Big City Wilds
So you love to hunt and fish, but you also appreciate the creature comforts, dining options, and cultural events that come with living in a big city. Well, there’s no need to compromise. If you’re just as comfortable throwing flies as you are in a suit and tie, one of these big cities might offer you the perfect fit.
Bend, OR
With its population estimated at over 165K, Bend is Central Oregon’s largest city and home to over a dozen craft microbreweries, including the famous Deschutes Brewery. Events like The Bend Film Festival have attracted a number of creative professionals to the area.
Nestled in the middle of Oregon and surrounded by national forests, Bend and its surrounding areas provide ample hunting opportunities for big game such as elk, mule deer, antelope, and black bear. Wingshooters can chase quail, pheasant, and chukar across a beautiful backdrop while waterfowlers can target a variety of species that fly through the Pacific Flyway in the fall.
The area is an angler’s dream as well, with renowned waterways such as the Deschutes, holding plentiful populations of rainbow and bull trout, salmon, and steelheads. There are also opportunities to catch big, buttery brown trout and even the unique opportunity to land kokanee salmon in area lakes.
Austin, TX
Home to some of the world’s hottest tech companies, a vibrant art scene, outstanding nightlife, and inspiring cuisine, it’s rarely surprising to find Austin on a “top cities” list. However, it’s a bit more rare to see this Hipster Haven recognized for its wonderful hunting and fishing opportunities.
Centrally located in the Texas Hill Country, adventure can be found in every direction. Head north for excellent dove and feral hog hunting in Granger, just outside of Austin city limits. Head west and you’ll find yourself in some of the most fertile whitetail-deer territories in the state. Llano, widely recognized as the Deer Capital of Texas, possesses the highest density of deer in the nation and the areas surrounding Kerrville and Fredericksburg hold the only free-ranging herds of axis deer in America. Many, including me, believe Axis meat is the finest and best-tasting venison there is.
Katy, located east of the city, offers duck and geese hunting and to the south, anglers can enjoy fishing for trout on the spring-fed Guadalupe River. This is the only stream in the state with water conditions that can support trout year-round. Every winter, thousands of rainbow trout are stocked into what I believe is the most scenic river in Texas. However, if largemouth bass is what you’re after, then look no further than Lake Austin right in the middle of the city.
Washington, DC
Legend has it that George Washington once threw a silver dollar across the Potomac River. While that may not be true, it is a fact that there are excellent public waterfowl hunting areas within a stone’s throw to Capitol Hill. Duck hunters can chase dabbling ducks and divers, such as the prized canvasback, along the same hallowed grounds that have been hunted on by former presidents. Waterfowl purists and history buffs will also be thrilled to know that they are within a short drive of Havre De Grace, home to a community of the world’s finest wood duck decoy carvers. Nearby Maryland offers a chance to harvest the unique Sika deer, sometimes referred to as “swamp ghosts” because of their affection for marshlands.
For anglers, Rose River Farm offers exclusive fly fishing access for trophy trout along cold, pristine, gin-clear waters, within a two-hour drive of Washington DC. Access is limited so be sure to make reservations online well in advance. Nearby Shenandoah National Park also provides opportunities for anglers to catch native brook trout in stunning scenery.
Salt Lake City, UT
Salt Lake City hosts the Sundance Film Festival every year, but that’s not the only featured attraction. If you are lucky enough to draw a tag, Utah is home to some of the biggest early-season mule deer bucks and is recognized as the premier state for harvesting a monster deer in velvet. Nestled in the Pacific Flyway, duck hunters can harvest a variety of waterfowl from tundra swans to teal that make their way through this aerial superhighway. There are roughly 30 duck clubs on Great Salt Lake alone and over 100,000 acres of public land in the vicinity. The world-famous Green River offers amazing fly fishing for a variety of trout species and kokanee salmon. It’s where I’ve caught my biggest rainbow trout and my first red dragon while staying at the Flaming Gorge Resort. Great fishing can also be found nearby on the Provo River and Strawberry Reservoir, which holds kokanee salmon as well.
Kansas City, MO
With excellent nightlife, dozens of major corporate employers, and pro franchises like the Chiefs and the Royals, you can live like a king in KC. The region produces monster whitetail bucks year after year and because of its location near the four corners of Kansas, Missouri, Iowa, and Nebraska, you can actually hunt four of the best midwestern deer states in a single season! Kansas is universally known as a big buck state that has produced over 120 Boone & Crockett deer and 508 Pope and Young bucks in the past five years. World-class waterfowling can also be had in the area thanks to the abundance of croplands that draw huge numbers of ducks and geese. One of North America’s premier waterfowl lodge, Habitat Flats, calls the region home.
Pittsburgh, PA
With over 1600 technology firms such as Google, Apple, and IBM along with nine Fortune 500 companies calling Pittsburgh home, it’s not hard to find a great job in the Steel City. Pennsylvania hunters also rack up some of the highest deer harvest numbers in the nation year after year with western Pennsylvania holding the better whitetail bucks in the state. Furthermore, Pittsburgh is within driving distance of Ohio, a perennial producer of the nation’s largest Pope and Young and Boone & Crockett bucks. The region’s creeks and streams are also well-stocked with rainbow trout, brown trout, and Pennsylvania’s state fish, the beautiful brook trout.
New York, NY
Don’t laugh, youse guys. Believe it or not, the New York metro area is home to some excellent waterfowling, especially if you travel to Atlantic City, which attracts pintails, brant, and black ducks. Good duck-hunting can also be found in the New Jersey Meadowlands and the marshes near Giants Stadium.
For those interested in hunting whitetail just outside of the city, New Jersey offers more than 750,000 acres of public land to deer hunters and a thriving herd through stringent population management. The black bear population has also soared in New Jersey. Hunters can now enjoy an expanded season designed to control the population and reduce the number of dangerous interactions.
A short train ride to neighboring Connecticut provides ample opportunities for rainbow, brook, and brown trout in some of the most scenic streams and waterways in the country, especially during the fall. For those who can’t get away, Central Park allows fishing in three of its ponds, where conventional poles and bait are even provided. Fly fishing is permitted and there is opportunity to catch largemouth bass, bluegill, sunfish, and hard-fighting carp.
Denver, CO
Our Queen City of the Desert is home to amazing restaurants, bustling neighborhoods, a hot job market, and cold microbrews. It’s also the place for weekend warriors who want to head to the mountains to ski, hike, kayak, hunt, and fish. Some of the best fly fishing is just a short drive from downtown on the South Platte River and Clear Creek. Both provide excellent opportunities for trout, though avid anglers have enjoyed success catching carp, bass, and even catfish in the urban portions of the South Platte River as it runs through the city. Colorado is probably most famous for its elk and mule deer hunting, but many will be surprised to learn that there is good whitetail hunting opportunities in the eastern half of our state. A lot of the land is private, but with permission, you can spot and stalk some very big bucks due to lack of hunting pressure. The ratio of Pope and Young in Colorado is among the highest in the nation.
