so I may be a little partial.  Bow season opens with over the counter deer (mule and coues) and turkey, mid September is archery elk (you gotta get drawn). Archery antelope is mid August-mid September it's not to awful hard to draw a tag.  Then archery deer opens up again in December and runs through Jan 31st. Archery Javalina opens January 1st, it's a draw hunt but in 20 years I've never not been drawn.  Throw in over the counter bear and pretty much year round lion and coyotes, you can definitely keep busy.  Sheep hunting is tough to get drawn for as well as buffalo. Spring turkey is a draw but is fairly easy to get.

[dbd870]

Guess I'm just a deer hunter at heart so I'd stay in the midwest.

[Terry Lightle]

What Gordon said

[Krex1010]

Where I live (southeast pa) is a paradox of sorts.....with archery gear I can deer hunt pretty much non stop from mid September til the end of January, only one buck tag available each year but doe tags are easy to come by. The problem is access, very little public land (in my in my wmu) and private land is tough to get permission, but if you do, you are set. Lots of deer and lots of big bucks.  The frustration is access. But I am also close to other states such as nj, and md that offer good hunting, the mountains of PA are beautiful and close by, and there are a couple million acres of public land in PA.

[RAGHORN 3]

I am having fun here in Oregon in my 2nd year as a traditional bow hunter. However, I have often thought about living in a state that has multiple tag opportunities.