So there's a larger parcel near me in MN that I'm kind of eying. I've never bought a piece of land strictly for hunting/ habitat improvement. My plan has been to save for a few more years then find a spot in SW Wisconsin with a cabin since its a 3 hour drive (and my wife requires a bathroom so it can't be a 10k amish cabin with no plumbing).
This parcel near me is only a 30 minute drive, so it has me considering going that route instead. It used to be ag land, and it was put into a permanent conservation easement, so at this point it's basically just prairie grass and some scrub trees in a couple patches. My understanding is that I can make changes/ improvements to the land within reason as long as it isn't commercial ag land. Because of the fact that it can't be used as ag land and can't be taken out of the program without approval/ paying a penalty, it is incredibly cheap compared to most other recreational land.
So here's the way I see it.
Pros:
- MUCH larger tract of land than I could otherwise afford (3x or more). It's a seriously large piece of ground.
- Being within 30 minutes of my house means I wouldn't need to have a cabin/ residence there and could realistically get out there more often.
- Could be good turkey/ pheasant hunting for the foreseeable future while waiting on trees to grow.
- Blank canvas to do what I want within reason (would need to look into it more to make sure I can plant some sections of trees etc). I really like the idea of being able to shape where I put fruit trees and where I plant switchgrass for bedding and where I plant hardwoods and evergreens. It's basically blank dirt right now.
Cons:
- No cabin/ not the bluff country plan we had initially.
- Potentially limited on what we can/ can't do in terms of habitat improvements/ changes.
- Can't rent out ag to offset costs.
- Limited useful deer hunting habitat initially since there are only a few patches of scrub trees right now. Would need to mostly ground blind hunt to start. Looks like they've shot a few good deer over the last few years even just in the grassy areas.
What else do I need to consider? Would you guys say it would be worth it? What would be my fastest way to improve habitat in the next 5-10 years (specifically what would be some of the best trees to plant that would grow so I could hang a treestand in it 15 years from now)? Other general thoughts/ opinions/ comments welcome!
This parcel near me is only a 30 minute drive, so it has me considering going that route instead. It used to be ag land, and it was put into a permanent conservation easement, so at this point it's basically just prairie grass and some scrub trees in a couple patches. My understanding is that I can make changes/ improvements to the land within reason as long as it isn't commercial ag land. Because of the fact that it can't be used as ag land and can't be taken out of the program without approval/ paying a penalty, it is incredibly cheap compared to most other recreational land.
So here's the way I see it.
Pros:
- MUCH larger tract of land than I could otherwise afford (3x or more). It's a seriously large piece of ground.
- Being within 30 minutes of my house means I wouldn't need to have a cabin/ residence there and could realistically get out there more often.
- Could be good turkey/ pheasant hunting for the foreseeable future while waiting on trees to grow.
- Blank canvas to do what I want within reason (would need to look into it more to make sure I can plant some sections of trees etc). I really like the idea of being able to shape where I put fruit trees and where I plant switchgrass for bedding and where I plant hardwoods and evergreens. It's basically blank dirt right now.
Cons:
- No cabin/ not the bluff country plan we had initially.
- Potentially limited on what we can/ can't do in terms of habitat improvements/ changes.
- Can't rent out ag to offset costs.
- Limited useful deer hunting habitat initially since there are only a few patches of scrub trees right now. Would need to mostly ground blind hunt to start. Looks like they've shot a few good deer over the last few years even just in the grassy areas.
What else do I need to consider? Would you guys say it would be worth it? What would be my fastest way to improve habitat in the next 5-10 years (specifically what would be some of the best trees to plant that would grow so I could hang a treestand in it 15 years from now)? Other general thoughts/ opinions/ comments welcome!