Is anyone familiar with this area? I am looking for somewhere "warmer" to hole up for a few months in the winter and be within a day and a half drive of Northern MN. Real Estate looks very affordable there and there appears to be lots of fishing and waterfowl hunting choices nearby. I don't want to live somewhere that is nothing but meth labs and flood zones. Can anyone share some local knowledge of that general area?

For outdoor activities you can’t beat it I almost bought a place about 20 miles from there but get good insurance If a bad storm comes thru ky it runs right up the river and land is so flat it tears up jack. Mayfield is close to there and it was wiped out about a month ago

Thank you. I kind of figured that was the tornado belt.

good area. Not great, but above average I would say. On the Ohio river, near the miss. river, and Ky. and Barkley lakes not to far. Flooding some years can be a problem. Paducah is near for a larger town/city.

One draw back may be, it is close to matt jones. LOL

I'd hunt for Rattlesnakes and Flint if I lived there

Say what? I HATE snakes!

Well KY has big and lots of Rattlesnakes.
You'd better research different poisonous Snakes in the south
"
Of the 33 snake species found in Kentucky, only four are venomous. Venomous snakes include the Copperhead, Western Cottonmouth (water moccasin), Timber Rattlesnake, and Pigmy Rattlesnake. " un-quote.

I lived 18 years just outside of Paducah, the closest "big" city to Wickliffe and about 25 miles to the east. Wickliffe itself is not a bad place but doesn't have much to recommend it. Paducah has the amenities most people want (resturants, hospitals, dentists, eye docs, shopping, etc) and is a growing town. The downtown revitalization project has been very successful. The cost of living in the area is quite low and there is lots of farm ground outside of Paducah proper. Ky has lots of hunting and fishing opportunities and excellent 2nd amendment/carry laws. IMO Jbyrd's description of the weather hazards is overblown. In the 18 years I was there only 1 documented tornado hit the area (I moved in 2015) and there was only 1 big snowstorm (~12") that I recall. Although many Ky residents like to think of themselves as southerners, the west Ky area at least has much more of a midwest vibe. Travel options are good with I24 running thru Paducah and with I55 in Mo about a 45 min drive to the west if you want to go north and avoid St Louis. There are snakes, including rattlers, but I spent a lot of time in the woods and never saw a rattler.

Not a bad area at all. I live right across the river near Charleston, MO. There is quite a bit of public ground around, with a nice mix of both hills and river bottoms. Lots of options for hunting and fishing. Wickliffe itself doesn't seem to have a whole lot to it, but that's a good thing too. I would guess the worst part about it would be the amount of traffic it gets for a small town. Anytime I go through, there are always a lot of trucks that head through there to go east. Make sure if you go there to hit up Hillbilly BBQ.

Thanks everyone. Being there is the winter the snakes shouldn't be much of an issue. I would like to fish a little while there but doubt I will do any hunting or trapping.

Pale snow snakes have adapted!
You'll be fine

If you like to fish, Western KY will fit the bill nicely. You may change your mind about the hunting, excellent hunting in the western half of the state.
You wont get winters like in Minnesota, so most likely it will feel "great" to you when everyone else is complaining about the cold.

Ol Matty Boy Jones has run that country for years, he can tell you all you need to know..

Thanks everyone. Yes I hope to do some fishing down there that doesn't involve driving the truck across the lake.