Ol'Mike,
If you're gonna have plenty and I mean plenty of time on your hands when you go west pick a central location to settle. MT, ID, WY, CO and maybe parts of UT are the the best. Predators and varmints are not very regulated in MT, ID and WY so you can cross the state line easily without regard for licenses etc. Don't know about CO.
Wyoming is way to windy to be habitable, Idaho is the same in some areas, MT is a good state as long as you stay away from ted turner contry.
bbob,
Early season hunts, no snow, you'll see /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/grin.gif /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/grin.gif
Depends on where. Google earth to Loon Creek, north of Stanley. Snow @ times in late September and early October depending on how algore feels that year /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/grin.gif In Southeast ID the goal is to have the cattle out of the mountains by Thanksgiving or you're in trouble. Up towards Salmon its probably a earlier than that.