St. Jude Ohio hunt preview and updates

Brian Halbleib · August 19, 2013, 09:10:00 PM

I've been communicating with Greyfox and Tracker1 with updates on the new farm they will be hunting this fall thanks to the unbelievable donation they made to St. Judes. I thought some of you might want to follow along. It's been a busy summer but I'll try to keep this updated often.

We'll start from the beginning and see where this story takes us...

I sold my old farm in east central Ohio back in 2011 after owning it and managing it for whitetail deer for 4 years. I always intended to move up to a bigger farm in the future but didn't know it would be this soon. I owned the mineral rights and the Marcellus Shale boom hit our area and sent land prices through the roof.

After turning down many offers I received one I could not refuse and tripled my original investment in 4 years. It was hard to let that place go after all the blood, sweat and tears I put into it. My oldest daughter killed her first game animals there and both girls helped me with the chores.

-Brian

Brian Halbleib · August 19, 2013, 09:24:00 PM

So I found myself in August of 2011, a month before archery season, with no land of my own to hunt. The money was burning a hole in my pocket and I frantically searched for the perfect property. I walked tons of properties and tried to justify all of them and desperately wanted to make them fit into exactly what I was looking for. Thankfully, family and friends tagged along to keep me on track. They knew what I wanted and wouldn't let me settle for a place I wouldn't be happy with.

2012 came and went and the frustration began to set in. Even with my great return on my investment, land prices had sky rocketed and all of the properties that fit my wish list were out of my price range. I was really getting desperate to settle for any land just to have a place to dig up the dirt and plant. Thankfully two of the places I "settled" for did not work out. One had title issues and the other had liens. They were both nice properties, but not exactly what I wanted.

In the spring of 2013, I printed out 3 properties that looked promising. I planned to visit all 3 in one day but only managed to look at two before dark and I was disappointed with both. I almost didn't go look at the 3rd one because it was listed with the same realtor and I figured it would be a disappointment too. My schedule left some free time during the week and it was only 1.5 hours from home so I decided to go look at it.

It was like coming home as I drove the road to the property through miles and miles of corn and bean stubble. I learned not to get my hopes up as terrain can change quickly and turn into junk land but it never happened. I took these pictures the first day I saw it.

-Brian

Shawn Leonard · August 19, 2013, 09:46:00 PM

Curious Brian, what county if ya don't mind me asking? Thanks! Shawn

Cyclic-Rivers · August 19, 2013, 10:36:00 PM

I saw the hunt you offered. Man it was right up my alley but the guys who won it were sitting in a richer alley than me.

Great Donations on all parts, I for one will be watching this thread closely. I hope it turns into a great hunt!

Great looking property Brian. Can you remind us how many acres it is?

Shane Reed · August 19, 2013, 11:03:00 PM

I remember how excited i was to buy my first OH land in Carrol county in 2009. I got the mineral rights when the contract on the exhisting small well are done. As far as I know that well has not run in 2 years due to a $10,000 fix on a seal or to cap. Wish it would just get capped so rights would be mine. Plus it stinks to the high heavens. Congrats on your land!

Brian Halbleib · August 20, 2013, 12:51:00 AM

The property is in Ashtabula County, the very top NE corner of Ohio near Pymatuning Lake literally just over the Pennsylvania border. Yes, the donations were incredible. I am always amazed at the generosity here. Carrol County is actually closer to my home in PA and I have hunted there before, great area.

I think my daughters were just as excited as me to have a place to get away again. It didn't take long before we were there exploring and putting out trail cameras.

I am very blessed and thankful that my girls are healthy and my wife and I can't think of any better way to show that appreciation than by supporting those who are not so fortunate as us. I try to never take that for granted and I am thankful for the opportunity to participate in the St Jude auction.

Some of the first trail cam pictures we got

-Brian

Jayrod · August 20, 2013, 06:23:00 AM

looks good brian..HOPE YOU HAVE LOTS OF SUCCESS THERE!!!

Brian Halbleib · August 20, 2013, 08:57:00 AM

I started hunting in Ohio over a decade ago, drawn from my home state of Pennsylvania by bigger bucks and a much longer archery season. Ashtabula County has produced some great bucks over the years and I hope to make my farm attractive enough to hold a few. Here are a couple of bucks that were taken in this county last year:

I installed a new gate and graded the driveway in preparation for a building to store some equipment and a roof over my head for a place to sleep.

I am fortunate to have a great neighbor who farms and I leased 20 acres of my tillable ground to him. I was excited to hear he was planting soybeans this year.

-Brian

Guru · August 20, 2013, 11:12:00 PM

This is awesome Brian.....best of luck with the new place!

wooddamon1 · August 20, 2013, 11:29:00 PM

Living the dream! I followed that thread and wished I could bid, but watching this will be almost as good.

Thanks for sharing such a great looking place with us all and good luck to you guys this fall.

Hopewell Tom · August 21, 2013, 05:39:00 AM

Great read to see you and your family starting to build this new place. Good work.
Keep us updated on the effort, it's very uplifting.

frassettor · August 21, 2013, 05:43:00 AM

Great stuff, congrats on the new place

Brian Halbleib · August 23, 2013, 10:00:00 AM

Thanks everyone, things are starting to come together. Beans have really gotten lush since being sprayed. The road my property is on has become a sea of green corn and beans for miles. Lots of food available for the critters.

I got the foundation for a two story barn staked out and squared up. This will be the first building on the property and will provide a place for equipment/gear storage on the first floor and some comfortable living quarters on the second floor until I build a camp/ house.

Got the concrete pier holes dug out.

-Brian

Brian Halbleib · August 27, 2013, 07:08:00 AM

NOMAD88 · August 27, 2013, 07:30:00 AM

It's looking really good Brian

awbowman · August 27, 2013, 08:16:00 AM

This is going to be good. Thanks for sharing the pictures and progress Brian

Coop · September 02, 2013, 06:46:00 PM

I liked the old place a lot, but I think he made the right choice with this one. Very nice, every time I go there with him I like it more. The guys that bid are going to have a great time, it's a beautiful area.

Shawn Leonard · September 02, 2013, 09:43:00 PM

Brian, you have done a great job!! Looks better all the time!! Shawn

Jayrod · September 03, 2013, 05:58:00 AM

NICEWORK Brian,best of luck to you in your new venture i wanna see pics!!

RedShaft · September 03, 2013, 07:22:00 AM

Best of luck for sure. I enjoy following these step by step threads.