some of you know that over 3 years ago i was injured at my job and now i have severe photo sensitivity and a chronic headache. this has been a tough couple of years and my head isn't getting better.
now to add to my fun...
i head up to where i hunt and find out my dad is selling the land :( . i just want to cry. it was my plan to teach my futre children to hunt this land and so on. this land was purchased when i was really young by my grandparents. when my grandmother was about to pass on it was her wish for my dad to own the land then pass it on to my brother and i. if my dad ever sold the land(which was fully paid for) the money was to be split between my dad and the 4 grandchildren. unfortunately due to many different factors it is being sold and it appears that it will get my dad out of debt(which is good) but that will be about it.
enough of the sob story and on to my ?
figured i'd ask here because most of my hunting has been done on that 168 acres.
now i am looking at trying to buy some land for myself, possibly split the cost with my brother which would increase the chances of more acres. i'm looking in wisconsin, if that really makes a difference.
this is all just a dream at this point, but i have to start somewhere.
? what's the minimum # of acres i'd need for a decent hunting area. i know the bigger the better, but what in your opinion would be the bare minimum?
i really, for the most part, only care about bow hunting, however i like gun hunting almost as much and want to do it also.
bow season 1 hunter most of the time, but 1 - 3 people
gun season 1 - 4 hunters
thanks for your opinions....Jay
Had a GF whose mom had 20 acres in the country. Plenty of deer passing through until the area was subdivided and houses built. Look for something remote bordering a large tract of timberland or Nat'l/State Forest. Call me when you get it.
Don't just look at the piece you are buying, but also around it. If you are looking at a 5 acre woodlot in the middle of a couple thousand acres of crops, it may not be a great idea.
Sure, it is the only trees around but once you spook the animals out they are gone. A woodlot that is contiguous with others, especially if a creek or ridge creates funnels, might be much better even if only a few acres are involved.
Property is getting pretty expensive in WI.
ChuckC
i know land isn't cheap here, but i'm not moving out of state :) . also because of the poor economic status of the state it's actually cheaper now than it will be in 5-10 years
Have you explored the possibility of buying some of the land that your dad is selling? There's lots of state and county land in the northern part of the state. If you buy land near it, you can hunt the public land, any you won't need much private land at all.
It is not so much how big, but how good. 5 ac. can be a gold mine hunting in the right area. A 100 ac. field may not be much good. Look at what is around it. Look for properly that funnels deer from one place to other places so you are on a travel route in the area. The best thing I think to have is properly next to a protected area like a park, private conservation area, or other tracks of undeveloped land where deer thrive and they don't get hunted. I know a guy with a 10 ac. Like that and he shoots a lot of big bucks when they travel in and out of a land conservancy. For 4 hunters I would want a minimum of 40 ac. And 80 would be better. Again the quality of the land and what is around it makes a big difference in how close you can hunt 4 people and not impact each other's hunting too much. I hunt one little 10 ac. Property and shoot as many deer there as the 200 ac. Farm I hunt and the 80 I have with my dad.
The land will dictate how many hunters it will comfortably hold.
You may want to explore properties before you get set on a size. Be open to as many options as possible.
I second looking at pop's place, it has more value than cost to you from the sound of it.
Check up North, I have 40 arces in Iron Cty. I have access to 1000's of acres of Cty and Open Forest crop land, that is just across the road.
Like Orion said, I would look into buying from your father first.
I once had a 1,800 acr lease and 95% of my hunting was done on a 15 acr tract. It was a small woodlot surrounded by planted pines and a swamp with a good size creek running through it.
Lots of oaks in a very small area that dropped throughout the year and during the rut those bucks always walked up and down the creek.
I lost that lease due to a large amount of timber being cut, man i really miss that spot.
Don't buy land with anyone including relatives. Try to buy it yourself. The reasons should be obvious.
well i'd love to buy the and from my father, but as i said this is just a dream at this time. i am just trying to get a plan started and if i can swing it then get some land. if i had the money i'd buy the land from my dad right away. my uncle and his 3 daughters, my brother and i talked about possibly buying it, but even with all of us we can't afford it.
plus if i get something myself, then it's mine, i make the rules, i say who can and can't and so on.
Since you are young there is plenty of time to find a nice parcel. Or not.
I wouldn't rush the process- take your time. Find something special you can afford. You do not want to find yourself having to sell it if you don't want to. Plan wisely.
Joshua
Like others have said.You can get away with a pretty small piece of land if its in the right spot.
I've only got 20 acres. 660'X1320' roughly but its in the middle of hundreds of acres. I live on this 20 acres as well which cuts down on the huntable area somewhat but its big enough to keep the freezer full between deer and hogs. (http://cdn-2-service.phanfare.com/images/external/2655273_4593604_94887667_Web_3/0_0_cbc92688954909a58cc85e7848272b37_1)
A little hint. Start looking around on google earth. Find someplace that appeals to you and start doing online searches. "real estate for sale" If you can find a road name close by that will help as well. Thats how I found this place. Saw the cabin on google earth and googled "real estate for sale gator creek road"
Good luck!
Why not remind your Dad of your Grandparents wish and ask that he deed some of the property to the grand kids mentioned..... I realize you said he had some financial set backs, but perhaps it does not all have to be sold to "Bail him out". Seems it was intened to be part your inheritance too... I think I would remind him of their wishes. What do you have to loose? Keep in mind, you did not cause his financial difficulties.
I realize I may sound calouse... however, if I was in your shoes I would stand up and let my feelings be known. :readit: :wavey:
a really good option in my opinion is to buy a small track that is butted up to national forest or some public land there is a bunch of this out there and alot of it never get hunted you can save some money and "get" a ton of land if your interested in this option i can hook you up with a guy that specializes in this tip of land let me know and good luck sorry to here about the family land getting sold
If you can find land and find the deer on that land then you can get an idea as to how much area they travel and how much you need.
Why not just buy your Dad's cut.
If you and your brother are gonna buy some ground anyway why not just buy him out?
it will save you both money and you'll still have your same place.
JMO
Theres thousands nd thousands of square miles of public lands if you know where to look.
I have a place that is only 12 acr and has 3 people hunting it. We have averaged 3 deer per person for the past 4 years.
mybe you can secure hunting rights from the new owners, if they are not buying it for hunting they might consider it as part of the purchase contract.
Check aerial maps, and DNR maps in the area you are looking at. Then look at the public land if possible and check for sales & listings in the area. The sales might give you an idea of what is selling and the cost/ac. If you talk with realtors, they might think your ready to buy when your just looking at the area.
Do some scouting on public land. Check with locals and see what they see in the way of game.
When you think you have found the right area, watch the local papers for sales by owner and listings. Beware of property with easements, incroachments, boundary disputes. Check with the county for legal issues, proposed developments, right aways, water rights, mining, timber or crop agreements, or other potential problems before the sign. Don't buy anything without title insurance and it might be best to have an attorney look at the contract before you sign.
If you can't buy, look into a hunting lease with your brother or group. That is a whole new program with do's and don'ts.
there is always public land. After many road trips nocking on doors I have some private land access, but for many years my dad took me to public land and we did just fine! even here in Michigan where there a ton of hunters. You never have to kick people off your land, no vandals, no theft..not really a bad deal.
I know what i would do if it was me in trouble. Land in the family all those years and a family who hunts. I would sell it for 50.00 bucks to my kids, than when it is clear and done. I would sell everything i could do without for a while pay off as much as i could, not enough? Go bankrupt. And start over. Been there done that. Please understand that is what i would do, so i'm not giving any advice. Good luck and hate to see anyone have to deal with this. Hi. i'm vic and i been forced hunt public land.
This is a hard fit to find, but I hunt on 2.5 acres each year. The land is in town but on the very edge next to farmland. (Corn and Beans) In October, crops are still in the field. Belongs to a friend who does not hunt, 80+ years old and I split the meat with her. Costs her nothing and me nothing. (except the tags) 5 minutes from my house.
We have a State Park (no hunting) in the middle of the town where the deer bed and they pass through a gully and thru this land to the farms. I fill my tags in the first 2 days and then just go back now and then to watch the deer.
So how big, not very. Location, Location, Location
One of the great things about trad hunting. YOu don't shoot too far.
Good luck
sam
I'd be inclined to lease. I personally know in my area anyway, that I could pay less for an annual lease with about twice as much land then what I pay in taxes on the land that I own.
I feel your loss. My log house in Maine is on the market. I would advise as others have. Look for land that borders a National park, forest or preserve.
I agree that size is not that important. If the piece has good thick bedding cover and than some hardwoods and than some fields for food plots and what not with a good water source, 20 or so acres for one guy can be very good. With small pieces ya just have to be very good about leaving the deer a sanctuary that no one ever enters and make sure you get in and out of your stand sites very clean. Shawn
thanks for all the good advice everyone...
my dad won't sell it cheap to us because it won't help him enough, my brother and i tried, first we said give it to us, then offered to buy it, but he needs a good chunk of change to get himself out of trouble.
as far as buying something i'm going to have to save for a long time, maybe by the time i die i can afford something and let my kids have it? i was hoping that my law suit would help me out, but it appears that we will not get much help from it after all.
i probably will end up hunting with my buddy and his dad for bow season. if i can't gun hunt it won't be the end of the world as long as i'm out there in bow season.
thanks again everyone
What Gene(L.E. Carroll) said above,
I would definitely have another talk with Dad.