Another moving question???
General Topic
So I was reading the Wyoming vs Montana thread and sharing the info with my wife. We have been discussing a move from Indiana. She has interest in NC, Asheville area particularly. She has a friend that lives there and has visited several times. She's a beach bum and likes the fact she can drive 4 hours and be on the beach but still live in the mountain area of western NC. My vote is Colorado, maybe Colorado Springs area. She has never been to CO but we're going next year so she can see it. So, after reading the previous thread to her she suggested I start a thread and see what the bowsite community has to say.
There's twice as many people in NC as there are in CO...
I grew up 80 minutes from the beach. If you're 4 hours from it, you're rarely gonna go.
Your hunting options are more and more limited the farther east you go. What do you guys do for a living?
CO has been taken over and invaded by CA nutcases, so sad. A rural state but controlled by dope heads from Boulder.
IdyllwildArcher, I'm a mechanical engineer. I worked in the power industry, coal fired generation, for most of my career but also have 5 years experience in the automotive mfg. industry. For the last year I've worked in pharma mfg as a reliability engineer. My wife has worked as a federal employee for the social security admin. for the last 14 years. She has a BS in PR and communication and a Masters in Leadership Development. We have three daughters ages 4, 6 and 8. Sorry for the long answer but it all plays into the decision making and may help with your input. Thanks!
There are two coal fired power plants near Craig in NW CO. Lots of hunting but long drive to a beach. Scott
You could find a good place in Vegas. It’s 4 hours from the beach. There is great hunting in N.V., AZ and UT all within an easy drive of Vegas. Vegas has a party reputation but...I lived in Henderson NV and it was a great family town. I would go back if I could.
I watch one of those true crimes shows with a retired homicide detective from Colorado Springs.... I had no idea that Colorado Springs has so many homicides..... but it turns out he handled a LOT of homicide investigations......
So I imagine you're wanting to work in a city of a given size or larger for your job? Sounds like your wife could potentially work in a much smaller town than you. If you wanted to move just for hunting opportunity, I'd look for a job at the plants near Rock Springs, WY. Not sure I'd want to live in Rock Springs, personally. I really like Cody, Pinedale, and Lander (lovely towns with great hunting around) in WY and WY is going to be way better than CO, but those towns are pretty small.
As far as the beach, I don't like the East Coast, especially as a hunter, but that's me. For beach/mountains, there's just not a lot as far as cities goes besides Southern California and having grown up there, you don't want to take your kids there. Anywhere else north, it's pretty, but you're dealing with a lot of rain and/or no big towns nearby.
Colorado Springs is a pretty town, but it's a bit big for my taste and I grew up in the suburbs of Los Angeles.
Being from the West (yet having done a ton of traveling) I'm very biased towards the West and can't stand the East due to all the people and lack of big game beyond WT. I'll say this, you won't regret moving anywhere from eastern CO to the eastern portions of the west coast states and they're great places to raise a family. Take a road trip next summer.
If you need a bigger town, Boise and Spokane are similar size to Colorado Springs, but again, I'd personally prefer a smaller town. Take a look at Flagstaff and Reno too for other cities in that size that are in nice areas.
Asheville is a fun place to visit, but you might want to do some homework before moving there and decide if it’s what you are looking for. VERY liberal, vegans, hippies, artsy folks-think of it as the eastern version of Boulder. It’s a beautiful area but very tough hunting. NC in general has a long deer season, but the western part of the state has the most conservative season/fewer deer than elsewhere in the state. Steep mountains, no agriculture, and low deer populations make for difficult archery hunting. The drive to the beach won’t be as far as CO, but it’s going to be 5+ hours...
Go visit CO and then MT, WY, before you decide.
Colorado Springs is way too crowded! Traffic sux! The whole state is overcrowded and our CPW seems to think we should all enjoy a crowded hunting experience as well. Look at western Wyoming - Starr Valley or Alpine. Lots of hunting in all directions without the crowds. Good opportunities in Wyoming, Idaho and Utah on short hops. Great fishing. She might be able to get to the beach quicker and easier by hopping a plane!
I moved to Colorado Springs in May. I’m retired. Moved there for the weather and tax situation, as compared to Minnesota where I was living. Have not done any hunting here yet. Wife considers the city too small for her shopping desires. I don’t find that the case. I’m sure that Montana and Wyoming are more rural in most cases. But Colorado Springs might be a compromise of rural/urban if that interests you. Good luck on your move.
I agree with many posts about that area of Col...it`s become a mini- Cali. Prices are sky high, crowded with wanna be hippies and pot heads, not to mention homelessness is up in the area. There are a lot of places in Colorado I would choose over the Springs area. You are in for a culture shock going from Indiana to Colorado....they operate at about the 1/4 the speed of the midwest. Drives me crazy.
:))) it’s true. I have been asked if I was from New Jersey while in the west. Can’t remember which state. They thought I talked to fast and was in too big of a hurry. Must be all the weed sales. I spend a lot time in Colorado. And it is for sure a mini California. Old hippies and young wanna be hippies. I do like the activity levels and the level of fitness there. They would complain about how fat everyone is in Michigan. As for crime. It’s in every metro area. Even Sheridan Wy has rougher areas now. A lot of Denver is a crap hole. But there are still rural nice places in Co. Mainly south central. Trinidad, Fort Garland, but not a lot of job opportunities. For the wife to sun bath, dig a hole for the elk or buy a pool.
For starters take your wife to Wyoming. Don’t focus on exactly where you want to live. Instead have a goal of her being awestruck by the mountains and lakes and the people. For that there’s no better place than the west side of Wyoming. Everywhere you look is a postcard view. Stop in some local diners etc so she can see how nice the people are.
I like Asheville and Lake Norman is nice. But NOTHING compares to Wyoming. As a resident the hunting opportunities can’t be beat and you can easily get elk and deer tags in Montana, Idaho, and Colorado if you want to expand your horizons.
Have visited NM, AZ, NV, WY, CO. and MT. When I retired and we wanted to move from NY we fell for the mountains of the west. Given a fixed income along with the costs of a little land, etc., we settled for rural OK. Have decent deer hunting here and get to visit the mountains with the rv. As an educated family, your move would mean serous job considerations, but being young maybe one needs to 'just do it', Hunted caribou out of Yellowknife in 1992 and very seriously considered a job there at that time. The wife had something to say about that as I recall!
Sorry. Above post I meant Cheyenne WY has rougher areas now. Not Sheridan.
McCree: Good luck. It sounds like an exciting time for your family.
As stated above the Asheville area is very hippy-like. Very similar to Taos, NM but not nearly as awesome (or hippy-like). It would probably be very similar to Boulder, but smaller and I've never been there so can't give any opinion. There is abundant public land around Asheville but the deer/turkey/bear hunting is difficult with low animal densities.
A hippy-type city, quality hunting, and a nearby beach seems like a nearly impossible combination to satisfy.
I'll differ from Idyl's opinion above and say that your wife would probably need a larger city to work in than you would. Typically MEs that work in power plants are in very rural areas, and surrounded by good hunting. Those rural areas may not have good schools for your three kids.
You gave details on your family's wants but didn't mention your hunting ambitions. Are you a whitetail nut? Have you hunted anywhere out West? Have you hunted elk? Do you want to draw a sheep tag? Are you in shape? There is no doubt that the hunting opportunities are greatest in WY, MT, ID, etc but that only matters if you're going to get after them.
I think the beach and good hunting are the most opposite criteria. Maybe your wife flies to a beach? Or maybe you fly to go hunting?
I'll give some personal details to show some options. I live on a farm about an hour west of Virginia Beach/Norfolk. I work as an engineer on military bases and drive 45 minutes to work. My wife loves the beach and can drive there in 1-2 hours, depending on which beach she wants to go to. I hunt 3-4 days a week for several months at home, kill about 3-4 deer each year, and the whitetail hunting is about average. I am addicted to western hunting so I fly out for 3-4 weeks every year and hunt several states each year. Flying to go hunting works for us. Family ties keep us in the east so a move west is out of the question for us.
Health considerations: Beach people are typically out of shape with health problems. Mountain people typically are much healthier.
Lastly: you can only be a resident hunter in one state, you'll be a non-resident in every other.
Just get her to look at it from a sailors point of view, all the land on the planet is the beach, just some places are farther from the water!
Definitely Wyoming. Tell your wife she can roam the beaches of Cheyenne! :-)
elkstabber,
My ambitions...I do a considerable about of whitetail hunting here in Indiana, mainly because I'm limited on big game options but I truly enjoy it as well. I have hunted elk in Colorado and Idaho, mtn. lions in Nevada as well as caribou and bear in Quebec. I would love to sheep hunt but it's not on the top of my list. I would consider my wife and I to both be in good shape. Exercise and health is a big part of our daily lives. That said another hobby of mine is mountain biking. She's doesn't share that hobby but likes to run outdoors. I also enjoy fishing and waterfowl hunting. We are just limited on what we can do here in Indiana. I would love to be able to hit the mountain on the weekend to chase elk rather than burn 2 weeks of vacation to do it 1x per year. I think the west would allow me to get a fair share of hunting in while saving vacation for family trips, to the beach or wherever.
That is great McCree. It sounds like a move west would be great for your family. Your kids will enjoy a lot more outdoor opportunities. Keep us posted.
I moved from Minnesota to Colorado in '88 and have never regretted one bit!
You couldnt kick me back to Minnesota
I’ve been around the west. Lived and outfitted in Montana for 13 years. I think Bullelk1 will agree.... Wyoming is THE place to be. It’s the least populated state in the country with more antelope than people so you can live and work near Cheyenne, Laramie, or Rick Springs and escape to some incredible places in the blink of an eye. Remember to nicest bar in town sucks if the people there aren’t your type while a dive bar with great company can be a blast. For that reason I prefer the beaches of Lake Jackson or Yellowstone Lake over anything near salt water. A camper next to one of those suits me much better than the most luxurious hotel or resort.
I'm going to live with cnelk when my son graduates in 4 years
I moved to Colorado 12 years ago when I retired from the Navy, if I had it to do all over again, I would be in Montana, Wyoming or Idaho in no particular order there! I live in the Denver Metro and it's so crowded,we basically won't even leave town on a holiday weekend, except labor day I will because it's in elk season.
I hear he snores loud grubby!
Mule ... living in Cheyenne or Laramie, would most of the elk hunting opps be in the Medicine Bow NF? The west side of WY would be 300m away and on Google Earth it looks like of lot of desolation between (but likely loaded with pronghorns). I still need to get boots on the ground there and research where the public hunting opps are.
Im going to Laramie on Saturday and hunting elk with Deertick on Sunday.
We thought about Saturday, but winds are supposed to be 30mph+
