So You Wanna Buy A Big Buck Property ... How Do You Evaluate?

[Hoytvectrix]

Give me 10 different 40's in good neighborhoods over a 400 acre contiguous parcel without a doubt.
Might only be 4 or 5 of them with shooters any given year, some may have multiple shooters, but the odds are greatly increased with having access to different herds, IMO. If one of them turns into a year in and year out ZERO, it's easier to sell and move on to another parcel.

IMO you need 500-800 acres to actually advance deer consistently without your neighbors getting cracks at the young studs. That's an unreasonable amount for 99% to own in one spot, especially with today's prices.

I know you are right. People with deep enough pockets to choose either strategy (like the Drury's), have been leaning towards the 10 different 40's.

Just as a counter point, though, we have a neighbor that has around 400 acres that only he and his wife hunt on. He plants 25-30 acres of food plots with another 20-30 acres of ag that is harvested each year. He is an immediate neighbor but we know for a fact that there are numerous bucks that he has harvested that we and other neighbors have never seen on camera or in person. He and/or his wife take a booner each year. I think most people would be pretty happy with that. Each year, some neighbors take a few bucks he has likely let walk, but I think he is overall pretty happy with his setup.

 

[Ben.MN/WI]

You aren't kidding about that. My latest deal came through from a friend texting me at work, said a co-worker was selling his 40. An hour later with two other bidders, we had an agreement. Since then I've been told by others at work they'd buy it for $1,500 an acre more than I'm paying. Close the deal in three weeks.

It is definitely in a "big buck neighborhood".

We live close to Rochester Minnesota and proximity to Mayo Clinic has a huge impact on property prices. Big buck areas are worth more, but proximity to Rochester is in even greater demand.

My sleepless nights were caused by purchasing an 87 acre property 20 miles from Rochester in November. A week after we closed, mayo announced a 5 billion dollar Rochester expansion, which made me feel much better about our purchase.

Time will tell how it turns out, but it has terrain, a mix of cropland and timber and we dug out 2 ponds two weeks ago which should be a huge draw in this area.

We made a full priced offer as soon as we saw the property and I’m convinced if we waited a week it would have been gone. It pays to have financing lined up ahead of time so you can move fast when a good property hits the market.

 

[Brian662]

We live close to Rochester Minnesota and proximity to Mayo Clinic has a huge impact on property prices. Big buck areas are worth more, but proximity to Rochester is in even greater demand.

My sleepless nights were caused by purchasing an 87 acre property 20 miles from Rochester in November. A week after we closed, mayo announced a 5 billion dollar Rochester expansion, which made me feel much better about our purchase.

Time will tell how it turns out, but it has terrain, a mix of cropland and timber and we dug out 2 ponds two weeks ago which should be a huge draw in this area.

We made a full priced offer as soon as we saw the property and I’m convinced if we waited a week it would have been gone. It pays to have financing lined up ahead of time so you can move fast when a good property hits the market.

Congrats! Sounds like a great spot! Look forward to hearing about your future success!

 

[somich]

We live close to Rochester Minnesota and proximity to Mayo Clinic has a huge impact on property prices. Big buck areas are worth more, but proximity to Rochester is in even greater demand.

My sleepless nights were caused by purchasing an 87 acre property 20 miles from Rochester in November. A week after we closed, mayo announced a 5 billion dollar Rochester expansion, which made me feel much better about our purchase.

Time will tell how it turns out, but it has terrain, a mix of cropland and timber and we dug out 2 ponds two weeks ago which should be a huge draw in this area.

We made a full priced offer as soon as we saw the property and I’m convinced if we waited a week it would have been gone. It pays to have financing lined up ahead of time so you can move fast when a good property hits the market.

If it doesn't work out you become a developer of healthy living properties.

 

[SwampCat]

I think it is preferable to ask around in the area you are interested in to find some property that has yet to go on the market. If a property makes it to a realtor, it means none of the locals had an interest in it - at least in my area. Family gets first shot, friends second, locals through word of mouth third, and realtor fourth.

Wet bottomland can be very problematic - for both working and access.

Prime ground can be a parcel that backs up to public that has very restrictive harvest regulations - or no hunting allowed at all.

I like the number of smaller parcels over one large strictly for having a chance of a large buck using some of your acreage. I hate transporting equipment to other property.

 

[swat1018]

Would I sell my 2 200 ac farms for 10 40s? No, hell no.....

 

[SwampCat]

Would I sell my 2 200 ac farms for 10 40s? No, hell no.....

I own, and live on just over 300 acres and own another 62 acres 8 miles away - and lease some more hunting land 45 min away. You basically do have three times the bucks - but no, I would no way trade my 300 for 7 forty acre tracts. I live on my 300.

But I do believe for strictly deer hunting - the multiple forty acre tracts would supply a better chance at a big buck every year. They would be a logistical nightmare

 

[Tree Spud]

Give me 10 different 40's in good neighborhoods over a 400 acre contiguous parcel without a doubt.
Might only be 4 or 5 of them with shooters any given year, some may have multiple shooters, but the odds are greatly increased with having access to different herds, IMO. If one of them turns into a year in and year out ZERO, it's easier to sell and move on to another parcel.

IMO you need 500-800 acres to actually advance deer consistently without your neighbors getting cracks at the young studs. That's an unreasonable amount for 99% to own in one spot, especially with today's prices.

While 10 different 40's sounds good in concept, I think it would be a real headache to try and manage. Checking cameras, scouting, when to hunt where, habitat stuff, trespassing, etc.

 

[Bill]

While 10 different 40's sounds good in concept, I think it would be a real headache to try and manage. Checking cameras, scouting, when to hunt where, habitat stuff, trespassing, etc.

Another nice thing with one bigger piece is you only have to be known to the locals as the asshole who will prosecute in one place. It would be work to be an asshole in 10 different places.

 

[Tree Spud]

Another nice thing with one bigger piece is you only have to be known to the locals as the asshole who will prosecute in one place. It would be work to be an asshole in 10 different places.

Right! I think one large parcel also allows you to build a better relationship with your neighbors especially if you are an absentee owner.

Having an additional 1 or 2 small parcels might be fun for a change of scenery, but that's why I travel to northern Alberta to chase whitetails every year. A lot less expensive than owning additional properties. I think with having additional properties I would always be worried about trespassers.

 

[Brian662]

I know you are right. People with deep enough pockets to choose either strategy (like the Drury's), have been leaning towards the 10 different 40's.

Just as a counter point, though, we have a neighbor that has around 400 acres that only he and his wife hunt on. He plants 25-30 acres of food plots with another 20-30 acres of ag that is harvested each year. He is an immediate neighbor but we know for a fact that there are numerous bucks that he has harvested that we and other neighbors have never seen on camera or in person. He and/or his wife take a booner each year. I think most people would be pretty happy with that. Each year, some neighbors take a few bucks he has likely let walk, but I think he is overall pretty happy with his setup.

I would be very surprised if those bucks don't ever leave his property. Whether that's at night time in July or peak rut, those deer aren't confined to those 400 acre parcels without some overlap onto the neighbors I don't think.

 

[Ben.MN/WI]

I think it would be ideal if you could own and live on a larger parcel and then have another smaller place a couple miles away for a change of scenery or to distribute the hunting pressure a little. It is so much easier working on a property when you live there.

It would be a lot of work to do food plots and habitat work on multiple properties that you have to drive to.

 

[gjs4]

The multiple pieces versus a conglomerate needs to be its own thread. Some great discussion on that alone. What role does your property play in the big picture? Cant harbor much on a 40, its even hard on a 400, but folks like Drury are operating with a budget most of us cant fathom. You can also ask is it better to have that 400 in one state or 10 40s through out the US, etc.

 

[Hoytvectrix]

I would be very surprised if those bucks don't ever leave his property. Whether that's at night time in July or peak rut, those deer aren't confined to those 400 acre parcels without some overlap onto the neighbors I don't think.

Oh I completely agree. I am sure they are wandering, especially in the summer. For the most part we own or know neighbors on 2-3 sides of the property. I brought it up just as a counter point. Radio collar studies show median buck ranges are around 860 acres. Although this doesn't account for buck age, this is more than double our neighbor's property size. If you had a subdivision or massive, wide-open ag ground, that is going shift movement.

Understanding Buck Movement: How, When, and Why Bucks Navigate the Landscape | Mississippi State University Extension Service

Why Move?

extension.msstate.edu

 

[Brian662]

Oh I completely agree. I am sure they are wandering, especially in the summer. For the most part we own or know neighbors on 2-3 sides of the property. I brought it up just as a counter point. Radio collar studies show median buck ranges are around 860 acres. Although this doesn't account for buck age, this is more than double our neighbor's property size. If you had a subdivision or massive, wide-open ag ground, that is going shift movement.
View attachment 61372

Understanding Buck Movement: How, When, and Why Bucks Navigate the Landscape | Mississippi State University Extension Service

Why Move?

extension.msstate.edu

I think it's also very reasonable to figure that if a buck has every thing they need on 3-400 acres they are more likely to spend the majority of their time there.

I'm not sure about the science, but many whitetail content creators and podcasts talk about a mature buck's core area shrinking as they age. It seems like something that would make sense in theory, I personally have not seen it however my largest parcel is 70 acres, so I can't say for certain how far they go when they leave.

As I get to know and share information with more neighbors around my house, it is intriguing to hear which buck's are hanging out where at what times as they inevitably shift back and forth over the 1/2 mile range between our properties. Some buck's my neighbor has have never been on my cameras and vice versa, he's 1/4 mile away but there is a road between. I wonder how many deer use roads or other markers as their boundaries?

 

[SwampCat]

I think it's also very reasonable to figure that if a buck has every thing they need on 3-400 acres they are more likely to spend the majority of their time there.

I'm not sure about the science, but many whitetail content creators and podcasts talk about a mature buck's core area shrinking as they age. It seems like something that would make sense in theory, I personally have not seen it however my largest parcel is 70 acres, so I can't say for certain how far they go when they leave.

As I get to know and share information with more neighbors around my house, it is intriguing to hear which buck's are hanging out where at what times as they inevitably shift back and forth over the 1/2 mile range between our properties. Some buck's my neighbor has have never been on my cameras and vice versa, he's 1/4 mile away but there is a road between. I wonder how many deer use roads or other markers as their boundaries?

I have several mature bucks and as a whole, it doesnt seem like they conform to any one behavior. I have one that roams all over creation. I know he has been on camera a mile south of my place and a 1/2 mile north - that I know of. You can pour out corn and he will hit it three nights in a row and then be gone for three weeks. We have hunted this buck fairly hard from first weekend in Oct to antler drop - two years in a row - with crossbow, ML, and modern gun - over food plots, natural feed, and bait. None of us have ever laid eyes on him during season the last two years. I dont mean just while hunting - I live here and am out everyday and dont see him. He is much more of a home body in summer. Bait and crossbow make no difference.

I have another mature buck that shows up on a couple cameras every night for two weeks straight - then goes to a neighbors property a 1/2 mile away and stays for two weeks. I have a couple other bucks that show up almost every night.

On my lease, I poured some corn out in front of the camera - first time on that property - and within 16 hours two good bucks showed up - and two days later another mature buck. Over the next six weeks - one of those bucks has been back once, one about five time, and one not at all. The property has not been deer hunted during that time. In my experience - individual bucks are just that - individual.

 

[SwampCat]

I think it would be ideal if you could own and live on a larger parcel and then have another smaller place a couple miles away for a change of scenery or to distribute the hunting pressure a little. It is so much easier working on a property when you live there.

It would be a lot of work to do food plots and habitat work on multiple properties that you have to drive to.

I own 300 acres I live on. I own 62 acres that backs up to 27,000 acres of mostly bow only land, and I lease 760 acres 45 min away. I plant a lot at home and quite a bit on the 62 acres. I can drive my tractor to it in 30 minutes. The 760 acres, I do nothing for the deer other than pour out corn. I duck hunt it a lot.

The home 300 we manage intensively and are more restrictive with our hunting. The 62 acres we are more liberal with our harvest choice. This is the first year to lease the 760 acres. We have a couple pictures of some real nice deer - but they are super inconsistent. It seems to be much better suited to rifle hunting and we arent set up for that - yet.

But it is nice to have some choices.

 

[S.T.Fanatic]

I haven't read through all of this so forgive me if it was mentioned. I would be looking for land in ag rich areas with high land prices. Areas with a lot of ag generally equate to large parcels. Farming has become so expensive over the past 30 years and it has changed things. In my area, farmers will pay $15K per acre of good tillable. You cant plant corn in the woods or in the streams so these farmers are wanting less and less to do with wooded property all the time. I have also seen it a few times in the past 10 years where a landowner will sell the tillable for big $$ and unfortunately the wooded gets sold to the state (who will out bid everyone)

I also wouldn't wait for land to hit the market before making offers. Find farmers with wooded land that has halfway decent access and make them an offer. You may be surprised in what you find.

 

[omicron1792]

A large neighboring property where pressure is low and they practice trigger restraint is certainly an advantage. A place where bucks can reach maturity and some could wander onto your property. Too many small properties can create a shooting gallery.

I’ve changed my views on that. High pressure neighbors can make the hunting better on your place.

 

[westonwhitetail]

I don’t know how you truly know the land will reliably produce big bucks without some history in the area..a property can check all the boxes from an initial evaluation but when it comes down to it you don’t know what it will produce. A few bad neighbors in the area can ruin it anywhere. You probably don’t really know that without going through a few hunting seasons and experiencing it.