When I first started looking at the idea Colorado was high on the list, climate being more conducive to longer seasons and ability to hunt. Rancher/land owning outfitter permits were more accommodating back then too. Colorado is probably completely off the list these days; the great Cali/NY/Chi-town migration has changed the social climate there considerably...
These days ID, WY and UT are probably the top of the list. Idaho's weather doesn't permit a long hunting season, but they are very outfitter friendly.
To understand my idea a little more: I don't need to own really all that much land, although that would help, but its orientation to national forest is the premium. Celebrities keep changing this arena; the latest trendy area to own their vacation props only seems to last for a decade. By the time I'm ready to do this things will again have changed, possibly considerably. Celebs screwed up Montana with that in late '90's early 2000's, idk where MT is regarding this anymore. Everybody back then wanted "a river runs through it".
Leases on other land, to include BLM is also a big part of the equation. The situation really can't be evaluated at great length until the actual time comes. In the meantime I just keep my eye out every now and then; Google Earth changed my ability to watch, big time.
Atm I'd say any Rcky Mtn state is a potential candidate, as elk are my focus.
