Anything scary in Wisconsin? (Milwaukee, La Crosse: apartment, income, job)

[cmb53208]

Originally Posted by pioneer8

I know this is a bit silly, but what is scary in your beautiful state? Snakes? Bugs? Animals? I moved from FL to Texas last year and I guess I didn't understand that we would really have rattlesnakes in the country. I know this is crazy, but it is one of the reasons why I am even considering moving as many things are wonderful here. Anyway, I am hoping for no suprises when we move on to our new home. I desperately want to live in the snow. Can anyone tell me what kinds of things are "not so good" or even downright scary??? Thank you.

What's scary in our state? Try the property taxes, those would scare a pit bull. Much of Inner City Milwaukee is very scary too

[nodemo04]

Originally Posted by pioneer8

I know this is a bit silly, but what is scary in your beautiful state? Snakes? Bugs? Animals? I moved from FL to Texas last year and I guess I didn't understand that we would really have rattlesnakes in the country. I know this is crazy, but it is one of the reasons why I am even considering moving as many things are wonderful here. Anyway, I am hoping for no suprises when we move on to our new home. I desperately want to live in the snow. Can anyone tell me what kinds of things are "not so good" or even downright scary??? Thank you.

I have had a saying for many years about Wisconsin ..." no matter what bites you, it wont kill you "...

[DaisyMae06]

Reply to Imported1: Wolves???? You take issue with Wolves??? They only followed you back to your truck out of curiosity. They have been reintroduced for a darn good reason, my friend. To start taking down the deer population that is totally out of control in Wisconsin since we killed off all the natural predators - the Wolf and Coyote. You seem to want to live in the wild areas of Wisconsin and you have an obligation, then, to learn to live in harmony with nature and to protect it and preserve it for the next generation. You are fortunate to live in such a beautiful area of this country. You don't know how lucky you are to be able to see Wolves in the wild. You can hunt everything else your little heart desires in Wisconsin. Just don't be stupid in the woods and do yourself a favor and read some books about Woves. There are plenty of them out there. I have read them all and I understand how wrongly accused they are of being blood-thirsty killers. It has been proven beyond a shadow of a doubt that a wolf will not go after humans as prey. They are as afraid of you as you are of them. Leave them alone. Don't threaten them and you will be fine. We need them back to control the deer populations. We move into these animal's territory and then we want to wipe them out because we don't understand them. In Nevada they want to kill off the wild horses because they are a nuisance in the new housing areas that are smack dab in the middle of their natural feeding areas. Does that make sense? Just because they eat a few flowers and walk across someone's lawn? What is wrong with this picture? If there is one thing I have learned from living all over the world is that Wisconsin is one of the few places left that we can enjoy the beautiful treasures of the natural forests and lakes and prairies and wildlife still flourishing. That takes balance and we are working hard not to destroy the natural balance and still be able to live comfortably without doing harm. Thanks for reading this.

[DaisyMae06]

You lived in Texas and you want to know what is scary in Wisconsin???? That is very interesting. I lived in Dallas, Texas for three years and I absolutely hated it. I grew up in West Central Wisconsin. Christmas was a joke in Dallas without any snow. The heat and humidity was enought to kill you. Everyone goes around all wrinkled up from sweat because the humidity is thick enough to cut with a knife most days. Terrible tornadoes and flash floods kill people in Texas every week. Traffic is a complete nightmare. Crime is astronomical in Texas. Scorpions, cockroaches big enough to eat a dog. Snakes, chiggers, fire ants, poisonous spiders. Ha! Wisconsin is going to seem like Heavenly Paradise compared to Texas or even Florida.

You will hardly ever see a bug in the cities in Wisconsin. The only tic that is harmful is the deer tick and you can see them on your skin and pull them off. They have to be in your skin for 48 hours before you can get Lymes Disease from them. The only cockroaches we have are ones brought up here in the U-Hauls and luggage of Southerners. Ha Ha They really aren't a problem here.

Yes, by all means get a home with a storm shelter or a basement. We do have the ocassional Tornado - but - we have far more warnings then actual tornadoes. We get some pretty fierce thunder storms, though. Just stay in the house and you will fine during storms.

Snow is a problem for Southeners until you learn to drive in it. Just keep a safe distance from the vehicle in front of you. Don't slam on your brakes - ever! Make sure your tires are good and matched all around in winter. Warm you car up before you get in. Scrape all of your windows before you drive off! Wear layers of clothing. Keep a blanket, candles and a cell phone in your car at all times in the winter. Winter can set in as early as November and last until the end of April into May. Generally it only gets below zero in January and February. We love the winter and there are all kinds of winter sports to participate in like downhill skiing, snowboarding, tobagganing, sledding, ice skating, cross country skiing, snowmobileing, ice fishing, camping and just sitting by the fireside snuggled up with a good book and a cup of hot cocoa.

Don't leave your dog out in the winter it is just to harsh. Food freezes, water freezes. They need a place out of the wind with dry adequate shelter. We have laws against animal neglect here and we enforce them.

Summer is heavenly in Wisconsin. Mosquitoes are only a problem when it has rained a lot and on days when there is no breeze. No fire ants here. Don't feed the squirrels. They get into your attic and can raise havoc with your electrical. Summer is swimming outside in our beautiful lakes. No snakes to worry about in most of our lakes. Sometimes you can stand in the water and let the little perch nibble your legs - it tickles. Some lakes are so clear you can lay on the dock and watch the fish swimming around below you. Fishing is great in Wisconsin. It is a serious sport and pasttime and a wonderfully relaxing thing to do. Bird feeding is a great hobby in Wisconsin. We have so many beautiful songbirds that come to our feeders. It is great winter entertainment sitting in your kitchen or livingroom watching all the birds at your well stocked feeders. (Don't let your cats run loose in the neighborhood - they kill the songbirds and your neighbors won't like that).

Wisconsin and Minnesota are two of the few states left in this country that are truly beautiful in all four seasons and you will learn to adapt to all of them. Gardening can be a wonderful hobby and our soil is mostly rich and full of nutrients. Organic gardening is the best! Our fruits and vegetables are abundant and easy to grow.

You're gonna love it in Wisconsin!

[politikally]

As a hunter the only thing that scares the hell out of me in the Wisconsin northwoods is a moose. They sometimes charge humans, and can hurt you very badly. Other than that, if you hit a moose with a car, chances are you won't live to tell about it!

They are few and far between in Wisconsin (more in Minnesota and Michigan), but they do exsist!

Other than that, bears can be scary. I've run into a few woods, but generally they're more afraid of us then we are of them.

Oh, and did I forget to mention taxes? Liberals control the WI state gov't around here so the taxes can be pretty bad. Especially property taxes.

[parrotnoise]

I grew up here and lived in the south for over 17 years before returning home. It gave me a better perspective of the good and bad traits of Wisconsin.

THE GOOD STUFF:

In most cities and towns here (exception is probably parts of Milwaukee) you can still leave your doors unlocked or go for a walk in your neighborhood without much fear of problems.

Taxes are higher (especially property taxes) than many states, but our public schools are FAR better than some of the pitiful ones in a lot of states. A lot of that money goes to snow removal and other necessary things up here too.

The northwoods is a beautiful region with countless lakes and waterfalls or whitewater paddling. You do NOT need to be a die-hard hunter to enjoy the woods and, as a poster said, you'll have just as much fun with a camera in the woods. Many abandoned railroad corridors are slowly evolving into hiking and biking trails all over the state as well.

The parks (state, city and local) are gorgeous in this state and generally well-maintained. Fishing is generally great on any body of water and a lot of people will have both a moderately priced HOUSE and save a few bucks for "the cabin up north and a boat on the lake" lifestyle.

In general, there is less of the "keep up with the Jone's mentality" here. You might be living next to a very wealthy person and not even know it, as a lot of people place value in having "financial security" instead of owning all the latest status symbols as soon as they come out at top dollar.

Cost of living is generally moderate in terms of how far a dollar goes too. Sure, you can spend a lot on houses here too, but an AVERAGE home or rental is easily less than most major metro areas in other states. $150,000 in most neighborhoods in WI still buys a very decent home. $150,000 in, say DC, wouldn't get you anything you'd feel safe to live in.

BAD STUFF:

There is a certain "townie" element to some areas, meaning if you are not from there, it is tougher to fit in right away. Don't look for neighbors to come knocking on your door right away. They need to check you out first. After that, you'll be fine, unless YOU are the next Gein or Dahmer or whatever.

We DO have our share of chronic drunk drivers and "I just had 5 beers at the bar on my way home" low-lifes. This seems to get worse during the PACKER season and some of our fans appear to have no life beyond football. If the Packers lose, it is NOT fun to work in retail around here. We have some pretty obvious abusers of the welfare system. Some even used to scam multiple states to get more. We also have some "soft" bigotry in some sectors. (usually recognized by an opening statement like "I'm not prejudiced, but.....") There is also a certain share of people whose whole lives tend to end at the Wisconsin state line and "there is NOTHING worthwhile" outside of the state. These are not people you are likely to pal around with anyhow.

Winters CAN be harsh to the uninitiated, but my wife is from the south and adapted easily. Rarely has winter prevented us from going anyplace we wanted to. Summers DO have hot spells but, unlike other areas, usually only last for a few days before returning to normal.

There is a risk of hitting deer at night on highways during certain months, but as far as dangerous encounters with wildlife------NAH. Just be smart when camping and avoid leaving food out for the black bears. It's not Grizzly territory or anything. On the other hand, the mosqitoes can lift you off your feet in a spring and summer with a lot of rainfall. Also, the yellowjackets can get aggressive in an unusually warm fall season. Deerticks are bad in heavily wooded areas so dress appropriately and carry spray.

As with all states, some towns are starting to get the usual "gang issues," but most of them are truly punk wannabes who would pee on themselves if confronted with the likes of a true "Soprano's type." Like a cancer, catch it early and it won't be a problem in your neighborhood. Ignore it and, well....

HOPE THIS HELPS...GOOD LUCK!!!!

[ekg56]

We have seen a few tornadoes in north central WI. There was one about 2 miles away a few years ago. I remember my husband continued sitting upstairs in the living room. I was at work. We have bears, coyotes, etc in the woods around us.
Property taxes, I consider ours reasonable. About $2500. In Chicago my Mom's home is taxed at over 4500. We have friends in New Hampshire that pay over $7000 and there home is small.
I hate the ticks and the mosquitoes. The cold doesn't bother me. In fact next week when it is back in the 30s I will probably be running around in a sweatshirt. If anything I don't like hot weather. I keep the thermostat set no higher then 64 all winter.
As with any place there are good and bad. I like that I can walk outside at any time and not be afraid. We don't lock our doors or the cars up. Our neighbors are friendly and watch out for each other. We moved here 20 years ago from Chicago and find that it is a good fit for our family.

[grayrider]

The only thing you have to be scared about is the way this State runs and its agencies. The State of Wisconsin DWD is a fine example of corruption. Some of the state employees are nothing but liars and will do anything to screw over the people of wisconsin. The worst thing about this is they are allowed to do so without any fear of losing their job and will continue to be nothing but liars till this State cleans up the filth at the DWD. Now thats the only snakes you really have to worry about!

[homemakergirl]

And don't forget the deer, they love being in front of your vehicle. And they are a bit skiddish during deer hunting season (November) and have been known to actually leap towards your car!

[GreggB]

The scarriest thing in Wisconsin has to be the city of Appleton with its rude residents, ineffective city government, wasteful spending, lousy roads and high taxes. Winter weather is a yearly nightmare for the entire state. July (known as summer here) is warm and humid. One other thing, I find the general acceptance of drunk driving in Wisconsin as being really not such a bad thing, scary too. Oh, and as an OTR Truck Driver, Wisconsin drivers are a scary breed also, as compared to most states. If I were to sum up Wisconsin in just one word, it would have to be Dysfunctional.