Jim,
The June / July 2009 issue of Outdoor Life magazine is out, and they again rate the top 200 towns to live in based on the following data:
1. Gun Laws
2. Huntable species
3. Fishable species
4. Public-Land access
5. Trophy potential
Their top Five? Lewiston Idaho, Marquette Michigan, Idaho Falls Idaho, Rawlins Wyoming, and Pocatello Idaho.
They also rate the 30 places to live for hunters and fisherman based upon the cost of living index. (Your dollar goes further there.)
This magazine is out now, and also has an excellent review on many current binoculars and spotting scopes.
Look for the big: “200 Best” on the cover.(BTW, I am not associated with this magazine.)
Regards, – FloridaGuy
JWR Replies: It is no surprise that Idaho, Wyoming and Montana have held prominent positions in the Outdoor Life rankings for two consecutive years. After all, some of their criteria is quite similar to what I used in my Recommended Retreat Areas state-level rankings.