If you could live anywhere

[quinnroy]

In the next couple years I'll will have the ability to move to almost any region of Minnesota or the Dakotas and have a relatively good and stable job. I'd prefer to live on a lake for fishing and would prefer close waterfowl opportunities but would be willing to drive up to an hour or two for waterfowl hunting. If you had this opportunity where would you choose to live? North central minnesota in the Park Rapids, Bemidji, Walker area? or more Southern MN or Dakotas?

[Tip Up Rookie]

Congrats - I am very jealous of your problem! My preference would be Walker/Bemidji area but that is me and I only fish, not much of a hunter - so many lakes in that area to choose from. Good luck solving your issue!

[jeffreyd]

I am tossed with this same question. I would want to be close to lakes and rivers, someplace that offers seasons other than summer then summer. I would move to canada in a minute if i could do it. I have 3 yrs to let my son get done with hs and then color me gone. I will shovel snow everyday it someone told me that it would not be 115 with humidity everyday like this year.

[TravP]

For both fishing and waterfowl hunting, Devil's Lake.

[goblueM]

there are a ton of great areas to live in MN/ND. I've traveled to most of each state hunting, fishing, and doing work with the DNR and Conservation Corps

I like the northwoods, particularly the Bemidji area and the Ely area

I also would live in SE MN in a heartbeat. Fantastic deer/turkey hunting, the river and its backwaters for fishing and waterfowl. Not to mention world class trout fishing and morel mushrooms!

if you like waterfowl you'd be hard pressed to beat ND (more advantageous to be a ND resident for hunting than a MN resident, imo, due to hunting license prices and structures) and they too have some good fishing

hard to go wrong with so many options!

[creepworm]

Hands down the Glacial Lakes region in NE South Dakota. Fantastic fishing, unbelievable waterfowl hunting, unmatched pheasant hunting, good deer hunting, and good turkey hunting. All with less people than in MN. Also, Walleye season never closes and non resident waterfowl licenses are limited so you can go almost the entire season and never hear a shot from another hunter. Only negatives for the area are, it can get pretty nasty in the winter. Also, if you are a younger person and like to go out and have a few with people other than locals, you would have to travel about a half hour to 45 minutes to Watertown in order to do that.

[Archerysniper]

2 spots devils lake or lake of the woods

[curtistodd]

I 2nd the glacial lakes region of SD. Webster, SD would be the ticket for all the reasons creepworm mentioned.

[leech~~]

In the next couple years I'll will have the ability to move to almost any region of Minnesota or the Dakotas and have a relatively good and stable job. I'd prefer to live on a lake for fishing and would prefer close waterfowl opportunities but would be willing to drive up to an hour or two for waterfowl hunting. If you had this opportunity where would you choose to live? North central minnesota in the Park Rapids, Bemidji, Walker area? or more Southern MN or Dakotas?

quinnroy. Welcome to HSO you are truely a lucky man in this day and age to be able to do that. Good luck where ever you end up!

[solbes]

Walker area or Duluth area. Someday I hope to own a small house in both. Duluth area because it (and the north shore) are the most beautiful areas in the Midwest IMO. You have the St Louis river, some pretty good lakes, boundary waters/Gunflint are not too far away.

Walker area for Leech and all the surrounding great lakes. Is somewhat centrally located to other fishing hot spots too (Grand Rapids, Brainerd, etc).

[reinhard1]

first of all WELCOME TO HSO!! it would be Duluth for me hands down having lived there in my younger days. great fishing all over the arrowhead. many species of fish available including salmon in lake superior. the great st. louis river system and walleys just minutes away. steelhead and loopers in the spring on the northshore along with wild brookies inland from the shore in many creeks and streams. managed inland trout lakes as well. cant say enough. good luck.

[Jim Almquist]

Hands down it would be Grand Rapids. It boost something like a 1000 lakes in a 25 mile radius. Lots of great fishing for just about every specie. My buddies that liked to hunt waterfowl did pretty good without having to travel very far. It is about 1 1/2 hours from Duluth and Bemidji and Red lake is about 2 hours. Lots of public hunting land if you like to hunt Grouse or deer.

[Getanet]

I'd pick Walker as well. Right on Leech Lake, not too far of a drive to other great lakes like Winnie or Cass, and not so isolated if you feel like going out to dinner or the casino.

[bassfshin24]

Im originally from SD and just moved to MN 2.5 years ago. The NE area of SD is great for Hunting and Fishing but I will never move back to SD. MN in my opinion offers so much more. If it was me I would love to live in the north woods around the gunflint trail. Not sure about the huntin up there though and you better have a sled for gettin around in the winter!

[Gordie]

For both fishing and waterfowl hunting, Devil's Lake.

As much as I love Minnesota this is where I want to live

[TooTallTom]

Fishing and hunting are great, but as some others alluded to, there are other considerations.

Do you want to have an active social life (bars, music, museums, movies, people watching, etc)?

What are the local medical facilities like?

How close do you want to be to family and friends?

What other opportunities are you looking for?

Do you want to be on acreage, or just a small lake lot?

[SkunkedAgain]

Hands down it's the Twin Cities....okay, had to toss that in there!

I guess one clarification question that I would have is whether it is just you moving, or are there other things to consider like kids and a family? That might change some of the responses.

[Down Deep]

I live in the Duluth area. Nice thing about Duluth is that it is big enought to offer most big city services like entertainment, social occations, retail, medical, etc. It is a nice community with a low crime rate, no traffic jams and very affordable housing. It is on Lake Superior, is near the BWCA and the Superior National Forest and the St. Louis River with excellent walleye and musky fishing is right out the door. It is three hours from great fisheries like the Lake of the Woods, Rainy, Voyagures National Park and Canada. There are many hunting and winter sports available as well. If you like the out-of-doors this is the place.

The downside is that while you won't have to worry about 115 degree temp the winters come early and are long and cold. A warm spring is basically non-existent because of a cold east wind from Lake Superior and, quite frankly, early May snows are not uncommon. There are no perfect places to live, but IMO Duluth's positives outweigh the negatives.

[jwmiller33]

Im originally from SD and just moved to MN 2.5 years ago. The NE area of SD is great for Hunting and Fishing but I will never move back to SD. MN in my opinion offers so much more.

I'd have to agree 100%! In terms of diversity of what is has to offer, Minnesota takes the cake IMO. I think Down Deep hit the nail on the head when talking about Duluth. It is a big enough city to reap the benefits of city life, but you can travel 15 minutes out of town and be on a lake that is remote enough to feel like your in northern MN by Canada. Not to mention you have a great lake in your backyard and the STL River. Affordable housing, shopping, low crime rates, golf courses, great school systems and a plethora of outdoor activities make it unlike anything else out there. 2-3 hrs away from the Twin Cities, BWCA, Super National Forest, LOTW, Rainy, Brainerd Lakes area. As far as the winters, it isn't much different from anything you would see elsewhere in MN, SD, ND or WI.

[Sonicrunch]

If you had this opportunity where would you choose to live?

My Mom's basement.

[Brian-Mn]

My criteria is pretty basic since I don't hunt. I want high speed Internet. I want sat. Radio & TV. Close enough to a store to get a newspaper daily.

I want a "woodsie" feeling. I want water nearby.

Most of all I want to travel to run into a crowd. I don't want to be around to many people.

That said............I'm married, have grand kids. I ain't goin' nowhere any time soon.

Best of luck with your adventure and welcome to the site!

[Bran32]

I myself am trying to move and have narrowed it down to the triangled area from Bemidji to Walker to Grand Rapids! One of those 3 places is where I want to call home next!! I was born and raised in Colorado and moved here 5 yrs ago and I wouldn't leave Minnesota for anywhere!! Just my opinion!

[wayne123]

Another thing to look at is the winters are a lot shorter in southern Minnesota compared to Northern.

[thatoneguy]

I myself am trying to move and have narrowed it down to the triangled area from Bemidji to Walker to Grand Rapids! One of those 3 places is where I want to call home next!! I was born and raised in Colorado and moved here 5 yrs ago and I wouldn't leave Minnesota for anywhere!! Just my opinion!

There's a house for sale just down the road from me, west side of Leech Lake! I wouldn't rather live anywhere else - I've got everything I need here.

[Steve Foss]

In the next couple years I'll will have the ability to move to almost any region of Minnesota or the Dakotas and have a relatively good and stable job. I'd prefer to live on a lake for fishing and would prefer close waterfowl opportunities but would be willing to drive up to an hour or two for waterfowl hunting. If you had this opportunity where would you choose to live? North central minnesota in the Park Rapids, Bemidji, Walker area? or more Southern MN or Dakotas?

None of the above.

When I saw the title of the thread, I thought: "Cool! lots of places around the U.S. in the mix."

I live in God's country right now, if you limit that country to the area mentioned in the OP. But it's not where I'd live if I had everything out there before me and the ability to make a living no matter where I went.

So, if you are limited to Minnesota and the Dakotas, I'd locate your main residence somewhere north-central like Brainerd/Bemidji. And I'd consider some hunting land in western S.D. as an additional investment/retreat. By locating centrally in Minnesota, you can easily reach anywhere you want to go in the Dakotas without undue hardship.

If I had no constraints on the lower 48, I'd have a place along the Oregon coast, a place butting right up against the Bob in Montana, and another place at 10,000 feet in Colorado within sight of Pike's Peak.