What part of Colorado

[isonychia]

What area of Colorado is best for public land access bird hunting? I'm looking at moving to the NW are further in the rockies.

I'm also considering Boise, ID based on the job outlook for my degree.

[ultracarry]

If you are an all around outdoors man and wants to hunt deer, elk, bear, birds I would go to ID. Also some great fishing.

Colorado has more draws and restrictions on hunting units and zones. I hunt Colorado every year for elk (deer if drawn) and see a lot of grouse at 10-11000 feet. Probably 10-30 a day. With some groups being over 10.

[Johnk]

Colorado is all about accessibility. Big game opportunites on public land along with upland birds such as grouse in the hills. Eastern plains has seen an elevated population of pheasant and spotty quail populations. Living on the front range for the past 30 years has allowed me the big game and upland game opportunites. Key for upland game is the fact that within 4 hours you can be in Kansas and Nebrasks with exceptional upland bird populations. It has also been said that these numbers have not been seen since the 60's. I have had GSP's for 20 years and will always travel for a good quail hunt.
Have a friend in Boise Idaho who is an avid big game hunter, mostly archery. It is also a great area.

[isonychia]

Sounds like either place would be an upgrade from here in NC. I enjoy all aspects of the outdoors, from backpacking to flyfishing and big game hunting. What areas of Colorado should I steer clear from?

[Deets]

Stay away from Boulder, it is filled with granola crunching hippies that will probably try to arrest you for using an E collar. The denver area is probably best because you are only few hours away from good phesant hunting out east, and a few hours from good fly fishing and big game hunting in the mountains. I live in Colorado Springs and I can drive 2 hours east to Burlington and be in some really good pheasant country. There is quite a bit of public walk in access out there if you know what to look for. The good thing is everyone wants to big game hunt in Colorado, which leaves the eastern plains pretty much empty after opening day. Alot of people shoot blue grouse in the mountains while big game hunting, but I don't know anyone who actually takes their dogs up there to hunt. The real upland hunting is on the eastern plains and it is pretty much all phesant. I have never seen a quail where I go. This year I am going to try the walk in access in Kansas, its only a few more miles and I have heard it is pretty good.

[ultracarry]

I was thinking about taking my dog up above cortez where I go archery elk hunting. Shoot what ever walks in front of me that's legal then grouse hunt. I have mostly found them in the edges around large meadows. A lot of grouse up there around 10000 feet.

[nitrex]

Boise, Idaho is my dream! You can hunt everything in that area. I lived in SW Colorado for 10 years and loved it! Not too many birds in that area, but the big game hunting was awesome!!!

Nitrex

[huntcrazed]

I have lived in Boise for the last twenty five years and came here after living all over the US because of the hunting.

There is no place that has the game of all types as this area does, plus Boise is probably one of the nicest places in the country in the future for growth.

There is more Pheasant ,quail, partridge ,waterfowl ,grouse of all types and big game in Boise than any other place in the nation and the weather in Boise is in a banana belt and a lot milder than eastern or northern Idaho.

When one lives here eastern Oregon is also part of the great hunting right next to Boise .

Mario