Maggie’s Who's Ditched The East Coast For Montana, Idaho, WY, ND or SD?

[goin_long]

Thanks for the encouraging words, sounds what I am looking for.
I did see some of that when I visited Bozeman, a little too built up for my taste.
Even Kallispell seemed to be on a development roll.
I've seen enough big box stores and strip malls to last me a lifetime.

I'm much more a rural, small town guy.
I grew up in an area that had more dairy cows than people, and I liked it that way.
Had a general store, local AM radio station, small in town doc, and everyone waved to each other at stop signs.
Not quite an off grid type, but close. God, Family and Country, in that order.

I'd love to hear more about the Dakotas, if you have a chance, you're welcome to message me.

Thanks much!

Lived 100 miles SW of Bozeman my whole life. Less than 2000 people in the second largest county in the state. Just right.

 

[Supersubes]

Im sitting in a steak house in Nevada as I write this. Just dragged a trailer full of my crap to a storage unit here. Job transfer effective end of May. Going house shopping tomorrow. Shoulda done this ten years ago. Can’t get out of Cali fast enough.

 

[tehweej]

Billings, MT resident here. You don't have to drive far out from the bigger cities to get to small communities. I like the geography of the western part of the state, I like mountains and forests. Red Lodge is 60 miles south in the Beartooth range, which is close enough. My dad moved us up here 30 years ago because this is as close to his paradise as he can get. Bird hunting on the rez, fly fishing on the Bighorn river, big game hunting all around, prairie dogs galore. I would never like to live in a town larger than Billings, and I did live in Moscow, ID for a short stint and liked it there, I was just too broke to go play.

 

[Bender]

The range in Cheyenne actually goes out to 1027 yards. I helped stake and range where the new berms are now. It skips 900 because of the landscape.

OP, Cheyenne is too windy, has short summers, too many people, and is too close to Colorado. You don't want to live here.

That’s right... it skips 900 because of the valley at 900.

Say, did I shoot with you years ago out there? A M1 garand with open sights? I shot with I Hide member out there once but lost touch after the first Hide move...

 

[Bender]

At least Ma Nature makes up for it by giving you plenty of wind to learn to dope.

I live in CO and drive up your way to shoot. Then go home and wash that fine clay mud out of my eyes.

Is your Hide handle about what the WY wind does to trees?

Here in Cheyenne, if the wind ever stopped, all the buildings would fall over......

 

[Threadcutter308]

Met and married my wife in Bellevue. She grew up on Mercer Island. Classic Beauty and the red neck? putting my son back on a plane home to Seattle in the morning. Gods country........when it’s not raining?

Grew up on MI.......doesn't rain on July 32nd.....

 

[JMGlasgow]

That’s right... it skips 900 because of the valley at 900.

Say, did I shoot with you years ago out there? A M1 garand with open sights? I shot with I Hide member out there once but lost touch after the first Hide move...

It's very possible. I do own an M1. I'm usually out there on Sunday mornings.

 

[Bender]

It's very possible. I do own an M1. I'm usually out there on Sunday mornings.

Probably then. Lol. I don’t get out there much. I didn’t shoot at all last year, I was pissed at my .308. It’s gone and I have a new gun that I’m much more pleased with.

 

[Monk Medic]

That sounds like a great slice of heaven right there and what I’ve been working the last 18 years for.
More nature and fewer people and tourists, freedom from oppressive liberal laws, taxes and agendas. Thanks for sharing that, gives me a solid starting point.

Billings, MT resident here. You don't have to drive far out from the bigger cities to get to small communities. I like the geography of the western part of the state, I like mountains and forests. Red Lodge is 60 miles south in the Beartooth range, which is close enough. My dad moved us up here 30 years ago because this is as close to his paradise as he can get. Bird hunting on the rez, fly fishing on the Bighorn river, big game hunting all around, prairie dogs galore. I would never like to live in a town larger than Billings, and I did live in Moscow, ID for a short stint and liked it there, I was just too broke to go play.

 

[RNWRKNP]

Billings, MT resident here. You don't have to drive far out from the bigger cities to get to small communities. I like the geography of the western part of the state, I like mountains and forests. Red Lodge is 60 miles south in the Beartooth range, which is close enough. My dad moved us up here 30 years ago because this is as close to his paradise as he can get. Bird hunting on the rez, fly fishing on the Bighorn river, big game hunting all around, prairie dogs galore. I would never like to live in a town larger than Billings, and I did live in Moscow, ID for a short stint and liked it there, I was just too broke to go play.

Got my first Ruger 10/22 Christmas morning at 12 years old in Billings. My uncle owned and operated a cattle yard their and we would go every year for Christmas. Awesome uncle that insisted we not wait till we “got home” to go shoot it. From memory it was a damn nice part of the world to be in?

 

[deersniper]

I don't recognize the upper East or West coast. They're on their own as far as I'm concerned.

You know, if you look at political maps of theses states you are talking about (CA, NY, MD, etc) they are full of good conservative gun loving people.

The problem is there are a few cities/counties full of democrat/.gov "workers/useful idiots/immigrants that get to decide and fuck up the whole state.

And democrats/Lutherans/one worlders are hard at work bringing in immigrants from shithole country's to fuck up your state too. Why do you think they send so many to the cities in the Dakotas? They are trying to flip states. And they will. We import them than pay them to reproduce like the rats they are.

If you get enough people from Africa and the third world, your country starts to look like Africa and the third world.

 

[Monk Medic]

You know, if you look at political maps of theses states you are talking about (CA, NY, MD, etc) they are full of good conservative gun loving people.

The problem is there are a few cities/counties full of democrat/.gov "workers/useful idiots/immigrants that get to decide and fuck up the whole state.

And democrats/Lutherans/one worlders are hard at work bringing in immigrants from shithole country's to fuck up your state too. Why do you think they send so many to the cities in the Dakotas? They are trying to flip states. And they will. We import them than pay them to reproduce like the rats they are.

If you get enough people from Africa and the third world, your country starts to look like Africa and the third world.

Agree.
Don't get me started about the clash of cultures.
Here in Maine it was Catholic Charities that brought in Somalis, landing them in Maine's old mill towns, already challenged with unemployment.
So much so that the Mayor of Lewiston wrote a open letter to Somali community asking them to stop coming, as the town was overwhelmed, you can imagine the PC outrage that ignited. Sorry, you can't take a 7th century culture and "assimilate" it into 21 century America, without destroying both. You can see what our cousins in Europe are going through now, England outlawing knives? Insane, blame the tool, not the culture, it's the height of national suicide.

I want to find that charming 1950ish town with American values of God, family and country, where folks want to work, and are not dependent on the public teet of the social welfare system. Or at least live far enough away that I don't have to worry about it.

 

[Frankly]

What you’re all complaining about is the failure of democracy once you give away the voting franchise to subhuman animals. There is no point in voting until you clear the subhumans out.

Same thing happened in the former Yugoslavia republics, they had to chase away or exterminate the Muslims. And Uncle Sam under Bill Clinton sided with the goat fuckers just as Trump and the Neocons/Liberals are siding with ISIS in Syria.

 

[deersniper]

When this country was founded you had to own property and be male to vote. That alone would solve 99 percent of the problems in this country.

What you’re all complaining about is the failure of democracy once you give away the voting franchise to subhuman animals. There is no point in voting until you clear the subhumans out.

Same thing happened in the former Yugoslavia republics, they had to chase away or exterminate the Muslims. And Uncle Sam under Bill Clinton sided with the goat fuckers just as Trump and the Neocons/Liberals are siding with ISIS in Syria.

 

[Monk Medic]

When this country was founded you had to own property and be male to vote. That alone would solve 99 percent of the problems in this country.

In many regards, I agree.

I would comfortable with anyone who pays taxes having a vote, after all, if you're not paying into the system, why should you decide what to do with the money of others. The federal government has no money of it's own, it belongs to taxpayers.
Though I'd also be quite comfortable with property ownership also being a requirement.
Something so those on the public teet don't continue to vote themselves "raises".

There is so much that we could fix in this nation if we returned to our Christian heritage.
No less than Founding Father John Adams said “Our Constitution was made only for a moral and religious people.
It is wholly inadequate to the government of any other.”

So many of the things we see our government now passing laws, and taking away our Constitutional liberties, were not a problem when we had a national faith based on the 10 Commandments. Once a nation turns from God, it needs laws to try and regulate man's moral character.
Such laws always fail, look at inner city Chicago's gun laws, and the astronomical murder rate in the inner city. Because of the actions of a lawless people, the entire state of law abiding individuals must suffer. This will be how we lose our rights, one law at a time. As elements of society become more and more corrupt, so are more and more laws passed in a mistaken attempt to regulate it. I read an article in the New Yorker today where the writer scorned the Chick-fil-A restaurant chain for it's "pervasive Christian traditionalism". And that attitude is taught to our children in schools and popular media. Attacking businesses, and then individuals for their Christian faith, while all forms of perversion are "celebrated" is the new paradigm, and sadly, the new instruction given in popular media, and in our schools and collages.

I'm seeking not only a gun friendly area, with long distance rifle off my back porch is possible, but also just as much an area that respects the concepts and precepts that our great nation was founded upon, and has not been tainted with the stain of political correctness. In other words, I'm seeking the American of my forefathers.

I debated staying and fighting the good fight, but I see so many, so very many, eagerly grabbing onto the new world order, selling their rights and souls for a basket of government bread. I have free copies of our Constitution sitting in my waiting room, perhaps 1 out of 50 people bother to take it, and almost no one asks or talks about it. It's sad, I can remember seeing our Constitution framed and hanging on walls while growing up, like the sacred document it is. Now a days, it's considered a "living document", rather than something written in stone, natural rights given to us by our Creator, to be guaranteed, not granted by government. Guess that's the same for the 10 Commandments as well, man's "wisdom" has made us a foolish nation.
So I'm ready to shake the proverbial dust off my feet for my home state and people so eager to become slaves of big government.

Now, back to finding the right location for myself and my family...

 

[goinghunting]

We said @Monk Medic

 

[Ledzep]

Lived in TX, KS, NE, SD, VA, MD, DC, SC, NC, CA, and visited all but a handful of states. Happy zone is between the Sierra Nevada's/Cascades and Missouri River.

Colorado is getting pretty damn dumb, Dallas is getting pretty populated. A lot of Kansas, Oklahoma, Nebraska, SD, and ND is pretty wide-open and "boring" for most people. Nevada is actually not bad, lots of BLM land. Utah I'm on the fence. SLC area is way too many people, but I think typically better than Denver... YMMV. Wyoming, Montana, and Idaho are full.. Not too keen on AZ. Passed through a couple times, but deserts aren't especially my thing. Can find nice places in New Mexico, I'm sure AZ is similar.

I'm aiming for WY,MT,ID if I can when I get my degree. Get me some thin air.

 

[TripleBull]

Colorado is getting pretty damn dumb,

I think it's about 99% of the way to effectively dumb. There are plenty of excellent people still here, but the majority are ignorant and worse yet, very vocal. Nothing worse than a loudmouth dumbass with a flawed political agenda. Can't these assholes go back and continue fucking up California?

 

[TripleBull]

I want to find that charming 1950ish town with American values of God, family and country, where folks want to work, and are not dependent on the public teet of the social welfare system. Or at least live far enough away that I don't have to worry about it.

I relate to this way too much. I'm old enough to be wondering what's left and what can be accomplished.

 

[Bender]

What are you shooting now amigo?

I drank the coolaid and bought a 6.5 cm RPR. I have three kids and a tight shooting budget. I wanted cheap and accurate, so it hammers well enough with a Weaver 6-30x56

 

[Bender]

This was after ~40 rds with a hot barrel and dialing out to 400-800yds and I brought it back to the hard zerostop to check zero at 100

. In gusty 12-20mph winds. I wasn’t even trying hard....

I’ll keep it.... lol

 

[Frankly]

This was after ~40 rds with a hot barrel and dialing out to 400-800yds and I brought it back to the hard zerostop to check zero at 100. In gusty 12-20mph winds. I wasn’t even trying hard....

I’ll keep it.... lol

Yeah don't get mad at it or the scope

 

[Bender]

Yeah don't get mad at it or the scope

Nope. I never got my .308 this consistent. It like cheating now.... lol. 700 yds is a chip shot....

 

[Bender]

I would love a NF Beast! They are huge but for a range toy, it would soak up even more of the small 6.5 recoil. I have an old 39’ Mauser in 30-06 for humping in the mountains.

 

[Monk Medic]

“Who's Ditched The East Coast For Montana, Idaho, WY, ND or SD?”

Hey gents, how did this thread get so off topic that we’re taking about optics, targets and rifles? Check the title of the thread. Clean up the off topic posts if you don’t mind. Thanks.

 

[Monk Medic]

I relate to this way too much. I'm old enough to be wondering what's left and what can be accomplished.

Back to our topic.

I suspect that many of us, young and hold can relate to that. I’m young enough to remember when most American small towns had an actual business district, not empty storefronts because everyone did business locally.

Small item perhaps, but there still are some small towns in Maine with a thriving downtown, that some “super center” selling Chinese junk, haven’t yet killed.

I’m interested in towns like that out in MT, ND, SD, ID, etc. Too small for the big box stores, where there is still a community.

 

[Bender]

“Who's Ditched The East Coast For Montana, Idaho, WY, ND or SD?”

Hey gents, how did this thread get so off topic that we’re taking about optics, targets and rifles? Check the title of the thread. Clean up the off topic posts if you don’t mind. Thanks.

Sorry, it’s the Hide... we wander off in the weeds often. I’ll bug out.

 

[Monk Medic]

Bender,
Apology accepted. As a courtesy to those actually having a on topic discussion here, I’d appreciate before you “bug out”, you cleaning up (deleting) your off topic posts. Nothing kills a conversation faster than someone sidetracking the thread. Please and Thanks.

 

[JKFlyfish]

Brother I love living in the deep south. Plenty of liberty. The only issue is the lack of places to shoot long range. For that I would consider living out west for sure. I've always been fond of Wyoming, but don't know what it's really like to live there.

 

[Bender]

Brother I love living in the deep south. Plenty of liberty. The only issue is the lack of places to shoot long range. For that I would consider living out west for sure. I've always been fond of Wyoming, but don't know what it's really like to live there.

Wind. Cold weather. Beautiful summers. Extremely independent people. Every town is a small town. Wind. Fishing,Hunting,boating, camping. And wind.

 

[Frankly]

Wind. Cold weather. Beautiful summers. Extremely independent people. Every town is a small town. Wind. Fishing,Hunting,boating, camping. And wind.

Bender, Wind is off-topic dag nab it!

We have a young man making important life decisions based on our wise input, grow up and show some maturity!

Never mind that reading this forum cost me $10k in gear when a $299 Walmart rifle would accomplish exactly the same thing, the OP is trying to decide where to put down roots and breed a dozen home schooled future American patriots, bless his soul.

 

[RNWRKNP]

Wind. Cold weather. Beautiful summers. Extremely independent people. Every town is a small town. Wind. Fishing,Hunting,boating, camping. And wind.

Don’t forget the wind dude?

 

[JKFlyfish]

Wind. Cold weather. Beautiful summers. Extremely independent people. Every town is a small town. Wind. Fishing,Hunting,boating, camping. And wind.

I'm not the smartest guy in the world, but it seems y'all have some wind out west.

 

[RNWRKNP]

If you stuck me to it and I had to pick a different state than AZ....Idaho. It has everything I would want to do in the way of fishing, hunting, skiing and shooting. Winters are cold but not brutal and a strong 2A state.

 

[Monk Medic]

If you stuck me to it and I had to pick a different state than AZ....Idaho. It has everything I would want to do in the way of fishing, hunting, skiing and shooting. Winters are cold but not brutal and a strong 2A state.

Idaho is on the short list, I spent some time in Bonner County.
Only concern is Boise seems to be a hotbed of immigration from CA.
How do the political winds blow there?

 

[Monk Medic]

Bender, Wind is off-topic dag nab it!

We have a young man making important life decisions based on our wise input, grow up and show some maturity!

Never mind that reading this forum cost me $10k in gear when a $299 Walmart rifle would accomplish exactly the same thing, the OP is trying to decide where to put down roots and breed a dozen home schooled future American patriots, bless his soul.

I wish I was a young man, early side of 50 here.
Everything else on point and my dream, roots, home school, children, home school, American patriots, and thanks for the blessing.

 

[RNWRKNP]

Idaho is on the short list, I spent some time in Bonner County.
Only concern is Boise seems to be a hotbed of immigration from CA.
How do the political winds blow there?

Lived in Moscow for two years and primarily Idaho consists of conservative farmers. Boise specific I couldn’t answer since it’s been awhile.

 

[RNWRKNP]

I wish I was a young man, early side of 50 here.
Everything else on point and my dream, roots, home school, children, home school, American patriots, and thanks for the blessing.

Ain’t 50 fun.....actually it’s not bad but I am certainly no longer made of rubber!

 

[tehweej]

Lived in Moscow for two years and primarily Idaho consists of conservative farmers. Boise specific I couldn’t answer since it’s been awhile.

I was in Moscow in 2014 for a year. The people that live in there were rather liberal. Not terribly so, but the two colleges closeby tainted the water. Lewiston was better, from what I could tell. I worked with people from Orofino and such. They were conservative enough.

 

[Frankly]

Gotta cross Twin Falls off the list.

https://www.prnewswire.com/news-rel...nnovation-and-community-center-300553365.html

The Turkish Clinton-Obama donor owner of Chobani used his connections and taxpayer funded credits to import foreign Muslims to work at his factory. And rape children.

https://www.americanthinker.com/articles/2016/07/child_sexual_assault_coverup_in_idaho.html

 

[500grains]

I left PA for UT.

Advantage of PA: Easy to find a cheap house in the countryside.

Advantage of UT: Huge amount of public land. Beautiful mountains and desert. Lots of public land motorcycle riding. Elk.

 

[rg1911]

Left Colorado for Wyoming. Couldn't be happier. (Got pulled over for expired tags and the officer complimented me on having a concealed carry permit. Don't need one in Wyoming, but I have to travel back to Colorado occasionally.)

Cheers, Richard

 

[Bender]

Left Colorado for Wyoming. Couldn't be happier. (Got pulled over for expired tags and the officer complimented me on having a concealed carry permit. Don't need one in Wyoming, but I have to travel back to Colorado occasionally.)

Cheers, Richard

Last cop that knew I had a handgun just asked what brand and how many.... lol. I told him and he said they were good choices...

 

[rope]

Back in ‘12 I left northern Maine for Alaska. Best decision ever! Freedom like our forefathers had. I have only been outside (lower48) to help relatives move up. My family has not left Alaska since ‘12. They don’t seem to have that desire to leave the promised land.

It’s a little scary uprooting and starting over in a far away place. Figure out how to make it work for you and make the leap and enjoy the life you deserve.

 

[TripleBull]

I'm not the smartest guy in the world, but it seems y'all have some wind out west.

How do you know when it's almost too windy to go shooting?

1) Shooting prone, you have to strap on a hundred pounds of diving weights to keep from being rolled across the countryside

2) Your bullets curve like in the movie "Wanted"

3) You go to Wyoming on a bad day

 

[JeffLebowski]

They’re importing diverse... Democrats on purpose to populate these states. But once the angels free me of my elderly obligations I’m thinking Idaho.

Not in Wyoming.

 

[JeffLebowski]

I'm not the smartest guy in the world, but it seems y'all have some wind out west.

 

[ainch5]

My first time posting here, so please excuse any protocol breach or violation.

Anyone ditched the east coast for the states of MT, ID, WY, ND or SD?

Probably an odd question to ask right off, but as I see the political winds drifting in my current home state of Maine, influenced/infected by the migration of those from states who have already given up their liberty, i.e. Massachusetts, New York, New Jersey, I can't help but ponder a move west in the future. Spent 3 weeks out in eastern WA, Idaho, Montana, and WY for my honeymoon in 2015, and left with a distinct appreciation for the wide open spaces, the big sky, the lack of concentrated liberal bastions, love for the people, and frankly awesome terrain for scoped rifle work. I'm a business guy, and also work in emergency medicine, so think gameful employment, a real concern when moving these days, should be gtg.

Not to be a political partisan, I'm just a liberty loving Jeffersonian Republican, and see that we are one election away from a potential loss of liberty.
Toss in the extension of the government welfare state to assure loyal voters, and I'm pretty sure I don't want to stick around and see the result.
I hope I am wrong, have spent the last 2 decades building a life and business here, but I'd like to hear from my bothers (and sisters) out west, and what they observed, or found.

If you've moved and like it, would enjoy hearing why, the corollary is also true, if you're seeing the same shift out there, may be I should stay here and fight the good fight.

Appreciate your feedback and thoughts.

- Monk

Medic, I feel where you're coming from. I grew up in the suburbs of Boston & by the time I finished high school, I was fed up with the "PC culture," that was raining down on me. I packed up and went to school down at Auburn University. One of the best decisions I've made in my life. I spent 4 years there & am now living out in Bozeman, MT. As a life long skier & hunter, I could not have picked a better place. The quality of life here is outstanding (A little expensive), but the access to the outdoors is unparalleled and most folks moved here for similar reasons. Bozeman is one of the fastest growing marketplaces in the US. There is good education that leads to a fantastic university in MSU, theres great food, great people, and great pursuits to be had. Obviously with MSU, there is a little bit of a liberal influence that comes to town during the school year, but its not to difficult to find likeminded individuals.

 

[shields shtr]

Bozeman is one of the fastest growing marketplaces in the US. There is good education that leads to a fantastic university in MSU, theres great food, great people, and great pursuits to be had. Obviously with MSU, there is a little bit of a liberal influence that comes to town during the school year, but its not to difficult to find likeminded individuals.

HaHa. I suppose I semi cross posted this on your introduction. Bozeman now is a far cry from the good ol days...ten years ago. As a life long Montanan, it's been sad to see the progression that Bozeman has gone through. I have fantasies about selling my ridiculously overpriced house I bought in 2002 and moving back to "real Montana", but my wife loves it here and comes from a huge metropolitan area, so Bozeman seems small to her. I will probably just end up building a second home and trying to spend my free time there. When I went to school here in the late 90s, it was truly a paradise for me. If you think the outdoor opportunities here are good now, they were ten times better not that long ago. I suppose that is the natural progression of things, but I think that social media and the good ol innerweb have greatly contributed to the mass influx of people into the valley. What used to be a cautious narrative about "out of staters" moving in has now become a full blown reality, and the negative effects have far outweighed the positive in my opinion. No offense to you, it's just what I have noticed from my many years in the valley. But hey, these are first world problems for sure and if I don't like, I can change it. What is interesting to me is that more people move seem to move here that are on the opposite end of the political spectrum as what the OP was referrring to, not the liberty minded folks I seem to mesh with more easily...

 

[earthtrekker1775]

I am from SW Virginia in the Appalachian and Blue Ridge mountains, lots of liberty loving folks in those parts but they are feeling the ever spreading seep of liberal poison. I moved to SC for a few years for work and it was notably conservative but too flat for my tastes and difficult to find places to shoot LR.

Recently moved to the high desert of central Oregon. Same issues a lot of places are having, couple liberal metropolitan areas in the state (and the flood of Californians) are ruining things for the majority. Central Oregon is mostly filled (sparcely) with very hearty, Independant, libertarian minded ranchers, tons of public lands to shoot or OHV on, all the wilderness you could want with lots of variety in climate within a day's drive, and tons of big game. However, if the state keeps slipping leftward, or if one of their proposed anti gun bills passes, I will likely be headed with my family to Idaho or Alaska in a few years.

At the end of the day we have to come to terms with the fact that we are living in an occupied country, good men can only move away from the problem for so long. Eventually, we have to choose a place where we stand, and a community to stand with us and fight back against the disease that will otherwise kill our nation and shred our Constitution. The metastasis will not slow, and we will run out of conservative bastions to retreat to, until such a day as we begin the very rough work of cutting out the cancer.