What Mistakes Did You Make When buying Your Hunting Property?

[Bill]

Bring a 5yo dead thread back to life …. I am in the stance of looking for land and decided to search the forum. This is the best thread I could find related to positive and negative tips on buying land.

Specifically I am looking in southern Ohio and northern Kentucky.

One thing I’ve noted is most properties for sale now do not offer ideal access….

I’m also wondering on what drive time matters for ownership - as the hours increase the ROI with purchase price appears to as well. Just can’t see driving 8-10hrs each way more than a couple times a year.

I know there is never enough for a working man’s budget to buy manageable herd portion tracks but is 25 enough to hunt? 40? I’d rather have the right 5 than the wrong 500… but haven’t seen a “right”
property yet, even outside my budget. I also don’t foresee taking my Atv or tractor there so if I bought 40-50-??+ could I really do any significant habitat work? Probably not.


With 7% interest and plethora of “c- “ quality ground staying on the market for months now… I’m in no hurry…. But know I want a place out of state and diversity in what’s left of my retirement portfolio.

I’ve never done it but If I were looking for a small parcel that would deliver big I’d be scouring the GIS maps in the area you think you want. Find a small parcel surrounded by big parcels. Then drive there and see what you can learn about the big parcels. Who hunts? Outfitters? If it’s clear the big parcels are managing offer the small parcel owner a stupid high price and hope they don’t hunt.

 

[Garrett S]

I’ve never done it but If I were looking for a small parcel that would deliver big I’d be scouring the GIS maps in the area you think you want. Find a small parcel surrounded by big parcels. Then drive there and see what you can learn about the big parcels. Who hunts? Outfitters? If it’s clear the big parcels are managing offer the small parcel owner a stupid high price and hope they don’t hunt.

Pretty brilliant idea there Bill. Never thought of the inverse way in ……. Will likely take some time and a few sanity check moments but when it unfolds you know what you have.

I have related fears of outfitters as in they’ll knock out the mid to upper age buck population. One parcel I’m looking at has
An outfitter with a ton of ground on two sides and up the hill. Not sure if I could compete ….


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[Wind Gypsy]

Bring a 5yo dead thread back to life …. I am in the stance of looking for land and decided to search the forum. This is the best thread I could find related to positive and negative tips on buying land.

Specifically I am looking in southern Ohio and northern Kentucky.

One thing I’ve noted is most properties for sale now do not offer ideal access….

I’m also wondering on what drive time matters for ownership - as the hours increase the ROI with purchase price appears to as well. Just can’t see driving 8-10hrs each way more than a couple times a year.

I know there is never enough for a working man’s budget to buy manageable herd portion tracks but is 25 enough to hunt? 40? I’d rather have the right 5 than the wrong 500… but haven’t seen a “right”
property yet, even outside my budget. I also don’t foresee taking my Atv or tractor there so if I bought 40-50-??+ could I really do any significant habitat work? Probably not.


With 7% interest and plethora of “c- “ quality ground staying on the market for months now… I’m in no hurry…. But know I want a place out of state and diversity in what’s left of my retirement portfolio.

I've only been looking at land for nearly 2 years now. I've had an open MLS listing searches going for those 2 years and there have been very few properties in a fairly broad search area that had acceptable attributes for what I wanted in a hunting property. Access is poor on the vast majority without a lot of work to improve.

As far as size goes.. It depends how many folks you want to hunt and if you're ok not being able to hunt it in certain winds without boogering things up. I bought a 40 last year in average neighborhood but was looking at a 20 for slightly more in a great neighborhood as well. The 20 was bordered by a friend's land and another guy who have successfully managed for large bucks in recent years. I guarantee I'd have better odds to shoot big bucks on that 20.

I'd hate to have a property so far away that I couldn't get my equipment needed to work on it there. Pretty much a non-starter.

If looking at it as an investment, my gut says those properties that are closer to town, have notable buildable acreage, access to utilities, etc may likely have the best value growth potential even though they cost way more now than the land way in the sticks or with mostly low ground. (This is likely biased by me considering the MN market but I could see it being applicable elsewhere).

 

[Someday isle]

Talk about bringing an old thread back to life! But a great topic. I bought my property in 2016. At the time I was looking for as much as I could afford within a couple hours drive time. One day I had a chance to hunt a property that a friend was going to be selling. It was 40 acres. A three hour drive there, a three hour hunt, and a three hour drive home convinced my closer was better. It took a while but I eventually found a 35 acre piece of property within just a little over an hours drive from home. It’s less property than I thought I wanted but it laid nice, had decent neighbors, and was affordable and close to home so I went for it. I like the ability to drive out almost anytime I want, put in a days work, or a hunt, and sleep in my own bed after a hot shower. My goals are realistic, I’m not expecting to shoot any record book bucks, but we’ve harvested more Than enough deer to fill the freezer each year as well as a nice buck once in a while. my 35 acres closer to home gets more use and I have more fun and success than I would on 80 acres two and a half hours away. My wife likes the fact that I have cell service and can call or text in case of emergency. We haven’t had an emergency but I’m not getting any younger and her peace of mind has value too. Oh yeah, just go ahead and get the tractor right away and don’t wait four or five years like I did.

 

[roymunson]

I don't know if they've been mistakes, but I've been the beneficiary of some things that could have gone against me.

1. land with a realtor sign in the yard is way more expensive. Best time to buy is when a seller calls you or you call them and you can look em in the eye and shake their hand on a deal.


2. Treating people right goes a long way to getting deals done. 1 realtor didn't wanna do the legwork to cut up a 250 acre piece between 2 of us who wanted to buy it. He wanted his commission and didn't do any of the legwork for the commission. after 6 months his contract ended and we had a deal with the landowner under a week later. Split how we liked it. With 2 satisfied neighbors and a satisfied seller. Had the original agent called us all together for a face to face, he'd have got the 4% of the sale. He didn't wanna do the work.

3. Having someone you trust in the process is huge. My hunting partner helped get me set up because he wanted more land adjacent to his and I was another cash pool. He could have been selfish and tried to snatch it all himself, but he didn't. We work together.

 

[Garrett S]

I do have a 40 which adjoins my family’s farm- only 15 minutes from home, have it fairly dialed in too. It’s great, but it’s in NY and that statement itself it should be evident why Ohio or Kentucky are sought after. While it will stink not to be as prone to tow my utv or tractor there…. midwestern Whitetails are what I am after and the respite from here is something I’d likely appreciate. My house will be paid off in 3, last kiddo in college in 4… so big changes ahead.

Like others have said- I was initially after as many acres as I could afford and then I started noting concerns (access, neighborhood, etc). It also came into my mind that if I am buying most 30+ pieces they’ll require work (plots, road maintenance, etc) and because of the distance I won’t have the best tools/provisions. So then it comes to the best locations. I have never baited before but know both of these states offer that opportunity (and have even heard baiting is more of a draw than plots potentially combating the lack of tractor work). This could also limit damage trespassers could cause. Thinking I would want some public nearby to offer alternates for bad winds, etc.

Sorry- dumping a ton of info out… and planned on looking at some dirt in both states this weekend so I am hungry for thoughts.

 

[yoderjac]

1) Underestimating the amount of land (scale) required for measurable QDM results.
2) Bought at a market top
3) Started food plotting immediately using a 2-bottom plow and tiller rather than studying and understanding the soil health damage we were causing.
4) Thinking that guys going in to buy land together would maintain the same vision years later.

 

[Howboutthemdawgs]

Me personally, if your option was 30 acres 8 plus hours always or not…I’d choose not. Save that money and go hunt with some outfitters in awesome locations or go hunt public land across the Midwest. The juice doesn’t seem worth the squeeze for 30ish acres that far away.

 

[Mortenson]

I'd locate as many No Hunting nature preserves as possible and write letters or make calls to the adjoining neighbors. Seems like a tall task but it would sure pay off. Hope like heck it stays that way, but know things can change. Bout 20 years ago I got a nice set of sheds from a 170"+ in a county park field we rented for farming. It was No Hunting at the time. A guy from town did his homework a few years prior and purchased 5 acres adjacent. He got that buck the year after I found sheds and he was a 200" triple droptine monster. He got other bruisers off that 5 acres. The park opened up to hunting, and EHD and snipers killed hundreds of deer, and his honey hole eventually dried up. He still owns it but I think he got a bigger, better farm elsewhere since.

 

[SD51555]

Try to minimize the drive time. I spent almost ten years driving 12 hours round trip to get 'up north' for the weekend. I finally pulled the pin and moved closer so now it's only 5 hours. I can do 2.5 each way no problem. That's been a huge game changer for me. Now i can get there in the daylight hours during the summer, I can hunt sunday nights during bow season. This year, I'm taking a day and a half vacation each week from mid October up to rifle season. So those three weeks, I'll be able to hunt Thursday, Friday, Saturday, Sunday.

4 sits for a day and a half of vacation is a pretty good deal. Now, having to drive back Sunday night, odds are very low i'll ever take a deer on a Sunday, but it gives another opportunity to watch and gather intel. Hunting sunday night at my place was an eye opener. The entire woods is different. All the weekenders are gone, all the people going to work monday are not outside. There are no cars, trucks, pipes, boats, wheelers, guns, chainsaws, dogs, tannerite, nothing. Once the sunday event at the bar is over, there won't be another car go by my place the rest of the afternoon/evening.

There's a special kind of calm in the woods again as the weekend noise is noticeably gone.

 

[Spike_Horn_Shooter]

Me personally, if your option was 30 acres 8 plus hours always or not…I’d choose not. Save that money and go hunt with some outfitters in awesome locations or go hunt public land across the Midwest. The juice doesn’t seem worth the squeeze for 30ish acres that far away.

Or look for a Cabin on 2 acres, down the road from some big chunks of public. You’ll be able to sell real quick if needed, potentially income producing rental, can bring all your friends and not worry about them shooting “your deer”, give you a joke base to learn some neighborhoods and where might want to buy land, maybe make some friends who could hook up an off market deal

 

[cedar ridge]

Glad to see this thread kick back off. Lot has happened since it stalled.

 

[Garrett S]

Me personally, if your option was 30 acres 8 plus hours always or not…I’d choose not. Save that money and go hunt with some outfitters in awesome locations or go hunt public land across the Midwest. The juice doesn’t seem worth the squeeze for 30ish acres that far away.

Did a 6 property (and a lease look) over a 3 day weekend. Burned my self out fast. For sale properties ranged from 20-70ac. I quickly realized that realtors are akin to drug dealers when it comes to your interest and customer-ship and their pricing is a self created insult to the working man. Ruled out one property in 5 minutes, another was a no-go based on the locals alone, one had not disclosed it was delineated wetland and another was a soft slope more along the lines of a double black diamond in Colorado. Put an offer in on one that is more blank canvas and not too far. There is a second off line sale that is so tempting but it’s a long narrow piece that has all the bedding….and that’s also the only way to access.


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[Howboutthemdawgs]

Did a 6 property (and a lease look) over a 3 day weekend. Burned my self out fast. For sale properties ranged from 20-70ac. I quickly realized that realtors are akin to drug dealers when it comes to your interest and customer-ship and their pricing is a self created insult to the working man. Ruled out one property in 5 minutes, another was a no-go based on the locals alone, one had not disclosed it was delineated wetland and another was a soft slope more along the lines of a double black diamond in Colorado. Put an offer in on one that is more blank canvas and not too far. There is a second off line sale that is so tempting but it’s a long narrow piece that has all the bedding….and that’s also the only way to access.


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I’m painting with a wide brush…but I agree wholeheartedly about agents. If lying were punishable with jail time we would have to build more prisons just for them. And I’ve dealt with some of the “leaders” in hunting land sales. Not impressed.
Good luck on the offer! That is exciting

 

[Garrett S]

I’m painting with a wide brush…but I agree wholeheartedly about agents. If lying were punishable with jail time we would have to build more prisons just for them. And I’ve dealt with some of the “leaders” in hunting land sales. Not impressed.
Good luck on the offer! That is exciting

Thank you and hope to be posting some good new and pinging some next step ideas off you all.

The more antler that are on a sign, bag, etc the more BS they sling with their snake sales. It’s awful right now with the popularity and boom in land sales as their is no reputation to uphold. I found both parcels in discussion on my own and basically and stuck behind the “old couple on a Sunday drive” with my minimal benefit realtor interactions.


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[Wind Gypsy]

Realtors don't need to do much in the way of service these days to make a living. The market has made things easy. My two best friends are realtors that work together for the one friends' small family owned realty in the twin cities. They don't know squat about buying land so I signed an agreement with a whitetail properties agent to help me last year. If you listen to podcasts and what not they'll make you feel like working with them gives you a number of benefits but there are two primary ones I was hoping to benefit from:
- They know their areas and have a pulse on the market so they might know about upcoming listings and get you a jump on other buyers
- Understand the pitfalls that can come up with recreational land and can help you navigate them

I had an existing MLS search that my buddy runs for me that emails me with listings meeting my criteria. Whitetail properties set up one up for me too but for some reason, the whitetail properties listing sends me a notification a day or more after my buddies search does.

The property i purchased popped up, fit my criteria about as good as anything i'd seen in the past year, and I immediately drove out to it the night it was listed. Whitetail properties agent seemed like a good guy but couldn't find time to walk the property with me. He cautioned about red flags on the property (very minor) which made me nervous. He offered to write an offer but said he wouldn't feel good about it because he hadn't walked the property. He also had to go to a training in the following days so was unable to write an offer in the future days. The seller eventually answered my questions which eliminated my concerns but I needed my buddy to write the offer as the WP agent was in training at that time. He was generous enough to allow my friend to represent me even though I had signed an agreement with him. I otherwise would have missed the property as there were competing offers.

So long story short, they seemed fair by me but I also almost missed out on a property because of lack of agent availability. They seem to have all the business they could ask for so finding time for them to add value seems unlikely..

 

[Howboutthemdawgs]

Realtors don't need to do much in the way of service these days to make a living. The market has made things easy. My two best friends are realtors that work together for the one friends' small family owned realty in the twin cities. They don't know squat about buying land so I signed an agreement with a whitetail properties agent to help me last year. If you listen to podcasts and what not they'll make you feel like working with them gives you a number of benefit but there are two primary ones I was hoping to benefit from:
- They know their areas and have a pulse on the market so they might know about upcoming listings and get you a jump on other buyers
- Understand the pitfalls that can come up with recreational land and can help you navigate them

I had an existing MLS search that my buddy runs for me that emails me with listings meeting my criteria. Whitetail properties set up one up for me too but for some reason, the whitetail properties listing sends me a notification a day or more after my buddies search does.

The property i purchased popped up, fit my criteria about as good as anything i'd seen in the past year, and I immediately drove out to it the night it was listed. Whitetail properties agent seemed like a good guy but couldn't find time to walk the property with me. He cautioned about red flags on the property (very minor) which made me nervous. He offered to write an offer but said he wouldn't feel good about it because he hadn't walked the property. He also had to go to a training in the following days so was unable to write an offer in the future days. The seller eventually answered my questions which eliminated my concerns but I needed my buddy to write the offer as the WP agent was in training at that time. He was generous enough to allow my friend to represent me even though I had signed an agreement with him. I otherwise would have missed the property as there were competing offers.

So long story short, they seemed fair by me but I also almost missed out on a property because of lack of agent availability. They seem to have all the business they could ask for so finding time for them to add value seems unlikely..

That is pretty standup of them. Let’s just say it’s agent specific. In my case what burned me is face-to-face I specifically asked the agent were any of the neighbors outfitters. I try to do my homework best I could but with as fast as the market was turning I couldn’t uncover every stone. He looked me straight in the eye and said no. Well lo and behold I share 8/10 of a mile border with an outfitter now that has the super restrictive minimum of 8 points or better. He knew good and well that was an outfitter. Zero percent he didn’t.

 

[swat1018]

I would never sign any kind of agreement with a realtor, as a buyer's agent. They should work hard to find you properties just knowing they will be paid for a job well-done. I've bought numerous properties 2 with a great Whitetail Properties realtor. Nobody was going to find something before this guy, and he's very successful, and his customers are the beneficiary of the hard work.

 

[Garrett S]

Interesting you say that about wp - my experiences are much more in line with the two negatives listed than the positive one. The epitome of low skill and no skill needed market for them at the moment. Had those same hopes of intel and skills… where I think the answers are as canned as something from the POTUS.

Found an awesome woman who works for RealTree and good guy from Mossy Oak but neither have properties for me.

 

[Wind Gypsy]

Maybe the guys buying bigger properties get more effort. I was a $300k and under land buyer but told him ideally under $200k.