Spokane or Post Falls

[DArcher]

I am a 76 year-old duck hunter and angler.  My wife and I are moving to either Spokane or Post Falls to be closer to our sons.  Which state offers advantage for an old hunter who hunts out of a boat.  In Idaho I can hunt some rivers and small lakes as well as the Sandpoint area, although as yet I have not explored either.  I know about the Pot Holes, but I would prefer to drive no more than an hour.  I am only asking about public lands so please understand that I have only a few more years to hunt and I am sincere in just looking for a place to keep involved in a passion that I have followed for fifty or more years.  I searched a Gazetter and found very little open to public  hunting, which leads me to lean towards Idaho.  Any input will be appreciated.  I found pothole lakes around Ritsville but I suspect they are private.  Thanks.

[KFhunter]

If you strictly want to waterfowl, it might be hard to beat Spokane and the Columbia basin on down to tri-cities although a bit further than your 1hr drive limit. 


But check out Rose lake, Kilarny? lakes area, looked like good water fowling there within about an hour of post falls.  It's several lakes fed by the Spokane river with good wetlands. 

I've never waterfowl hunted it, but I have fished it a good bit,  and I used to duck hunt a lot more and wanted to hunt it someday. 


 

[callturner]

Some smaller lakes around too. Horse shoe , Fan, Eloika, Lake Spokane.

[Ridgeratt]

The Pend orielle river used to have some great waterfowl hunting.  But a lot of the back water sloughs are now developed little communities.  I believe that Cynthia is walking the beach.
But you can still find good shooting. 

[DArcher]

Thank you for the posts.  Post Falls is more expensive than Spokane Valley, but it looks to have a few more places to hunt.  My wife flipped when I told her what she suspected.  I'm not out to locate senior centers.  I just lost the best lab I have ever owned.  I've ordered a Cheesy who will be too young for this season.  I have three different style duck boats.  I also have a small camper and it would seem that I could make the Potholes in about two hours.  I am torn.  My house doesn't close until September 25 here in Oregon.  I'll buy a non-resident license and explore the area before I cast my vote.  Thankfully the wife likes Opportunity and Post Falls.  It would appear that fishing prospects are both impressive.  Seems crazy to make a decision on a three month season, but I bet a few of you out there understand.

[bornhunter]

Thank you for the posts.  Post Falls is more expensive than Spokane Valley, but it looks to have a few more places to hunt.  My wife flipped when I told her what she suspected.  I'm not out to locate senior centers.  I just lost the best lab I have ever owned.  I've ordered a Cheesy who will be too young for this season.  I have three different style duck boats.  I also have a small camper and it would seem that I could make the Potholes in about two hours.  I am torn.  My house doesn't close until September 25 here in Oregon.  I'll buy a non-resident license and explore the area before I cast my vote.  Thankfully the wife likes Opportunity and Post Falls.  It would appear that fishing prospects are both impressive.  Seems crazy to make a decision on a three month season, but I bet a few of you out there understand.

Completely understand. Have been trying to decide the same thing for 2 years!

[KopperBuck]

I lived on the line for a while. Regardless of what side I lived on, I just figured I was in for an out of state hunting/fishing license. There's too much stuff to jump back and forth on.

[Slenk]

We live in south Spokane Valley  2 blocks west of highway 27 and I hunt Idaho.

[KFhunter]

We live in south Spokane Valley  2 blocks west of highway 27 and I hunt Idaho.

If the OP cared about ANY hunting other than waterfowl, it would be a no brainer for sure. 


but waterfowl ONLY? and a 1hr drive time?

that's a tougher call!

[Stein]

If you are hunting ducks and fishing, I would seriously think about living close to the Columbia.

[kselkhunter]

The two towns are close enough to each other, it seems like you could live in either state and just count on buying a non-resident license every year for either state and hunting/fishing both states.  If it were me and housing/living costs were equal, I'd live on the WA side.  No state income tax vs. 6.925% on the ID side, and the $240 non-resident hunting/combo for ID is less than I'd pay in income taxes.  But, I buy hunting and fishing licenses for multiple states today already, so it's just normal to me to do. 

[Slenk]

There are a lot of things to consider,  Washington vs. Idaho. Overall it is cheaper to live in Idaho than Washington . Yes they have grocery tax but there gas tax is a lot less . Also Washington has dicount for seniors on property  tax if you meet their criteria , Idaho does  also. Senior resident hunting is a whole lot cheaper  in Idaho . We live in washington but do a lot of our shopping  in Idaho , prices seem  to be less even though we pay their  sales tax. Car tabs are a lot cheaper in Idaho. Income tax is not as bad as people make it out to be . We would sell out and move in a heart beat , finding affordable homes on retirement 
Is what is stopping  us.

[KFhunter]

 

property being equal, with equally nice homes, you're going to pay a bunch more in Idaho.

[HaydenHunter]

There are a lot of things to consider,  Washington vs. Idaho. Overall it is cheaper to live in Idaho than Washington . Yes they have grocery tax but there gas tax is a lot less . Also Washington has dicount for seniors on property  tax if you meet their criteria , Idaho does  also. Senior resident hunting is a whole lot cheaper  in Idaho . We live in washington but do a lot of our shopping  in Idaho , prices seem  to be less even though we pay their  sales tax. Car tabs are a lot cheaper in Idaho. Income tax is not as bad as people make it out to be . We would sell out and move in a heart beat , finding affordable homes on retirement 
Is what is stopping  us.

Nailed it.  I will only add that I have owned or do currently own properties in Post Falls, Coeur d'Alene and Kootenai County unincorporated area and I believe the highest property tax levy rate remains in Post Falls.  There seems to also be a premium price to PF housing...maybe the effect of people wanting a shorter commute to jobs in Spokane while living in Idaho?  You should consider Rathdrum, which will have lower housing prices, lower property taxes and which puts you a little closer to the hunting up north.

As for your desire to be within 1 hour of hunting you are going to do better in Idaho than Spokane.  If you are willing to stretch that to 1:15 or even 1:30 you can greatly expand your hunting options.  If you do end up making the move and decide to hunt and / or settle in Idaho, shoot me a PM.  We can sit down with a cup of coffee and an Idaho Gazetteer and I can lay you out on the general areas we hunt.  No honey-hole specific info, but it's a good start.  I can tell you what gear you will most need to hunt this area and yes - a boat is critical, as walk-in areas are limited.  I am a mid-60s retired guy, so my cronies (some retired) and I do quite a bit of scouting and hunting.

Good luck with your decision.

[HaydenHunter]

DArcher, where are you moving here from, if I may ask?

[KFhunter]

DArcher, where are you moving here from, if I may ask?

He said Oregon

[Slenk]

One other thing I might add is Washington states anti second amendment gun laws .

[DArcher]

All of you have been so kind and helpful.  I am leaning towards the Spokane side, and yes I will need to buy an Idaho license or it will drive me crazy being so close to beautiful lakes and rivers.  Yeah, small cost.  I live across the street from Klamath Lake, Oregon.  My success has dropped considerably both to continuous draught years and slow reaction, and of late the propensity to nod off.  My canine buddy would whine and stir me to pay attention.  I sure miss him badly, but I know I will bond to a new pup.  Thank you to the person who referenced the Othello potholes.  Wow!  That got me fired up today.  I see I will just need to drive further and hunt for a couple of days.  I went to UTube and found a few hunts on the Columbia River around the Tri-cities area.  That river seems scary to me but these young guys found a spot that had a shallow shoreline.  It seemed isolated.  I could see a factory on the other side sending up steam and many lights.  I have a fifteen foot, safe duck boat that I built, but it only has a 15 Honda.  OK, I admit that the river is intimidating to me, but I know I will be exploring it when my wife visits her son in Sri-Cities.  Again, thank you for your kindness.

[HaydenHunter]

The Columbia can whip up scary time and you should be real careful wanting to run a 15 footer with 15 HP motor.  Others will agree I am sure.  I've even had some pucker times on Potholes in my big 18' boat.  Neither of those waterways are anything to trifle with.

[Stein]

Yeah, duck season isn't known for the best weather.  15 hp would be a chore to get anywhere when you are heading upstream in the wind for sure.

[DArcher]

I will take that advice.  Too many other places to hunt safely.

[HaydenHunter]

I will take that advice.  Too many other places to hunt safely.

I can tell you which waterways and under what conditions it is safe in North Idaho in that boat.  When the time comes, let me know. 

[Guzman]

For one buy a license in both states. Even out of state licenses are a steal. You can get an out of state license in Washington and hunt the entire year for 1/4 the price of a 3 day vacation to NYC for example.

I would say unless you drop $20k on say a mud boat or air boat you are going to be driving. The pend orea... how ever you spell it is an hour by the time you drive up division. Pot holes tri cities.

I went to college in Cheney. Two of us that lived together were waterfowl guides. We didn’t shoot a lot of ducks in the area and drove if that says anything

[Slenk]

Lots of lakes within 1 hr. or less of Spokane for some good fishing.