Fella's;
Hah! The traffic comments amuse me. This is coming from rural, indeed, "Outer" Montana, although I've gotten around a bit in my youth. Got to drive in Paris France for almost a year, & have also driven the N.J. Freeway, Denver, and a few other congested areas. In Montana we have, at the most, a rush 15 minutes. I'll also say that the consistently worst drivers I've ever encountered are in Great Falls Montana. But, enough of that subject.
The sad fact is, Montana is well on the way to "Gimmie a K" alifornia subversion. For instance, Missoula recently passed a city ordinance requiring background checks for all firearms transactions, even private sales. It was passed with the Missoula city council knowing full well that it was against Montana state law. But, the citizens voted the drooling idjits in, so whattaya gonna do?
OTOH, the hunting is very good, provided you do your research. For instance, last weekend the nearest unincorporated collection of souls informed me they were being bothered by black bears in town. Saturday evening I dispatched an approximate 300 lb. boar in the graveyard. They also informed me that I got one of maybe four. Too bad, I used up my tag. Not to worry though, I've told other people who want to bag a bear where to find 'em.
There's a decent antelope population in the state, though it's not like Wyoming. If you can't fill your deer tag, you need help - badly. Elk are another story. Don't get me wrong, they are not impossible to get, merely difficult. Part of that being that they like to inhabit areas where you can hunt both sides of the same acre of ground.
Wyoming is where I grew up & it's cheaper to live there even though they have a sales tax. Montana doesn't (yet), but has a state income tax (Wyoming does not) with some of the highest rates found in the U.S.A. Property taxes are higher in Montana also. Though to be fair, they're minuscule compared to this country's urban coastal areas. I've never lived in Idaho, but I've traveled in that state & it's a very scenic place. As a side note, since Wyoming doesn't want to go the way Montana seems to be, you may not get a warm welcome until they get to know you. And if you move there from Colorado, lie about where you came from.
900F