thoughts on Rapid City SD

[T Bone]

I'm interested in hearing opinions of the living, quality of life, hunting fishing, camping, weather around Rapid City South Dakota. There is a possible employment opportunity there. From the internet pictures its a real pretty area that has my attention.


Thoughts?


Thanks, T Bone

 

[1_pointer]

Gretta would be in HEAVEN!!! Just from driving through I think it would be a pretty nice place to live, surely much better than Vegas. I don't think you'd find the hunting opportunities all that bad. Plus, I need a place to stay when I come out to shoot birds!!! What's your wife think of tents in the backyard???

 

[smalls]

I have some pretty strong feelings about RC. My girlfriend has lived there for several years now as she finishes up school.

IMO, the area around Rapid City is great. The black hills to the west, the praire and badlands to the west. Great antelope hunting to the north. Incredible fly fishing in the hills. Very easily you could hunt both muleys and whiteys every year, elk once a decade, antelope every year, fish for trout, bass, walleye, all within an hour of RC. The list goes on for outdoor opportunities...

But, the town of Rapid is an overpriced hellhole. The whole town is a giant tourist trap that is seemingly unable to support much other industry. Housing is expensive and the people kinda suck. Much of the year the town doubles in population due to the tourists. Never have I seen a place filled with more punked out, drugged out kids, so many teenage girls with children walking through the mall (and I don't think it's their little sisters and brothers).

If I were to live there, I would get out of RC and live in a place like Nemo, Hisega, Hill City, Rockerville anywhere but in RC.

The professional job market in RC is abysmal. If I had found a job there 2 years ago, I would be living there, but nothing was (or ever has been) available in my field and I didn't much feel like applying my college degree so I could be an attendant at the water park.

I know mtmiller lived in the area so he probably has better advice than I.

 

[Moosie]

Tbone has Money so the High priced homes wouldn't phase him

Still looking eh Tyson ? Look up in AK !!!!! then let me marry you're wife so we're family and we could hunttogether as Residents

Good luck in your ongoing search bud !!!!

 

[T Bone]

Oh man, I'm a looking.........I interviewed in Denver on Monday. Nice area, beautiful mountains affordable housing and lots of people. Too big for my taste.

I guess the housing cost is all relative. The housing in Reno is wickedly high priced now. In 3 years the value of our home has almost doubled. Just scanning the internet for home prices in Rapid City it looks very attractive. I'll worry about it if they offer me the job.

I'm sure Jennifer would be OK with taking on another husband so she can pilfer away your money too Moosie.

The more I hear about Las Vegas the worse it gets. If I do go, its short term.....I've got a few applications going in the Boise Valley too.

Miller,
your thoughts on Rapid City would be appreciated.

 

[Nemont]

TBone,

I used take my wife and kids to Rapid City at least twice a year. I had a sister who used to work out at Mount Rushmore. IMHO everything Smalls said is true. The town is not much of a family oriented place. Beautiful setting though. It is all a tourist trap; Flintstone Village, Reptile Gardens, the House of Mystery etc, etc.

What is it you do again?

Nemont

 

[T Bone]

Thanks Smalls and Nemont for the replies. From the sounds of it there is a quality of life to be had there. Tourist traps be damned, can't be any larger of a tourist place than Vegas.

I'm just scouting out areas right now. If these places offer the job to me, then that will be crunch time.

Luckily I will have a roof over head and food on the table for the wife and kidos wherever we go. Now if I can find a place where I like to live, that's a big plus.

Nemont, my work experience is pretty narrow, but deep. I buy/sell electricity for utilities.

If we get real desperate after a year in Vegas I'll be looking to change careers.

 

[MarvB]

Tyson- I've got a sister in law and niece/nephew living in Rapid...the kids want out bad (to move back to Redding) but the SIL's parents are old so she's staying until ..... From what they've told me you would definately want to live out of town a ways and commute back in. The boy doesn't deer hunt but knocks the crap outta the upland stuff.

Did you ever go check the Portland job? That can be a hole as well

By the way, don't know if you ever met/knew Brian H's brother? His son just recently passed away! If you knew him and are interested, PM me and I'll explain....

Marv

 

[mtmiller]

Alright, for what it is worth. I think Rapid City would be a great place to live and raise a family. The Hills are a beautiful place to spend time. The climate is great (of course I live within 40 miles of Canada so it is relative).

There are lots of outdoor opportunities such as fishing, skiing, lots of hunt etc. I for one don't think Rapid is too big, but smalls is correct (I think it was him anyway), look as housing within 15 miles of the city. There are some wonderful areas just minutes from downtown Rapid.

I would move back to the Sturgis/Rapid City area, but right now in Montana the hunting opportunities are too good to leave.

If you are interested in SD hunting opportunities, let me know. I will be back down there next week chasing 'yotes, drinking beer and visiting family.

I hope it works out.

Oh yeh, I don't know if the tourist are that bad. Of course I had several hundred thousand in my back yard every August.

 

[smalls]

miller, the tourists must not bother you, from the looks of your whitetail hunting pics, your buddies buck must have damn near been killed on one of the campgrounds!

 

[mtmiller]

Smalls, we didn't hunt any campgrounds, but there are plenty in the area. The 'Chip is only about five miles from where my buddy killed his deer. I saw my first strip show there years ago. Ah, the good old days.

 

[T Bone]

BTT. Anyone shed some light? The employment possiblility is getting very real. Fly out there next week for the final interview.

Miller,

I've glanced through the SD game regulations. Am I reading it correctly that you can get more than one deer per year? And 1 antelope per year?

Also, is there good hunting to be had on public land for whitetail and muleys? What is a realistic idea for pulling an archery elk tag there? 1 in 5 years? Looks like there are spring and fall turkeys. Even a few sheep and goat tags.

From what I see so far it looks good.

 

[tnctcb]

tyson,
i like repid city just from a passing through standpoint.i always see lots of game just along the highways, deer antelope and coyotes mostly all within easy travel from rapid city.my experience has been that in high priced areas military people will usually try to live on base, in rapid city its about 50/50 so housing shouldnt be to bad.

 

[mtmiller]

I've glanced through the SD game regulations. Am I reading it correctly that you can get more than one deer per year? And 1 antelope per year?

Definitely one of the things I miss about SD. For deer you can get a Hills tag, a west river prairie tag (which can be a double tag), an east river prairie tag. Another good thing if you are into bow hunting you may get a separate west river and an east river tag. These bucks do not count towards you rifle tags.

There may be additional options, but just with what I have posted here, a guys can shoot five bucks every year. The prairie area I hunt also had a pile of left over doe tags that could be purchased as well. I think they even extended the season into January this year to kill some does. Not many Booners walking around, but still some quality deer opportunities. The Hills has really improved since they went to a drawing system and not allowing 5,000 Minnesotans to get there tag over the counter. Also went to a two point or better and it has improved the quality of animals coming out of the Hills. For the most part, you will find the biggest bucks on the prairie, but public land is limited.

I am not too sure on the 'lope tags. I think there are double tags, but one would probably have to be a doe.

I hope it works out four you and your family.

 

[Leet]

TBone,

I used to live in Wy. close to RC. We would got there once in a while. It was a nice place to visit but I would not live in RC if ya gave me the place. Good hunting in the area and you can always draw at least a deer tag in the black hills on the Wy side. I live in Co now and the ONLY reason is cause the wages are so much better here. I think Sturgis would be great or any of the outlying smaller towns. Good luck with your interview.

 

[T Bone]

The wife and I spent a couple days in RC last week. It reminds me of Idaho Falls, ID. The job looks good, the area looks good. We drove around the area and there are deer and turkeys all over the place. We may end up there.

It's looks a whole lot better than Vegas.

 

[Ridge Runner]

Good luck T Bone...... I hope it all works out for you. I'm in the same boat about a move.

 

[T Bone]

Looks like RC will have some new residents in a month or two.

1- Its good to be employed
2- It's a whole lot better than the alternative......Las Vegas

 

[JohnSWA]

Congratulations TBone! Sounds like you made the right decision!

 

[Nut]

Congrats T Bone