Best state to be a hound hunter in?

[Hounder-]

Just curious as to what ya'll think is the best state to be a hound hunter in. Now I am NOT asking what state HAS the best hound hunters, don't want to turn this into an argument

I'm thinking of things along the lines of : number of game animals to hunt, length of seasons (amount of time you can actually be running your dogs), leash laws, public areas to hunt, tag availability, wolves, competition for game, accessibility to hunting lands with roads etc.




Like where I'm from, Wisconsin, I'd say it has its good but it has its bad (and seems to be increasing bad). Has a fair amount of game to chase like bobcat, coyote, bear, fox, and coon. You can run hounds a good portion of the year, with a long bear season and enough animals to run in the winter if the snow is good. But my big gripe is the country just seems to be getting smaller and smaller. Either you hunt in small chunks to get away from the wolves(which isn't working anymore either), but then you run into highways and private land problems. Or you hunt in big public chunks but then you run into wolves.

Granted the big chunks aren't like the big chunks out west, road access is good enough and the farther north you get the more public land you get but also the more hunters you run into. Also, the tag availability is pretty dang poor, 5+ years for a bobcat tag and 10+ years for a bear tag.



Graduating college in a year so I'll be open to moving, so just wondering where I should be looking so I can continue the hound hunting life

[Brindle]

Utah can run 365

[Mike Leonard]

Several very good states out there. Idaho may be one of the best. Oregon and Washington would be right up there if they could figure their bear and lion deals out. I guess Washington would be better, but Oregon would be an overall mecca if the would allow lion hunting.


California would best them all except for the laws and moritoriums.


Texas has a lot of potential if you are willing to get to know land owners.


New Mexico and Utah are pretty much has beens. sure you can run 365 in Utah so it's a bit better in that regard, but most good hunting places are pounded out. Colorado is much better for lions but you are screwed on bears.New Mexico is pretty dismal unless you are a dirt hunter and hang to the south and south west. Bear areas are like Grand Central Station anymore. And the lion chasers have about wiped out the lions in the north.


JMO

[liontracker]

Idaho, hands down.

[Bearkiller]

Idaho, hands down.

X2

[Everlast]

Thanks for the "nod" Mike........I couldn't imagine hunting anywhere but here in California. You can hunt 345 days a year (no dogs allowed during 20 days of archery deer season) in August. Superb grey fox and bobcat hunting, some of the best bear hunting in the world (with lots of big bears). Tons of government land to hunt with differen't types of terrain, tons of game. My folks live in Idaho and it is nice as well. Also just had some friends here hunting from Oregon and they come every year.

Yeah........it's great.

[arizonabeagle]

yeah california is deffinatly the best state game wise
but like mike said unfortunatly they screw everyone out of anything they can..its a shame

[Everlast]

Agreed...............

[Pops]

alot to offer in the southern states most have bear tags over the counter, and can run for training 365. also have bobcat, coon, fox, coyote & many have boar. since running deer is legal in some part of all southern states you can usually unload an incorrigible deer runner for a few dollars (heck they even have deer dog comps so you might be able to make a few dollars off of one). NC & VA both have as much public land as TX and most southern states are similar. no wolves except in NC where they are reds (same size as eastern coyotes and so far no real threat to the dogs).

[rooster]

i havent hunted them all by any means but, no snakes or wolves and lots of game in wa. uusually a pretty even climate and the country is very roaded up. oh and did i say no snakes? i would rather fight a grizzly bear than even see a snake, oughhhh!!!!

[Mikes Hero]

I invite you to come to Idaho. 1200 wolves and five times that many hound hunters. Please, come on over and give it a try.

[rooster]

i usually spend a month or 6 weeks a year in idaho and there arent any snakes where i go now but i still look over every log and in the evening i really look the concrete over on the way to my truck. some people say snakes dont scare them they just dont like them, i am man enough to admit im scared,

[Lil Joes BigGame hounds]

ROOSTER... your not scared your CHICKEN

[Hounder-]

Interesting reading everyone's take, thanks!


and haha, good point on the snakes! I could handle rattlers, but its just something about water snakes that just get me....

[Pops]

then forget the southern states water moccassins & copperheads (& the occassional rattler) are just a fact of life from the last frost to the first one.