What do you think of your state?

[Mr. 16 gauge]

O.K., I've had enough of Michigan and it's swindling politicians.....it's a long story, and I'll not bore you with it, but both my wife and I have decided that when we get our daughter through school, we're packing up and moving out....

So, tell me about your state. Of course, I'm interested in hunting/fishing/guns & gun rights, but I'm also interested in education, taxes, geography, other 'unknown' things that the area/state might offer, ect. Also, anything that you think might be a 'negative' would be appreciated also.

Some of the states that I've visited so far & liked were: Eastern Va, TN, & North & South Carolina. Been to 48 states, but only parts of some. I have only ruled out two states so far: NY (my dad's family came from the Niagara Falls area....loved to visit, but it's obvious that Albany is controlled by NYC) and California, for the same reason.

I like to bird hunt, esp. ducks.

I know I can look up a lot of this stuff on line, but I like to get a 'first hand' feel, if you know what I mean....

thanks for filling me in on where you live!

[GoodOlBoy]

Well lets see, if you want to hunt it you pretty much can in Texas. We have every type of terrain and temperatures imaginable. And Eagle Lake Texas area (central Texas kinda) is the goose hunting capital of the world. . . . . You can hunt duck, deer, squirrel, quail, dove, hog, turkey, alligator, etc etc etc here. We also have great fishing (assuming you bring a boat)

And depending on where you live winters are mild and summers are HOT, or summers are mildish and winters are freeze your bits off bad.

GoodOlBoy

[fabsroman]

I've been debating this myself, but I'm going to be stuck to Maryland for at least another 20+ years since my kids are really young and we intend on having at least one more, and considering that I'll be building up my practice in Maryland, leaving might be a pipe dream. Anyhow, once we get a single family home I would like to buy a farm. My question is going to be where to buy that farm. I was initially thinking somewhere on the Eastern Shore of Maryland, but that would limit my options of leaving this place. I feel sorry for those on the Eastern Shore because their lives are run by three counties and a City that either surround DC or are directly north of DC along I-95. Everybody else in Maryland is stuck with what these super liberal counties decide to do.

So, I have been mulling over land in North Carolina, South Carolina, and possibly Florida. I love wing shooting, and if I could find a farm that would lend itself to upland game such as doves, quail, and pheasants, and also be in the Atlantic flyway, I would be in heaven. Then, if I really get sick of Maryland I can spend a good portion of my time at the farm. In another 20 years everything will be electronic anyway.

[Dan Morris]

Colorado was great when I moved here. Over the last 35 years, it has become over populated, more liberal and left wing.Kinda anti in every respect. I often think of Wyoming as being better.
Just mio dos centavos worth.
Dan

[DogYeller]

Oklahoma sux ya'all find some other state to move to. No Ducks, no Deer, no Quail, no Fish, nothing that would interest anyone, go to Maryland.

[Rocky Raab]

Utah is not a four-letter word.

[wrenchman]

16 As you can see i live in mi also i have family that lives in ther states i do not have much desire to leave the state and restart but others do have a plus to them like ky has no property taxs for 65 and older.
Resident land owners do not have to pay for a hunting lic to hunt on there land.
Being frome mi i have to say i am mi at hart and would miss it the fishing and hunting the largest problim we have with the outdoors here is the popcorn styl of outdoor management but with half the u.p. and 1/3 of the lower open to public to hunt and fish we are next to a.k.
I do have to say other states are more firea arm freindly mi then again i am not ready to retire yet so i would be hard pressed to say were i would go.

[Nulle]

Well my state of South Dakota just sucks so stay away lol.
Really I love it and keep coming back.
Dan I lived over 5 years in Colorado in the 70's. I was in the Loveland area and it was just great and glad I lived then to enjoy it = today a different story I am sad to say.

[Dan Morris]

Rocky, Utah AND Wyoming are in my mind....haven't met a lot of folks from UT. I never met one from cowboy country that I didn't like! Don't get west that often....mostly WY or SD.Gonna have to decide soon....2-3 years. Gonna see how Elk goes this year....rest of the hunting here is a draw!!...big game....birds ya gotta have a friendly land owner...rest of em are $$$ minded.
Dan

[Mr. 16 gauge]

Wrenchman:
Its great to have so much land to hunt on....to bad that the state can't manage it for any other species but deer! Haven't flushed a grouse or woodcock in 15 years in areas I used to see 7-8 in a five hour hunt! Rabbits? Haven't flushed one of them in quite a while either. Might as well have an extended gorilla season, as you have just as much chance of seeing one of those as you do a pheasant! God forbid we should put some money into upland hunting (other than the Szechuan debacle). ...and I was so P.O. when we lost our bid for a dove season; Where the hell was our DNR and organizations like M.U.C.C.? Not ONE positive ad for dove hunting, and this was several years after we, as a state, voted for "sound, scientific management".....Bah!

You know why Ohio doesn't float into lake Erie? Because Detroit sucks!

Thanks for the heads up about Utah, Rocky.....I'll have to check it out more; the only place I remember from our travels was Salt Lake City.

I did really like S.D. & N.D., but my wife wasn't too crazy about them.....what is the shopping like?

[wrenchman]

a man brother i hear yu on a lot of what you say.
I have a nother good one for you why dont they expant the elk hurd and let more hunter hunt.
They complain about the deer hurd in the south but try to get access.

[Rocky Raab]

SLC is really the only urban area in the state (although St George is exploding). We have two million folks in Utah, with 1.5 million of those in the 100 by 20 mile oval between Ogden and Provo, wedged between the Wasatch Front and the Lake. The rest of the state has small towns, but is essentially empty. As far as I know, we are the only state with only one major airport - which says a lot about our demographic distribution.

Wyoming is even less densely populated, has no income tax (but higher sales tax) and even more open land. But little in the way of great restaurants, cultural things like theater or much shopping variety.

Take your pick.

[Rapier]

I really do not think much of the southern half of the state.
Best,
Ed

[MtnMike2]

I love Colorado; love the mountains, the elk, etc. but everything Dan said is true. I would consider Wyoming and Montana in a few years. Maybe Utah after reading RR's description. We moved to CO about 7 years ago from VA. Virginia is a pretty state, but talk about overcrowded! I might have to go back to the east coast for work but I'm very much trying to avoid it.

Mike

[skeet]

Originally Posted by Rocky Raab

Wyoming is even less densely populated, has no income tax (but higher sales tax) and even more open land. But little in the way of great restaurants, cultural things like theater or much shopping variety.

Take your pick.

What Rocky said about Wyoming is true. But I didn't come here for the theater or shopping. I do the bit of shopping I need to do in Montana..no sales tax and as he said no income tax in Wyoming.. Sales tax is 5% here....which IS less than most states..especially where I came from(Md) but I did most of my shopping in Delaware with no sales tax anyway. Live on a small ranch at the end of a road and a half here and there is no traffic or hardly any people. Rocky is also right when he says the restaurants aren't great. But living near Cody everybody thinks they have great stores restaurants etc. They are ok if you are a tourist. There are a couple of really good restaurants in SLC..but then again..most restaurants don't know squat about seafood out here. Oh...Did I tell ya thee is NO income tax in Wyoming...yeeeehaaa! and the hunting is still good in most of the state. If the residents finally get fed up 'nuff with the wolves and grizzlies and start killin some the hunting WILL get better.