Caribou Gear

Best state to take up residency

I notice no one really mentions New Mexico. It seems it’s a high hopes go to every year when applying for elk for most people and residents get allocated minimum 84% of tags. Is there something about that state that makes it less desirable? I know I asked for everyone’s top pick but just curious why it’s never mentioned.
 
We lived in New Mexico from Nov 14 to Nov 15. It is by far the both my wife and I's favorite place we have lived ( 7 states in 14 years) as it pertains to weather. Absolutely gorgeous. We lived in Rio Rancho. Outdoor opportunities abound. All sorts of fishing. Hunting was great. Yes it is a draw state, but if you do your homework you can draw with regularity ( my good friend has lived there 12 years and has drawn 9 bull tags, Gila three times, all bow though). I drew my first fall up in unit 45 a muzzleloader bull tag and notched my tag on the third day of the season. If I didn't draw I was fully prepared to drive the 4 hours to Durango to hunt in CO OTC.

No offense to anyone on the forum who lives there still or has lived their entire life there. What we didn't like was the "feel". We are originally from the midwest. Everyone plays in the front yard. In RR, NO ONE played in the front yard. Our kids would be riding bikes up and down the sidewalk and there were literally kids every other house and it would be a ghost town. Panhandlers... EVERYWHERE. I think in the year I was there I can count on one hand how many times I filled up with gas and someone didn't ask for money. You couldn't go to Walgreens without someone walking up telling you they had no money, no gas, etc...

Now I can say that when I traveled outside of ABQ, the panhandling declined sharply. I met a lot of people in the smaller towns while traveling for work and it was like a different state. Heck I was even on the side of the road in between clines corners and roswell just sitting and glassing antelope. No reason to... just wanted to watch them. I had three different people stop and make sure I wasn't broken down.

We have talked about moving back once we retire ( the weather is that awesome), but it won't be in ABQ. We would want to get off the beaten path.
 
Rio Rancho is part of ABQ. Just like any other metro in the US, the crime that comes along with the drug users. The Southwest quadrant of the state has the best weather depending on elevation. 95 is about as hot as it gets and never below freezing during the day. Sunny calm days are the norm. Get above 8k feet and the snow can fly. The country life surrounding the small villages is a different world.
 
Here is a break down of states or parts of states I’m looking at moving to.
1. Wyoming
2. Idaho
3. Montana
4. Northern New Mexico
5. Northern Arizona
6. Utah
7. Nevada

Number one would be Alaska but my wife doesn’t want to entertain that idea.
 
I notice no one really mentions New Mexico. It seems it’s a high hopes go to every year when applying for elk for most people and residents get allocated minimum 84% of tags. Is there something about that state that makes it less desirable? I know I asked for everyone’s top pick but just curious why it’s never mentioned.
I repeat,"Ain't no elks in NM"...lol
Just keep thinking the whole place is Albacrackie,which is a walk in the park compared to Fresno or Kansas City. As for the burned RV & murdered couple that was joked about,the aholes where out of state escaped felons.
It is very different & mostly remote rural/wild. In ways not much changed in 500 yrs.
I coulda gone anywhere when I retired......& the odds are I would not remain retired long & dealt with neighbors.
The neighbors I deal with now are long in the neck & tasty....lol.
"Ain't no elks in NM"
 
Just keep thinking the whole place is Albacrackie,which is a walk in the park compared to Fresno or Kansas City.

Hank we spent almost 4 years in Kansas City. North Kansas City. Favorite city we have lived in to raise a family, best food period ( only need the mexican joints to serve "Christmas" on top of anything). Oppressive humidity in summer.... Whitetail hunting on public around the city was fantastic. MDC just announced plans on opening an elk hunt in 2020-2021. Talk about a conservation story.

No mountains though unless you went south to Arkansas. We never did that but always talked about it.

And I totally agree with all of you about ABQ and the complete differences when you get outside of there.
 
We lived in New Mexico from Nov 14 to Nov 15. It is by far the both my wife and I's favorite place we have lived ( 7 states in 14 years) as it pertains to weather. Absolutely gorgeous. We lived in Rio Rancho. Outdoor opportunities abound. All sorts of fishing. Hunting was great. Yes it is a draw state, but if you do your homework you can draw with regularity ( my good friend has lived there 12 years and has drawn 9 bull tags, Gila three times, all bow though). I drew my first fall up in unit 45 a muzzleloader bull tag and notched my tag on the third day of the season. If I didn't draw I was fully prepared to drive the 4 hours to Durango to hunt in CO OTC.

No offense to anyone on the forum who lives there still or has lived their entire life there. What we didn't like was the "feel". We are originally from the midwest. Everyone plays in the front yard. In RR, NO ONE played in the front yard. Our kids would be riding bikes up and down the sidewalk and there were literally kids every other house and it would be a ghost town. Panhandlers... EVERYWHERE. I think in the year I was there I can count on one hand how many times I filled up with gas and someone didn't ask for money. You couldn't go to Walgreens without someone walking up telling you they had no money, no gas, etc...

Now I can say that when I traveled outside of ABQ, the panhandling declined sharply. I met a lot of people in the smaller towns while traveling for work and it was like a different state. Heck I was even on the side of the road in between clines corners and roswell just sitting and glassing antelope. No reason to... just wanted to watch them. I had three different people stop and make sure I wasn't broken down.

We have talked about moving back once we retire ( the weather is that awesome), but it won't be in ABQ. We would want to get off the beaten path.
Very interesting input. It seems like Taos is rated quite high for retirement...any thoughts?
 
Wyoming is a nice place to visit but I wouldn't want to live there. The Haliburton "boom or bust" projects draw a seedy crowd. The small towns fill up with out of staters who bring violent crime with them. The miners shoot meth to make their shift then shoot heroin to get to sleep. Rock Springs has more heroin users per capita than NYC. If Haliburton shuts down a lease, then the real estate values plummet almost overnight. Jackson hole up to Yellowstone is nice but pricey.
 
Last edited:
Surprised more people didn't say Utah with it being at the top of most retirement lists of best places to retire?

Who wants to live in a state with very little big game hunting opportunity? Most UT guys hunt in Idaho anyway. Might as well just live here. They come up here too waterfowl hunt, fish, ride atvs..... UT sucks from the people that utilize the outdoors, that I know. They live there for there job.....
Matt
 
Hank we spent almost 4 years in Kansas City. North Kansas City. Favorite city we have lived in to raise a family, best food period ( only need the mexican joints to serve "Christmas" on top of anything). Oppressive humidity in summer.... Whitetail hunting on public around the city was fantastic. MDC just announced plans on opening an elk hunt in 2020-2021. Talk about a conservation story.

No mountains though unless you went south to Arkansas. We never did that but always talked about it.

And I totally agree with all of you about ABQ and the complete differences when you get outside of there.
A bud lived there for a few years as LEO,said it was same as anywhere USA,but with killer BBQ everywhere. He would bring a tease taste every once in a while visiting. They moved to ID & he calls & whines when it gets cold....LOL asks me to send green chile to warm em up.
 
A bud lived there for a few years as LEO,said it was same as anywhere USA,but with killer BBQ everywhere. He would bring a tease taste every once in a while visiting. They moved to ID & he calls & whines when it gets cold....LOL asks me to send green chile to warm em up.

Lawrence is a very nice place. But you couldn't pay me enough to live in KC. The weather in NE Kansas is crappy with ice and snow....tornadoes and large hail. Buy KC barbeque sauce at Walmart and grill out!
 
I repeat,"Ain't no elks in NM"...lol
Just keep thinking the whole place is Albacrackie,which is a walk in the park compared to Fresno or Kansas City. As for the burned RV & murdered couple that was joked about,the aholes where out of state escaped felons.
It is very different & mostly remote rural/wild. In ways not much changed in 500 yrs.
I coulda gone anywhere when I retired......& the odds are I would not remain retired long & dealt with neighbors.
The neighbors I deal with now are long in the neck & tasty....lol.
"Ain't no elks in NM"

LOL..🤣
The rush hour traffic has 4 hooves and bugles!
 
Wife wants Wyoming as soon as she's done with her Masters Program and certified. I'm OK with that too!
 

Latest posts

Forum statistics

Threads
110,817
Messages
1,935,487
Members
34,889
Latest member
jahmes143
Back
Top