We are at a crossroads in our lives, and about to retire from the military.

I found out that my anthropology and history degree is about as worthless as nipples on a knapsack.

The wife is a school teacher, and it would be wonderful if we both had the same time off each year.

I am seriously considering teaching either special education or elementary education.

So it's back to school for another bachelors and probably a masters if they will let me do both.

I'd do the masters for a teaching certificate to teach history, but i'd rather take a bullet to the head than teach junior high and high school kids.

Your thoughts of good Universities that offer good hunting near by would be wonderful.

Here's my list.

Post 9/11 GI bill will pay $18,500 a year for school. So it could be a private school if it was cheap enough or close to it.

Sul Ross State University, Alpine Texas
Schreiner University, Kerrville, Texas
Montana State Dillon, Montana
University of Wyoming, Laramie Wy
University of Alaska, Anchorage
University of Alaska, Fairbanks
Black Hills, University Spearfish SD

Just my opinion, but the two texas schools would be at the bottom of the list, too much private land here. The other five schools would possibly be a toss up with Wyoming as number 1, but there is plenty of Public Land available in those 4 states.

I had really hoped you would get that gunsmithing gig in Europe......

From your list, I would delete 3,4 and definitely 7. As well as an education, you have to consider your children's education and your wife's work prospects. MT, WY and SD should not be on your list. Stick to Alaska. Everyone concerned will be happier.

Sul Ross State University, Alpine Texas
Schreiner University, Kerrville, Texas
Montana State Dillon, Montana
University of Wyoming, Laramie Wy
University of Alaska, Anchorage
University of Alaska, Fairbanks
Black Hills, University Spearfish SD

I actually hate Laramie as a town. Just never liked it.

Spearfish would be wonderful if it was in Wyoming.

I have several thoughts for you.

A fellow church member is retired Coast Guard. He now teaches elementary school and absolutely loves it for several reasons.

There are some school districts in Texas that are so desperate for teachers that they can get waivers for certain requirements—at least temporarily. (On the flip side, some of the affluent area school districts get 20 applicants for every opening. So even 20 years military experience and a master's degree with a published thesis won't get you hired.) Have you looked at the requirements in different areas? You might not need as much education as your describing to get going.

Do you want to live in the immediate hunting area? Or would you drive a bit? I'm in a suburb between Dallas and Fort Worth. As long as I don't hit Dallas or Fort Worth at rush hour, driving 2 hours any direction puts me into good hunting country. If you were on east side of Dallas or the west side of Fort Worth, this time would be shorter and you wouldn't have any traffic issues to deal with at rush hour.

Texas does, however, have the problem of very little public land to hunt. Just about anywhere in Texas you'd be leasing trespass rights to hunt. For a decent place, you'd be talking a minimum $1000 cost and realistically more.

Good luck.

LWD

Consider New Mexico State in Las Cruces. Great weather, lots of public land- elk, deer turkey and dove hunting nearby.

If you like football though this is NOT the place to go.

U of O Baby!!!!
The hunting and fishing is fairly close by, the laws aren't stupid yet, and there's a decent variety of things to do. The hunting may not be easy, and the animals (elk) aren't as plentiful as some places but you have a chance for them all in a close area.

How about NDSU? I have a few friends that hunted their way through school there. Its hard to beat the "Dakotas" for hunting and fishing opportunities.

I've got one to add to your list, Utah State University. It is in the Cache Valley in the town of Logan, Utah. It's located on the bench at the base of the Wasatch Mountains at the mouth of Logan Canyon. In the mountains are deer, elk, moose, and grouse. Elsewhere in the state are sheep, goat, pronghorn, and bison.

In the valley below there is pheasant hunting and a large marsh for waterfowl hunting, including swan. There are also more waterfowl opportunities further west and south along the Great Salt Lake. It's in the Pacific Flyway, so long seasons and large bag limits are the norm.

There are several excellent trout streams in the area, one of which is considered world class. There is fishing in the marsh in the valley and there are 2 lakes south of town that are also fishable. Continue over the top of the mountains up Logan Canyon and you drop down to Bear Lake where there is fishing, skiing, swimming, camping, and other activities.

There is a large shooting complex in the valley west of town that offers a variety of shooting opportunities, including rifle, shotgun and bow.

If you ski, there is the Beaver Mountain ski resort about 20 minutes up Logan Canyon. Further south in the state are some of the best skiing and ski resorts in the world.

In addition, Utah is a very family friendly state with many outdoor recreational opportunities. In the fall along the tops of the Wellsville Mountains on the west side of the Cache Valley is a major hawk migration that is a real sight to see. It's a beautiful campus in a great town in a very beautiful state. Check it out, I think you'll like it, I did. I got my BS in Wildlife Biology there and loved it.

Humboldt State University, you'll have more public hunting and fishing opportunities year round than pretty much any other.

I live in Spearfish, and they have a good education program, but I agree that it would better if it was in Wyoming. Still, SD has plenty of hunting opportunities.

Cannot go wrong with WY or MT IMO, I just could not get my wife to move farther west.

There is plenty of firearms related industry in the Sturgis/Rapid City area which is a plus IMO.
Spearfish also has a fairl;y nice shooting range, just not long range.

I would pick the school first, then the area. Black HIlls State has transitioned from NAIA to Division II which is a plus.

quote:

Originally posted by MOA TACTICAL:
I am seriously considering teaching either special education or elementary education.
.......
I'd do the masters for a teaching certificate to teach history, but i'd rather take a bullet to the head than teach junior high and high school kids.

I just want to give you a heads-up on the differences between teaching elementary, junior high and high school. I am teaching Kindergarten this year, but over the past few years I have had the opportunity to teach at all grade levels from Kindergarten to 12th grade. My teaching credential is for the elementary level so most of my time has been spent there, but I time that I spent teaching junior high and high school has been enlightening. I'll give you a thumbnail sketch of each level(based on my observations:

Special education at the elementary level : Half the students have learning disabilities and the other half are there due to major behavioral problems. It is very hard to get anything done in these classes and often times the class culture is completely "un-scholarly". These jobs are easy to get with a credential(not many people want to do this on a daily basis).

Elementary school(regular classes) :Wonderful kids. About 10% have major behavioral problems(these kids usually spend part of the day in special ed classes). Another 10% have language or learning problems(these kids spend part of the day in special ed). Classes are fairly small. Overall I really love teaching at the elementary level. The two major drawbacks are lack of breaks during the day(no big deal right? Well it seems like a big deal when you are trying to teach and you REALLY need to use the bathroom) and little or no prep time. There is a lot that needs to be done each day and usually you are stuck doing it after school and on the weekends.

Junior high(regular classes) : The kids are a bit more difficult overall and you still have about 10% with either learning disabilities or major behavioral problems. Classes can be large. Teaching junior high is not easy. The good news is that you do get prep time each day, and there is less prep overall.

Junior high special ed: I never went near there.

Here is the real surprise:

High school(regular classes) : These young people are VERY sweet and respectful overall. I know that it is hard to believe, but today's high school students are really great people. Set a good example with respect and high standards and they will follow suit. The biggest shocker for me was the fact that high school classes seem to lack the 10% of students with major behavioral problems that are present at the elementary and junior high level. When I first taught at high school I wondered what had happened to these kids(I was silly enough to think that they might have outgrown their behavioral problems). Prep time is set aside each day. IME, teaching high school is a great career.

I continued to wonder where all the "problem children" went at the high school level, then one day I filled in at a local "continuation" school. Basically a continuation school is a school for students that can't keep it together in the regular high school. These kids are good kids(remember, they are not drop-outs and they are not in jail). But as "good" as they are, their behavior is horrible. This is not a place I would want to teach.

Bottom line. Elementary is great, junior high is a challenge and high school is great. What makes high school so much better than one would expect is the fact that the kids who are there are the ones who want to be there.

Before you tie yourself into one path I would find out what you would have to do to start working as a substitute teacher in your state(usually all that is required is a bachelors degree and a general proficiency test from the state). Teaching a few days at each level will give you a much better idea of what you would enjoy teaching.

quote:

Originally posted by scojac:
I've got one to add to your list, Utah State University. It is in the Cache Valley in the town of Logan, Utah. It's located on the bench at the base of the Wasatch Mountains at the mouth of Logan Canyon. In the mountains are deer, elk, moose, and grouse. Elsewhere in the state are sheep, goat, pronghorn, and bison.

In the valley below there is pheasant hunting and a large marsh for waterfowl hunting, including swan. There are also more waterfowl opportunities further west and south along the Great Salt Lake. It's in the Pacific Flyway, so long seasons and large bag limits are the norm.

There are several excellent trout streams in the area, one of which is considered world class. There is fishing in the marsh in the valley and there are 2 lakes south of town that are also fishable. Continue over the top of the mountains up Logan Canyon and you drop down to Bear Lake where there is fishing, skiing, swimming, camping, and other activities.

There is a large shooting complex in the valley west of town that offers a variety of shooting opportunities, including rifle, shotgun and bow.

If you ski, there is the Beaver Mountain ski resort about 20 minutes up Logan Canyon. Further south in the state are some of the best skiing and ski resorts in the world.

In addition, Utah is a very family friendly state with many outdoor recreational opportunities. In the fall along the tops of the Wellsville Mountains on the west side of the Cache Valley is a major hawk migration that is a real sight to see. It's a beautiful campus in a great town in a very beautiful state. Check it out, I think you'll like it, I did. I got my BS in Wildlife Biology there and loved it.

+1. Utah is also a VERY gun friendly state. One can open carry through out the state and CC on campus.

Alan

Really good eye opening post Jason, Thank You for passing along that info.

Jason,

Thanks for your thoughts.

My wife thinks that the worst thing about teaching a subject like Ag-Ed or being a sports coach is that you don't have a minute to yourself.

Find yourself a teaching position in a private school of your choice in any state you choose and you can have great success if you are a good teacher and the faculty and staff admire your ability. And then you will make alot of money without having to go back to graduate school, still draw your retirement, and you will love where you live.

If you have strong religious values of one persuasion or another, you can also be surrounded by like-minded people, which is always a plus------------just thinking.

I am Eastern Orthodox Catholic, they would probably let me teach at a Roman Catholic school.

If you aren't dead set on the western states, look at the Gergia and Alabama. GA and AL are both great states for hunting. Long seasons, generous bag limits, good public land and mild winters. There are a lot of good clubs as well, lease prices are reasonable and someone can generally find one with a little work.
As for schools, both states have great schools with good hunting within an hours drive.

Do your certification in the state you want to live and teach in (or at least a state with reciprocal certification agreements) as teacher certifications are state specific. Or as someone suggested, you can sub pretty much full time in most states without doing the certification. Check the specific regulations for the states you are considering.

I would add Texas A&M to that list. Several school systems nearby to work in/for, the university itself and a community college nearby.

Although, as stated above, all land around here is private.

Good luck, God Bless and Gig'em Aggies.

Back in 1959 I was trying to make the same decision for the same reasons. I finally settled on U of Montana at Missoula. I never had one regret. MSU at Bozeman would be my second choice.

465H&H

quote:

Originally posted by Crazyhorseconsulting:
Just my opinion, but the two texas schools would be at the bottom of the list, too much private land here. The other five schools would possibly be a toss up with Wyoming as number 1, but there is plenty of Public Land available in those 4 states.

I was PD hunting yoming last year with a local who said the trouble with Wyoming is the legislature recently passed a bill forbidding corner-hopping on private land to access a public section. In short, if you don't own a piece adjoining public land and there is no access from a public road, no one has to grant you access. This lets the landowners control the outfitting for hunts on public land and blocks everyone else. Even locals.

If you look at the distribution, a lot of the public land is in a checkerboard pattern surrounded by private property.

Maybe this was mistated to me, but that is certainly the way this old trapper and his son saw it. Much of his trapping grounds were closed to him as a result.

Checkerboard land through out the west has always been this way.

I am not a Yankee or a Reb, I wouldn't be caught dead living or going to school in any place east of big river, at least now that I will be out of the military and have a choice.

You have no mountains, people talk funny, and the food will give you a heart attack by looking at it.

OK now only asking the obvious that everyone
else is screaming at the screen.How are you going to do that expensive ibex hunt in 2015 on
the GI bill???Bob who you met 12 long years ago,
needs that deposit soon.Ken Wilson is still waiting to hear from you about the iran prospect
.If Someone needed to know about hunting Red Stags could they get in touch?

asscats,

The post 9/11 GI bill is 100% tuition and fees, plus a 1000-2000 per month housing stipend depending on location of school.

Private schools up to $20,000 per year, no top on public schools.

Plus my retirement.

I'll manage.

Being from MT I am partial to Big Sky Country. MT has schools in Billings, Bozeman and Missoula. All areas offer excellent hunting and no sales tax! If you need any help let me know and I can point you in the right direction.

TW

quote:

And then you will make alot of money without having to go back to graduate school, still draw your retirement, and you will love where you live.

Most private schools in Texas pay at or less than the better public school districts. Some have facilities on par with small colleges, but they aren't paying the teachers extraordinarily.

LWD

UU(university of Ulaanbaatar)
With all that internet "experience"I think
you could get an honorary PhD in Ibex with a minor in Argali.Then the skys the limit on the income.

Ladies and Gentlemen... give him a a hand. Huntingcats!

MOA TACTICAL
I thought you were retireing and moving to AK

Posted 15 September 2012 16:12
I guess by the definition of the word, I am not a Cheechako as I have a couple Barrow winters in me, but an absence of residency since 2000 probably qualifies.

1. As we are arriving in November is there any reason I shouldn't buy a house then? ... Versus waiting till Spring. Will be our first home, never been anyplace long enough to warrant owning one. We don't have a 100% lock in on where we will be living. Probably won't be South East, Kodiak, or the North Slope, won't be Anchorage or the Mat-Su. Probably Fairbanks, Parks Highway, Tok, Valdez, Glennallen, Copper Center or Delta.

2. Looking to be active with VFW, anyone have any advice negative or positive about VFW's to avoid or flock to?

3. Wife likes Eastern medicine, got any back breakers or pin stickers that you like or hate?

4. Know any honest Real Estate agents?

5. I will be buying side by side quad, snowmachine, and either a jet boat, hovercraft or airboat after we get a house bought. If you have any brand/model suggestions of any of these I'd be happy to hear them. Hunting, some fishing and winter trapline will be what I use this equipment for.

I greatly appreciate all the help, feel free to PM.

thanks agai

And then alpine ibex with Bob in 2015, then gunsmith school in Germany then both ibexes in Mongolia then Iran with Ken Wilson then sheep are too expensive then developers suck then we are looking for a place in Texas and so on and so on and so on.Changes every post.

Adams State in Alamosa Co.
Western State in Gunnison Co.
Ft. Lewis in Durango Co.
I think you might find some deer or elk in that area. Adams State is a teachers college. Not sure about the other 2
Just don't go to Boulder!

You will love Sul Ross! you can look out the window in class and see 170"+ desert muleys eating in the yard! Plenty of stuff to hunt here just not much public land but one of the best places to live in the state of Texas. Always lots to keep you busy not to mention awesome climate, beautiful scenery, friendly people and the university is GREAT!!!!

Northern Arizona State in Flagstaff might be worth a look, Utah State University in Logan is very nice, but Cache Valley is a victim of its own sucesses, and there are subdivisions built on winter range. Not so good. A friend of mine lives there but hunts in Idaho (you might look into the University of Idaho in Moscow).

Western Montana college (Dillon,MT) has a pretty good education program and outdoor activities are top notch.