I would think that it would depend on the particular area of the state rather than the state itself. If you end up living right across the road from some off-the-beaten path public ground in a not-so-good state, it would probably be just as good as living 2 hours away from public ground in a great state. Also, land values vary greatly from area to area, even within states. In some places you could very well afford to buy your own land, which would be great even if the deer hunting is not as good as another area..