Idaho Falls #3/Top 200 Towns for Sportsmen

Outdoor Life - May 2009: Idaho Falls straddles the Upper Snake River and is located in one of the most game-rich areas of the country. Species that call the Greater Yellowstone Region home include elk, mule deer, moose, bighorn sheep, mountain goats, antelope, mountain lions, black bears and bison. As if that wasn’t enough, upland and waterfowl opportunities are not to be overlooked, either. 
 
Legendary blue ribbon trout streams—including the Henry’s Fork, the South Fork of the Snake, the Beaverhead, the Madison, Silver Creek and the Big Hole—abound in the area, providing anglers with a different river to float or wade nearly every day of the week. It makes perfect sense that this city is home to Hyde, whose drift boats can be seen floating down just about any Western river that holds a trout.
 
Idaho Falls is a fast-growing town, but its residents maintain that it still has a small-town feel. “Most of us who live here either grew up in a small town or lived here in Idaho Falls when it was a lot smaller, so it’s really got that friendly feel to it,” says Bud Robinson, who has operated Down Wind Archery in Idaho Falls for the past 13 years.
 
When the town’s hunters tire of the modest crowds, they can be pounding boot leather in no time. “You go thirty to forty-five minutes from town in two or three different directions, and you’re right into some of the best elk and mule deer hunting in the country,” says Robinson. “And you can choose between the high desert to the west and the mountains to the east. The hunting opportunities around Idaho Falls are just about limitless.”
 
OL REPORT CARD Fishable Species: A-  Huntable Species: A+  Public-Land Access: A  Trophy Potential: A-  Gun Laws: A
 
Outdoor Life Magazine:  http://www.outdoorlife.com/photos/gallery/hunting/2009/05/top-200-towns?photo=8