Where to retire?

A general forum for the discussion of hunting with beagles, guns, clothing and other equipment and just talking dawgs! (Tall tales on hunting allowed, but remember, first liar doesn't stand a chance)

Moderators: Pike Ridge Beagles, Aaron Bartlett

PREACHERS KENNEL
Posts: 1504
Joined: Tue May 03, 2005 8:44 am
Location: tenn

Re: Where to retire?

Post by PREACHERS KENNEL »

most.of.middle.tenn. is pretty good look for wma,s there are plenty..i lease a nursery ..
ACTS 2:38=repent,baptised in the name of jesus christ,receive the holy ghost!

fulcount
Posts: 865
Joined: Sun Nov 27, 2005 11:23 am
Location: North Creek NY

Re: Where to retire?

Post by fulcount »

after having been to KY each jan for a few years,I would retire to
that state They have had some pretty bad winters for the past few Years
but still not as bad as here in the N"East

John O

Shady Grove Beagles
Posts: 1702
Joined: Fri Jul 01, 2005 6:56 pm
Location: east,Tn..

Re: Where to retire?

Post by Shady Grove Beagles »

I lived in middle Tn. for 15 years after first moving down here from New Hampshire.We located in Manchester which is Coffee county.The land around that area is fairly flat to slightly rolling with plenty of good cottontail habitat. Mostly corn,soy bean fields and pasture for beef cattle so you're mostly hunting on someone's farm land.There were three W.M.A.'s right in the county I lived in that offered decent running and several others in surrounding counties.
I wouldn't want to rely solely on state owned running grounds though as I've found the best to be on private land.You need to meet and develope some relationships with local land owners to open up some of those areas to you.Whether you do it through church,Rotary Club,Kiawanis,Masons,leasing hunting rights,etc. I've found it to be the way to get you your own honey holes.
To me one draw back to middle Tn. was that it is a very fast developing area and alot of farms and open country seems to be getting developed.
I go out to west Tn.to hunt swampers and that part of the state is much less populated with lots of excellent cottontail/swampers cover.We hunt on several large management areas and also some large tracks of private land that we asked permission to hunt years ago and were told to go enjoy ourselves by the farmer.This is on the Tn. River from Savannah north along the river.This is flat bottom land interspersed with slews where a lot of soy beans,corn and lots of cotton is grown and they do get some heavy flooding out there sometimes.
Here in east Tn. [south of Knoxville ]I'm within 18 miles of the Cherokee National Forest in the Smokey Mountains.I can always find a rabbit to run when I go out but wouldn't say the population here is thick.I have several private land places where I have permission to run and hunt the beagles that hold more rabbits.There are several W.M.A.'s within 1/2-3/4 of an hour drive from my house.If you head towards the mountains you're in deer,bear,turkey and hog hunting country and not many rabbits over there.There is a 800 acre W.M.A. 12 miles from my house that the state has set aside strictly for beagle and bird dog training and field trials with no hunting so that's good for running except at certain times of the year it get's a little crowded.Always can find some rabbits there.
Just be aware that when hunting on any private land in Tn. you better have permission first.It's not like when I lived and hunted in Maine and New Hampshire where you could turn out most anywhere and not worry about who owned the land .Folks here are pretty decent about letting you rabbit hunt but you better be asking them first!
If you are a field trialer of A.K.C. beagles be informed that the only A.K.C. trials in these parts are for the slower conservative types such as U.B.G.F. or traditional brace hounds.If you run a stouter hound you'll need to travel up to the Mid-West trials in Ky. There are plenty of A.R.H.A. Little Pack clubs around the state where you can run what you want.
Don't know where "up north" you are considering moving south from but from N.H. to Tn. the real estate prices were significantly different and we made out super well!
Again good luck with you search.
Home of a true hunting beagle that run to catch

island ridge hounds
Posts: 388
Joined: Tue Feb 21, 2006 9:46 am
Location: oklahoma
Contact:

Re: Where to retire?

Post by island ridge hounds »

do you field trial or just rabbit hunt or both?
let honesty run through the veins of each and every judge at each and every trial at each and
every format.

big w beagles
Posts: 195
Joined: Thu Sep 15, 2011 6:05 am
Location: Eastern Ohio

Re: Where to retire?

Post by big w beagles »

I used to be active about every weekend in NKC hunts. But my oldest son and I just started running all our dogs about every Saturday. I run dogs about 4-5 days a week, but my son works and running dogs on weekends gives us a chance to be together.
Thank you for all the information about Tennessee.

plottwalker
Posts: 24
Joined: Wed Jun 27, 2012 3:49 pm

Re: Where to retire?

Post by plottwalker »

no one comes out this way... but oregon and washington have unlimited amount of puplic land to hunt. no extreme cold or hot weather.5 different kinds of rabbits/hare to run. and no closed season. and no limit. shoot 50 a day year round and not have any competition....doesnt get much better then that.

Bevel Down
Posts: 9
Joined: Sun Jan 19, 2014 2:58 pm

Re: Where to retire?

Post by Bevel Down »

Been reading this thread with great interest. I too have been trying to come up with a place to retire.
The more Southerly states are out because we live in the Interior of Alaska (500 miles & a mountain range North of NY Hillbilly) & do not want to trade a two season climate with winter prevailing for a two (or even three season) climate with summer prevailing.
The various states have their pros & cons & what you individually will or won't put up with. Personally I don't like the idea (in N.H.) of having to put my name & address on the shaft of each & every hunting arrow I take afield. But I do like that N.H. doesn't have a sales tax or state income tax.
Overall, I look at the hunting, fishing & trapping regulations & seasons.
I look at the firearms regulations.
Since I'm on the backside of 60, the quality of hospitals & doctors are important.
And a big thing I check out about an area is it's "Fish Consumption Advisory" listing. Not only if it is safe to,regularly, eat the fish in the area, but I see the advisory as an indicator of the health of the land.
Everything is relative, so for me, coming from Alaska, I see New England as a prime place to move to. Four seasons. Moving from a Zone 1 (plant hardiness area) to a zone 3 or 4 area. To a place where I can run beagles, make maple syrup & fish for bass... all things I cannot do here. But that's just me.

big w beagles
Posts: 195
Joined: Thu Sep 15, 2011 6:05 am
Location: Eastern Ohio

Re: Where to retire?

Post by big w beagles »

MY oldest son and I spend a couple weeks each October in Maine hunting hare. We tent camp with friends above Kokajdo. Maine would be great in the spring, summer, and fall, but I don't think my wife would appreciate Maine in the winter.

Bevel Down
Posts: 9
Joined: Sun Jan 19, 2014 2:58 pm

Re: Where to retire?

Post by Bevel Down »

Big W, Kokajdo is a real nice area, sounds like you & your son are building some great memories!
We used to live a little to the East of there, in the Lincoln/Lee area. Have family in Millinocket & in Pittsburg, NH.
Both my wife & I were born & raised in the Catskills, used to belong to the New Scotland Beagle Club. Then lived in Maine before finally moving to Alaska more than 25 years ago.
Few years ago, while snowbirding, we attended a couple of field trials at the Spacetown Beagle Club (Raymond?, NH). Hear the club no longer exists...
Well anyway, you know the area first hand & can see the draw the area has for me.
Now if Maine would only allow Sunday hunting!

PREACHERS KENNEL
Posts: 1504
Joined: Tue May 03, 2005 8:44 am
Location: tenn

Re: Where to retire?

Post by PREACHERS KENNEL »

below Nashville to ala.line;isgood.hunting. in middle ten
swamp rabbits out west
ACTS 2:38=repent,baptised in the name of jesus christ,receive the holy ghost!

cris axtell/coal hill ken
Posts: 1275
Joined: Fri Feb 28, 2003 9:58 pm
Location: greenville pa NW

Re: Where to retire?

Post by cris axtell/coal hill ken »

Coshocton OHIO. Thousands of acres of public land that are reclaimed strip mines. The town is very nice with lots of things to do in the area. Very beautiful area. I would love to live there some day. Its in south central OHIO
COAL HILL KENNELS. LP GR CH Coal Hill's Brush Buster. 2014 PA state champion LP GR CH Coal Hill's Mama Cass. 2010 PA state champion LP R CH GR BCH Coal Hill's Princess Willow HOG DOG POWER!!!!

island ridge hounds
Posts: 388
Joined: Tue Feb 21, 2006 9:46 am
Location: oklahoma
Contact:

Re: Where to retire?

Post by island ridge hounds »

Oklahoma has lots i mean lots of public hunting and rabbits in just about all of it some more than others don't share that info to just anyone. those that have been to some of the hunts we have here know that we do have rabbits. the snakes we have them but there not much in the winter months. we have nkc clubs of a variety so you could take your pick which venue. a lot of lakes and water in the state and close surrounding state's. also alot of older gentlemen that just run dogs, when ever night, day, cold hot just take your pick. its also a republican state in a larger percentile.
let honesty run through the veins of each and every judge at each and every trial at each and
every format.

adirondackjoe
Posts: 372
Joined: Fri Sep 21, 2012 6:55 pm
Location: Ramsey, NJ

Re: Where to retire?

Post by adirondackjoe »

hey bevel down. why not retire to the adirondacks? the winters are long but not near as long as alaska. a 6 million acre park with 3 million acres of state land. it ain't alaska but its as close as we can come on the east coast.

Bevel Down
Posts: 9
Joined: Sun Jan 19, 2014 2:58 pm

Re: Where to retire?

Post by Bevel Down »

Adirondackjoe, why not indeed! More I think about it, ...even my Catskill Mountain accent would fit in better than it would in New England.
Over the years, I've spent a lot of time in the Adirondacks, hunting, fishing, canoeing, camping & running sled dogs.
Also, each year, going to the NYS Trappers Fall Convention, when it was held in Piseco Lake.
Last time the wife & I were in the States in 2005, we made a special trip to the Adirondack Museum in Blue Mountain Lake. Picked up a DVD while there -- How To Make A Pack Basket with Jack Leadley. Every once in a while I'll watch the video & the Trailers, even if only to look at the woods in the background (homesick??).
Would just have to get past the mental block of moving back to NY!
Still, thanks for the suggestion, it could work!

User avatar
Alabama John
Posts: 2116
Joined: Sat Jul 27, 2002 5:56 pm
Location: Pinson, Alabama

Re: Where to retire?

Post by Alabama John »

Bevel Down,
Curious as to who and how came up with that name? Very musical sounding.
Not Alabama as its not like it used to be. Law says you must have written permission to hunt anyones land and so many owners live out of state as they inherited it when their old folks died. Way too many deer, eating up everything. 9-15 are seen regularly crossing the roads. Folks here talk funny too.

Post Reply