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[ darn, this is a longer post than I anticipated, sorry about the wall of text ]
I'm a Texan (22 years old, guy, Computer Science degree, 1 year away from being done with university) looking into the possibility of moving to Wyoming (particularly the Casper area) sometime in summer 2014. I'm coming up for a look-see road trip in two weeks, and was planning on hitting Casper, Sheridan (WY), Billings (MT), and Rapid City (SD). This is the general area that I've narrowed it down to over the course of about two years of Internet research and forum lurking . I have posted previously in the Montana forums (//www.city-data.com/forum/monta...ulation.html); here's the link for anybody who is more interested in that additional post.
I'm mostly looking for an area in the country that is rural, chillier than Texas, and 'auslander'-free. What I mean by that last bit is that Texas has had quite the influx of out-of-staters lately, most of them from New York, Illinois, and California. A few of these transplants are okay, but most of them bring their old state with them. As in, a Californian will move to Texas to escape the cost of living, act shocked upon realizing we don't do ________, and then proceed to vote for the same policies they had back home.
I am from a small community near Fredericksburg, in the Hill Country. This used to be a pretty slow, homogenous town, where people were friendly (local economy was based off of agriculture/peach crop tourism). Over the last year or so, many people have been moving in from Austin (originally from California) or just directly from California. I suppose Austin is too mainstream, now, or something. Anyway, lots of cyclists ignoring traffic laws, joggers taking up lanes on highways, wineries producing drunk drivers and horrible, horrible noise pollution, and a new crowd of vehement anti-hunters who make life a little too...politically explosive. In short, everything I enjoyed about this little town has been usurped. I'm hoping to refind a quiet, rural lifestyle without all the yo-yos moving in. Which is kind of funny, if you think about it, since I am a potential out-of-state yo-yo, from your perspective. I'm not looking to change Wyoming. I'm just looking to find an area that I can fit in with again.
My plan is to rent first (exit strategy to avoid being tied down) in one of the larger cities (a 'home base'), get a job, work a few years while exploring the area, then hopefully by then I'll have enough dough saved up to purchase a few acres near a smaller town and 'settle down'. Sheridan has caught my eye as being such a town. Big enough to have computer-related jobs, small enough to not be a real traffic issue, hopefully unknown enough not to have a rabid tourist infestation. Looks perfect on paper, but will it pass the road-trip test?
Dang, that was way more than I wanted to write, but I felt it'd be good if people knew where I was coming from (my questions may make more sense with the background).
Questions
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1) Are Wyomingites fairly nice, laid-back people? How politically...obnoxious...do things get with most residents? I'm hoping for a live-and-let-live attitude, and I'm fine if people have their opinions about things, but the thing that irks me around here is that you have to be constantly careful of what you say, to avoid stepping on peoples' toes. Mentioning hunting or that you're not enthused about Health Insurance rates going up by 40% can get you into hot water with some folks.
2) Not trying to come off as a jerk here, but has there been a similar overrun of out-of-staters lately? Namely those who are interested in changing Wyoming?
3) How is the summer tourism? Does all of Wyoming get jammed from the Yellowstone crew? or does life go on as normal from season to season?
4) I've done quite a few searches for computer-related jobs in the area, and have found a few good ones. Enough to satisfy my confidence that I can be employed by someone, somewhere. I am willing to underwork my degree if it means I can put myself in a position to someday get out of the city. What are your opinions about the Wyoming economy? If you don't think Casper would not be a good initial 'home base', which city would you recommend? What would be a comfortable salary for a single man to make? Comfortable as in: I can sleep in a bed, I can eat three meals a day, and I can sock away enough cash to afford a few acres in a couple of years?
5) I believe the time for Wyoming residency is one year, correct? Also, no income tax? 4% sales tax? Got these numbers from Wikipedia, please correct me if I'm wrong. These are pretty sweet taxes, would I be correct in assuming that property taxes are quite a bit higher?
6) In Texas, most people hunt on their own land, or pay a rancher for a hunting lease. How is the hunting setup in Wyoming? What sort of acreage would one need to own to expect to find deer on it? How is public land hunting? Is it crowded? Are the bag limits restrictive? Also, what kind of shot distances would we be talking about? In the Hill Country, the average distance is about 100 yards (heavily wooded).
7) Oh and, being from Texas, I am most likely throroughly unprepared for the winter. Are any vehicle modifications needed for the snow? Or will my standard Toyota Corolla handle it? The temperatures (according to Wikipedia) look pretty nice, but there's a big difference between looking at numbers and actually being there. Is there a high turnover rate in new move-ins from harsh winters?
Thanks for your time. Hopefully I didn't scare you off with the book I just wrote. Too much info is better than too little, right? Please feel free to add anything outside what I asked in the questions. Thanks again.
I'm mostly looking for an area in the country that is rural, chillier than Texas, and 'auslander'-free. What I mean by that last bit is that Texas has had quite the influx of out-of-staters lately, most of them from New York, Illinois, and California. A few of these transplants are okay, but most of them bring their old state with them. As in, a Californian will move to Texas to escape the cost of living, act shocked upon realizing we don't do ________, and then proceed to vote for the same policies they had back home.
I am from a small community near Fredericksburg, in the Hill Country. This used to be a pretty slow, homogenous town, where people were friendly (local economy was based off of agriculture/peach crop tourism). Over the last year or so, many people have been moving in from Austin (originally from California) or just directly from California. I suppose Austin is too mainstream, now, or something. Anyway, lots of cyclists ignoring traffic laws, joggers taking up lanes on highways, wineries producing drunk drivers and horrible, horrible noise pollution, and a new crowd of vehement anti-hunters who make life a little too...politically explosive. In short, everything I enjoyed about this little town has been usurped. I'm hoping to refind a quiet, rural lifestyle without all the yo-yos moving in. Which is kind of funny, if you think about it, since I am a potential out-of-state yo-yo, from your perspective. I'm not looking to change Wyoming. I'm just looking to find an area that I can fit in with again.
We're mostly transplants here. From your words I am sure you wouldn't like it. Wyoming people are not a bunch of parochial red necks. I'm originally from Illinois; I know you wouldn't like me.
Wyoming is made up of a fairly diverse range of people. In one corner you've got the "locals" whose great-great-grandparents homesteaded here, in another you've got people like you and me who came from out of state to live/work, in another you've got the very wealthy and against-the-local-grain types who have summer homes and such, etc. Everyone tends to get along as long as people are respectful to each other, work hard and are good neighbors.
If I were you I'd look into Buffalo (small town a bit south of Sheridan). I rent here and couldn't be happier. I got a great deal but in general the rent here seems to be very reasonable, at least compared to other parts of the state. The classifieds section of the newspaper always has a decent array of rentals available. Buffalo Bulletin - Apartments for Rent
It's a small town, beautiful location at the base of the Big Horn Mountains, close to Sheridan, not far from Casper, Rapid City and Billings if for some reason you need to go to a larger city. Friendly people, laid-back way of life. Lots of art and culture and Old West charm and history around here. For a small town it has a nice array of dining options and some cool shops, including a really great sporting goods/outdoors shop.
As far as I know there's only 1 or maybe 2 computer shops in town. Not sure if you're bringing your work with you or not but I don't think people would be opposed to another computer guy coming to town.
Wyoming in general is certainly a lot "chillier" than Texas. Summers and falls are great here. Winters are long and cold with blowing winds and drifting snow. But they're beautiful.
You'll be visiting at one of the nicest times of year, although most of the pretty vegetation will be done by then. Summers and falls here are amazing; don't let them cloud your vision. Always keep in mind that winters are COLD and especially LONG compared to Texas.
From your criteria I'm not sure you'd like Casper or Sheridan, for different reasons. I think you'd like Sheridan better than Casper, but I definitely think Buffalo could fit your bill.
As for your questions:
1: For the most part, yes. There are some crotchety old-timers who seem to hate everything, but every place has some of those. In general, most people are friendly and helpful if you also are friendly. People won't necessarily go out of their way to welcome you with open arms, though.
2: I don't think so, at least not in this part of the state. There is more of that in western Wyoming (Jackson, ahem). If there is much of it here, it's fairly benign as I haven't noticed it.
3: A good chunk of people come to Wyoming in the summer, but not nearly as many in this area as in Jackson/Yellowstone region. It gets truly insane over there. That being said, Tourism is the #2 or #3 revenue driver for Wyoming, I believe, behind the energy industry and maybe agriculture. So pretty much anywhere in Wyoming that is pretty or interesting will get some summer tourists. But living in Buffalo in the summer I haven't noticed it or been irritated by it.
4: I've never lived in Casper but I haven't heard the best things about it. I know everyone is biased in some way, but I've heard enough negatives about it from people I usually trust that I wouldn't want to live there if places like Sheridan were also on the table. I would go with Sheridan for a "home base" city, though like I said I don't think it's far-fetched to just come to Buffalo straight away.
Salary? In Buffalo, I can't speak for any other cities, I know people who rent and live comfortably on $30,000 a year. Albeit they might not be able to put as much away in the savings as they might like to, at the end of the day they have a roof over their head, 3 meals a day, and enough left over for a quality restaurant meal or excursion now and then.
5: Correct. Although communities are allowed to charge up to a small percent additional sales tax if they vote for it I think the maximum cap for that is still really small (like 3% or something). The no income tax thing is pretty sweet, I must say.
6: I'm not a hunter myself so I don't know all the specifics, but I will tell you wildlife is abundant out here, enough that on any given day even just wandering around town or near town I will see a deer or pronghorn or something. From what I've heard from hunter friends, it doesn't usually get too crowded. There is a whole lot of space out here with not a lot of people.
7: Biggest thing about winters, for me, is the visibility. When the wind blows (and it blows a lot), it picks up our dry powdery snow and flings it all over so it's hard to see. Just have to learn to drive slower, take more time and be careful. Always have an emergency kit prepared, including tools, blanket(s), some food and water, maybe a flare or two. Good all-season tires are usually enough. It helps to have a front-wheel drive car. Some people swear by 4-wheel drive cars, but I've lived through a winter here and my front-wheel drive Honda Civic with new all-season tires fared just fine. However I am from PA where we get a lot of snow so I was already knowledgeable of winter driving before I got here.
I used to live in Pinedale, which is in the west a bit south of Jackson, and it was BITTERLY COLD. There was a good two weeks at least in January where the temperature in the daytime never got above 0. The coldest it got one night was -40 WITHOUT WIND CHILL. I had to sprint back to my apartment from the restaurant because it was so cold.
However the temps in this region (Buffalo, Sheridan etc.), I am told, do not get that cold. But just remember: WIND CHILL FACTOR. Although the ambient temperature might be 5 degrees (cold but not unbearable if you have a coat and gloves on), if the wind is blowing 30 MPH or higher it will feel a lot colder. So just make sure before winter you'd get a reliable coat, gloves, hat, boots etc.
Questions
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1) Are Wyomingites fairly nice, laid-back people? How politically...obnoxious...do things get with most residents? I'm hoping for a live-and-let-live attitude, and I'm fine if people have their opinions about things, but the thing that irks me around here is that you have to be constantly careful of what you say, to avoid stepping on peoples' toes. Mentioning hunting or that you're not enthused about Health Insurance rates going up by 40% can get you into hot water with some folks.
I think the people are nice. Of course you will encounter knot-heads just about anywhere. Although Wyoming is pretty Conservative/Libertarian, you'll seldom know it from talking to a neighbor. I mean you'll understand his background and his desires, but seldom will they bring up politics. Other than one very outspoken neighbor who has no clue what's going on in the world, I couldn't tell you how anybody around here votes or what party they follow. Maybe it's just that the entire populace where I live is like minded and I don't notice it.
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2) Not trying to come off as a jerk here, but has there been a similar overrun of out-of-staters lately? Namely those who are interested in changing Wyoming?
Yup, everybody is from somewhere and few are from here. There are, of course, the 5 generation ranches around here, but for the most part if they've been here more than about 10 years, they're considered local. The ones that do come in and want to change everything, seem to huddle together. I guess it's for support or something, but they tend to stick together and live in their very own subdivisions with their very own covenances. You can tell, they drive their beamers through one winter and after paying for rock chips and being pulled out of the ditch a few times, the beamer gets stuffed in the front of their big garage and only comes out every now and then. So yes, they are here, but they are very much in the minority.
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3) How is the summer tourism? Does all of Wyoming get jammed from the Yellowstone crew? or does life go on as normal from season to season?
We only have one gas station here. (Ranchester, just 15 miles from Sheridan) Yup, it gets busier during the summer, but not much. I have NEVER had to wait for a pump.
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4) I've done quite a few searches for computer-related jobs in the area, and have found a few good ones. Enough to satisfy my confidence that I can be employed by someone, somewhere. I am willing to underwork my degree if it means I can put myself in a position to someday get out of the city. What are your opinions about the Wyoming economy? If you don't think Casper would not be a good initial 'home base', which city would you recommend? What would be a comfortable salary for a single man to make? Comfortable as in: I can sleep in a bed, I can eat three meals a day, and I can sock away enough cash to afford a few acres in a couple of years?
You need to register and take a hard look at www.wyomingatwork.com and see what is listed, if you haven't already. Also get on the Veteran's Administration website and look for job openings in Sheridan. The VA here is pretty good sized and as you know with any hospital, IT is the heart of operations. Sheridan has a guy that is starting a company and it's going to be data storage and backup. Some kind of big server setup with lots of puters. He's trying to be the main hub for data storage for multiple companies. I don't think he's completely up and running yet and I don't know how many people he is going to put on, but it's worth a look see.
By the way, although Casper is a nice town with lots of ammenities, the weather is less than desirable, unless you can put up with wind. I would look at Sheridan, and Gillette. As mentioned, Buffalo is a very nice town, but with a population of less than 5,000 the only thing going is PC maintenance and although it will buy beans and weenies, I don't think you'll excell and go anywhere. Sheridan being an old Western town that is more Ranching and extractive energy community is nice, as is Gillette which is a industrial town that is mainly extractive industries and everything that goes along with it. Sheridan is laid back and Gillette is pretty fast paced. Of course, being fast paced means more jobs, more opportunities, better pay.
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5) I believe the time for Wyoming residency is one year, correct? Also, no income tax? 4% sales tax? Got these numbers from Wikipedia, please correct me if I'm wrong. These are pretty sweet taxes, would I be correct in assuming that property taxes are quite a bit higher?
You are correct. 1 year to get a resident hunting/fishing license, no income tax, the state has a 4% sales tax but towns/counties can tack on more, Sheridan being 6%. I think property tax is pretty reasonable, myself. When I owned my home in Sheridan it was 1800 sq ft, small lot, built in 84, and I paid just over $200 a year. That was in 2009. I have heard a lot of people scream because their property taxes are so high, but they haven't lived elsewhere, like Rapid City where my folks paid $3500 a year for their small place just 18 miles out of town.
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6) In Texas, most people hunt on their own land, or pay a rancher for a hunting lease. How is the hunting setup in Wyoming? What sort of acreage would one need to own to expect to find deer on it? How is public land hunting? Is it crowded? Are the bag limits restrictive? Also, what kind of shot distances would we be talking about? In the Hill Country, the average distance is about 100 yards (heavily wooded).
Several years ago, Wyoming went to a 3 part tag. One part you roll up and insert into the skin of the critter, one part you send in to the state, and the third part you give to the land owner. At the end of the season, the land owner can turn in all the tags and the Game and Fish pays him. This was done to incourage landowners allowing hunters on their property. Something like 55% of the state is state owned / blm / national forest. You can hunt it. We don't have any problem around Sheridan finding places to hunt. The big ranches around here are very accomodating and no, we don't pay to use their land. Some will charge for the first 5 days of season for the hunters wanting trophy animals, but since 1972, I haven't paid one single time to any landowner.
In the Forest land, I have hunted for days and did not see another hunter, other than in camp, or coming or going to where I left my vehicle. For private land, there is a ranch just 2 miles from me that I like to hunt and he has 11,000 acres. He allows one hunting party on his property, per day. So no, it's not crowded. For the area where I live, mule deer, or white tail, doe/fawn tags, you were unlimited in the number of tags you could purchase. Each area is going to be different and that is because the Game and Fish do a head count and issue tags based on harvest numbers that the land can support. This year may be 7 extra's, next year may only be 3. Just depends on where and how the winter kill was and how the feed is holding up. On the rolling prairie, 200-400 yards is not uncomon. Around where I live, 100-300 yards. Up in the mountains, 150 yards or less. That is for Antelope, Deer, or Elk. If you draw a moose tag, your looking at less than 75 yards normally, just because of habitat.
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7) Oh and, being from Texas, I am most likely throroughly unprepared for the winter. Are any vehicle modifications needed for the snow? Or will my standard Toyota Corolla handle it? The temperatures (according to Wikipedia) look pretty nice, but there's a big difference between looking at numbers and actually being there. Is there a high turnover rate in new move-ins from harsh winters?
If your vehicle was manufactured after 2000, you need to nothing other than follow your owners manual on recommended oil. A block heater is nice to have. You plug in the block heater and it will warm up the water/antifreeze and keep it circulating through the block. You go outside and it's -30 with no wind. Your car will start, block heater or not. But if there is a block heater, you'll start AND be able to turn on the heater and start getting warm air, almost immediately. A block heater is for creature comfort mainly, however, it does help on engine starter and such, wear. If everything turns easily, it saves a lot of wear and tear. Before somebody pops in here and says "But the wind chill ......" Wind chill has nothing to do with your automobile. If it's -10, I don't care what the wind is doing, your car is -10. I drive a diesel pickup made in 1985, and I don't plug it in as a rule. She's never failed me yet. But if it gets down to -30 or so, I'll plug it in for 20 minutes, and she'll fire just fine.
You do need good tires. You don't need $500 snow tires, just good tires that will give you traction. Some good all weather tires are fine. Our highway and city crews do an outstanding job of keeping the snow plowed. If they can't plow, you shouldn't be out there. Roads are closed early and it's usually due to blowing snow and lack of visibility. You talked about living in the country, you might later decide you want something better, but for now, your toyota is just fine. When you look at country property, look to see if it's a school bus route. They keep those cleaned, where as other roads you might be on your own for a while before they get out to take care of them.
High turn over rates of move in's? Yeah. Some of the California plated vehicles aren't here after a good cold winter. Winters are our friend.
[ darn, this is a longer post than I anticipated, sorry about the wall of text ]
I'm a Texan (22 years old, guy, Computer Science degree, 1 year away from being done with university) looking into the possibility of moving to Wyoming (particularly the Casper area) sometime in summer 2014. I'm coming up for a look-see road trip in two weeks, and was planning on hitting Casper, Sheridan (WY), Billings (MT), and Rapid City (SD). This is the general area that I've narrowed it down to over the course of about two years of Internet research and forum lurking . I have posted previously in the Montana forums (//www.city-data.com/forum/monta...ulation.html); here's the link for anybody who is more interested in that additional post.
I'm mostly looking for an area in the country that is rural, chillier than Texas, and 'auslander'-free. What I mean by that last bit is that Texas has had quite the influx of out-of-staters lately, most of them from New York, Illinois, and California. A few of these transplants are okay, but most of them bring their old state with them. As in, a Californian will move to Texas to escape the cost of living, act shocked upon realizing we don't do ________, and then proceed to vote for the same policies they had back home.
I am from a small community near Fredericksburg, in the Hill Country. This used to be a pretty slow, homogenous town, where people were friendly (local economy was based off of agriculture/peach crop tourism). Over the last year or so, many people have been moving in from Austin (originally from California) or just directly from California. I suppose Austin is too mainstream, now, or something. Anyway, lots of cyclists ignoring traffic laws, joggers taking up lanes on highways, wineries producing drunk drivers and horrible, horrible noise pollution, and a new crowd of vehement anti-hunters who make life a little too...politically explosive. In short, everything I enjoyed about this little town has been usurped. I'm hoping to refind a quiet, rural lifestyle without all the yo-yos moving in. Which is kind of funny, if you think about it, since I am a potential out-of-state yo-yo, from your perspective. I'm not looking to change Wyoming. I'm just looking to find an area that I can fit in with again.
My plan is to rent first (exit strategy to avoid being tied down) in one of the larger cities (a 'home base'), get a job, work a few years while exploring the area, then hopefully by then I'll have enough dough saved up to purchase a few acres near a smaller town and 'settle down'. Sheridan has caught my eye as being such a town. Big enough to have computer-related jobs, small enough to not be a real traffic issue, hopefully unknown enough not to have a rabid tourist infestation. Looks perfect on paper, but will it pass the road-trip test?
Dang, that was way more than I wanted to write, but I felt it'd be good if people knew where I was coming from (my questions may make more sense with the background).
Questions
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1) Are Wyomingites fairly nice, laid-back people? How politically...obnoxious...do things get with most residents? I'm hoping for a live-and-let-live attitude, and I'm fine if people have their opinions about things, but the thing that irks me around here is that you have to be constantly careful of what you say, to avoid stepping on peoples' toes. Mentioning hunting or that you're not enthused about Health Insurance rates going up by 40% can get you into hot water with some folks. Wyoming has a very live and let live attitude. I think politics are a wise thing not to bring up anywhere as you can get into a heated discussion just about anywhere. The state is conservative but since I don't bring up politics I don't hear too many people rant and rave. If you are a hard worker and down to earth people here will like you.
2) Not trying to come off as a jerk here, but has there been a similar overrun of out-of-staters lately? Namely those who are interested in changing Wyoming? Quite a few Wyoming residents are transplants. I have not seen too many that are really trying to change the state.
3) How is the summer tourism? Does all of Wyoming get jammed from the Yellowstone crew? or does life go on as normal from season to season? The only part of Wyoming that really gets jammed from the Yellowstone crew is going to be the northwestern part near the park. The Black Hills area also will get some, so if you are considering Rapid City, as you had mentioned, you will see tourists there. The Wyoming part of the Black Hills has Devils Tower which I'm sure gets tourists but the majority of the attractions in the Hills are in South Dakota. Also, I wouldn't worry that much about tourists. That's basically just going to be from Memorial Day to Labor Day with a few here and there for hunting season. Sheridan I would imagine gets a fair amount of tourists as it is a convenient place to stay for people going from the Black Hills to Yellowstone, although I don't think the town itself is a tourist attraction. Casper isn't a tourist destination.
4) I've done quite a few searches for computer-related jobs in the area, and have found a few good ones. Enough to satisfy my confidence that I can be employed by someone, somewhere. I am willing to underwork my degree if it means I can put myself in a position to someday get out of the city. What are your opinions about the Wyoming economy? If you don't think Casper would not be a good initial 'home base', which city would you recommend? What would be a comfortable salary for a single man to make? Comfortable as in: I can sleep in a bed, I can eat three meals a day, and I can sock away enough cash to afford a few acres in a couple of years? Casper is a good home base. I lived there on less than $40k a year and while I didn't afford a lot of luxuries I did okay with a roommate.
5) I believe the time for Wyoming residency is one year, correct? Also, no income tax? 4% sales tax? Got these numbers from Wikipedia, please correct me if I'm wrong. These are pretty sweet taxes, would I be correct in assuming that property taxes are quite a bit higher? Residency time is a year. I'm not sure if the 4% sales tax is statewide or if that varies by county. Having never owned property here I can't tell you about the property taxes.
6) In Texas, most people hunt on their own land, or pay a rancher for a hunting lease. How is the hunting setup in Wyoming? What sort of acreage would one need to own to expect to find deer on it? How is public land hunting? Is it crowded? Are the bag limits restrictive? Also, what kind of shot distances would we be talking about? In the Hill Country, the average distance is about 100 yards (heavily wooded).As far as acreage I'm not sure how many deer there are per acre. There are lots of wide open spaces around so I'm sure you can find some areas that don't have a lot of people on them. As far as bag limits I don't know what you define as restrictive or what they are here, this site would be a good source Wyoming Game & Fish Department
7) Oh and, being from Texas, I am most likely throroughly unprepared for the winter. Are any vehicle modifications needed for the snow? Or will my standard Toyota Corolla handle it? The temperatures (according to Wikipedia) look pretty nice, but there's a big difference between looking at numbers and actually being there. Is there a high turnover rate in new move-ins from harsh winters? As far as vehicle modifications, if you are planning on hunting you may consider a truck (or find a friend with one), but as far as everyday driving in town don't spend a lot of money on modifications. I have 4WD but that is more for my own peace of mind since I do drive long distances around Christmas and Thanksgiving. There are chain laws at times but I have been driving one time when that was in effect. As far as turnover from new areas I'm not sure if it is high after a person's first winter. I actually have met lots of people from Texas that like it just fine here.
Thanks for your time. Hopefully I didn't scare you off with the book I just wrote. Too much info is better than too little, right? Please feel free to add anything outside what I asked in the questions. Thanks again.
Firstly, @Happy in Wyoming, it sounds like I rubbed you the wrong way. I sincerely apologize if that is the case. It was not my intention to be so grumpy when writing my first post. I worked with some great guys from Illinois last summer for a company; I suppose I was a little too aggressive in my generalizations above. I'm just irritated that my hometown was chosen to be the latest and greatest 'hub'. The parochial redneck town isn't what I'm shooting for so much as a place off the beaten path that isn't *the* place to move to. Stability is what I'm after, I think. Again, sorry if I came across as a jerk.
@KillerK
Thanks for your thoughts on Casper, Sheridan and Buffalo. I will need to take a closer look at Buffalo when I drive through. I will also look into using Sheridan as 'Home Base'. The base salary does sound promising. I feel confident I can snag a job at 30k a year. Not looking to be a millionaire If you've heard more than one negative thing about Casper, there's probably a good reason for that. I'll definitely take that into consideration. Thanks. Sheridan seems to be a pretty neat town, though, on all accounts.
Thanks for your info on the winter driving and visibility. I've got pretty much zero experience in snow, so wherever I end up, I'll make sure to drive more slowly. 40 below without wind chill is unreal! I had no idea the temp could drop that much in the continental US. The coldest I've seen was about 5 degrees with a nasty wind blowing. Will have to think about that...haha. That's good to hear about the availability of wildlife, too.
@ElkHunter
You make the people sound pretty nice. I do agree with you about the knot-heads, they are a spread-out group. The fact that people don't talk much politics sounds very refreshing. Around here it seems like everybody's an activist for something or another. Wow, 5th generation ranches, that's quite impressive! Ours is a 4th generation ranch, but my family has been around in this area since the 1830s, I believe. That's one of the reasons I'm so irked about the people moving in and buying out the farmers. Our neighbor just sold his land, so we can expect a new tourist winery across the road any day now.
I will certainly take your advice and visit wyomingatwork.com. Just a quick skim over it reveals (what I think) is a solid lineup of jobs. This is an excellent site. Thanks! I'm not looking for a big corporate, fast-track-to-success job. I had one of those for a year, and the stress simply wasn't worth what they were paying me. What's the point of having a heap of cash if you die from a heart attack at age 30?
The property tax does sound reasonable in Sheridan. Rapid City, though...oh my gosh. Thanks for the info about that. I will certainly take that into consideration, since I was also looking around that area. That's extortionate!
I haven't heard about the 3 part tag before, I find that kind of interesting. It's good to hear that private landowners are willing to allow hunters too. I'm glad to hear about the unlimited tags for some game. I probably wouldn't have the freezer capacity to make use of it, but that's good to know it's an option. In Central Texas here, all you need is a hunting license (~$20) and you can shoot as many Axis as you want year-round, since they are an invasive species. You still need tags for white-tail, though. I may need to work on my long-range marksmanship, since it sounds like plains-hunting will be different!
Sounds like I won't have to have a complete overhaul for the car, then. A block heater and some snow tires sound affordable. Nice tip about the school bus route and keeping the roads cleared. I would have never thought about that! That's pretty clever. Hopefully I won't have to be one of those turnovers from a cold winter.
@WyoEagle
That's sage advise about not bringing up politics. It's good to hear that others avoid it. I can most certainly dig a 'live and let live' attitude. The tourist situation sounds pretty good. I expected most of the crowd would be around Yellowstone and Jackson. Your advise about a pickup and hunting is good. It's certainly hard to imagine stuffing a deer into a Corolla's trunk in the middle of the prairie. Sounds like I should be able to tough it out, then, with a little preparation and going in with the expectation that it'll be colder than what I'm used to.
Thank you everybody for your information. It has been very valuable for me. I'll adjust my road trip plans to spend more time in Casper, Buffalo, and Sheridan, more of Montana, and might just nix Rapid City after learning about the property taxes. Thanks again!
It would be even harder to stuff an elk into the back of a Corolla. You mentioned axis deer, are those the ones that look like fallow deer? We don't have those around here but plenty of other big game.
Feel free to ask any other questions you have about Wyoming. This is a pretty helpful forum.
Haha yeah, it'd be crowded. Elk are huge, definitely want to hunt one sometime. Fallow Deer are a bit different. Here's a good link to Axis Deer: Chital - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
The Axis we have are overpopulating the place. We have a herd numbering about 50 on our 130 acres. It's unbelievable. Our sheep have a hard time finding anything to eat. They breed year-round, usually only have one fawn, and almost always have 6 points. Believe it or not, a few years ago I nabbed one that had 10 points. Seems 11 is the world record, according to my google searching. They're fairly hefty (nothing like your elk though). The last one I shot was the biggest one anybody in my family had ever seen. Our mechanical scale only goes up to 225 lbs, and he tipped that. We got about 70 lbs of good meat off of him (we're very generous to the dogs when processing; lots of puppy chow).
And thanks for the invite to ask more questions. I might take you up on that.
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Please feel free to add anything outside what I asked in the questions. Thanks again.
Although Wyoming is pretty Conservative/Libertarian, you'll seldom know it from talking to a neighbor. I mean you'll understand his background and his desires, but seldom will they bring up politics. Other than one very outspoken neighbor who has no clue what's going on in the world, I couldn't tell you how anybody around here votes or what party they follow. Maybe it's just that the entire populace where I live is like minded and I don't notice it. 
