I have property 25 minutes from my house. I love it. Sounds like you are already going out west so the argument that you could take some hunting trips with the money doesnt apply to you. That argument works for some, but what do you do the other 3 months of the fall? I use my property for ducks, deer, turkey, and pheasants. Probably hunt it 25-30 times per year! Having your own place is awesome. It will appreciate in value all while you use it! You can leave a great piece of land to your kids or they can cash out easy enough. At this point in your life, what other use for your money would make you as happy AND have it appreciate in value? Buy it!
Buying Land???
- Thread starter wisconsinteacher
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wisconsinteacher
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Most of the property timber is 13 year old aspen. There are 6 acres of burr oak.
I talked to my buddy who is a forester and he says to wait 7-12 years and start to cut sections of aspen to create different age groups.
I talked to my buddy who is a forester and he says to wait 7-12 years and start to cut sections of aspen to create different age groups.
stealthy_bowman
Well-known member
I’ve also been looking for a long time debating whether to buy land in my home state of NJ or a western state.
In the end, I decided on my home state. Why, you may ask, well because I live here and could use it all the time. As much as I would love to have a piece out west, I can’t justify it for going out there once a year. Maybe if I move there some day that will change.
So, it turns out that just today, I had my offer accepted on a 52 acre farm less than 2 miles from my house. I couldn’t pass it up. The property is a good mix of fields, hedgerows, woodlands and a high quality creek flowing through it on one end of property. Deer and turkey galore.
That said, I also look at this as an investment property and what I assessed was how many lots could it potentially be subdivided in, how much wetland is on it, can I maintain the farmland assessment for the tax break and so on.
I have no intention of building on it, but nevertheless, I do want this to be an appreciating asset so those are important considerations.
Talk to a real estate attorney during your search, they can help you determine what to look for and what to steer clear of. Good luck!
In the end, I decided on my home state. Why, you may ask, well because I live here and could use it all the time. As much as I would love to have a piece out west, I can’t justify it for going out there once a year. Maybe if I move there some day that will change.
So, it turns out that just today, I had my offer accepted on a 52 acre farm less than 2 miles from my house. I couldn’t pass it up. The property is a good mix of fields, hedgerows, woodlands and a high quality creek flowing through it on one end of property. Deer and turkey galore.
That said, I also look at this as an investment property and what I assessed was how many lots could it potentially be subdivided in, how much wetland is on it, can I maintain the farmland assessment for the tax break and so on.
I have no intention of building on it, but nevertheless, I do want this to be an appreciating asset so those are important considerations.
Talk to a real estate attorney during your search, they can help you determine what to look for and what to steer clear of. Good luck!
BrentD
Well-known member
We too are in the hunt for land. I can't see any real downside to buying land most of the time, and wish I had more than I do. Whether for hunting or just enjoying, ever since they quit making it, Land has been a pretty good thing to have.
3855WIN
Well-known member
The neighbors will make or break a place that size.
Bowhuntrben
Well-known member
This. If you’re not worried about size of deer, it becomes less of an issue.
My family has 200 acres in SE MN. Even with that, the deer wander off. Fortunately for us the one neighbor has thousands of acres, doesn’t let others hunt, and their family only hunts it a few days of gun season.
It saddens me that we will be selling the property when my parents pass away. It has been my experience that owning land with family is a recipe for troubles...and eventually needs to be split anyway.
I’ve thought about buying something for myself, but like stated above, my thought is I wouldn’t be able to buy a big enough chunk to give me much benefit over hunting public in my area due to neighbors. It always seems private land is more heavily hunted than public in my area...
And now being a WI resident with lots of smaller properties around my 8.5 acres in the country, it doesn’t seem like there enough places to hunt around here for the amount of shooting I hear...just craziness. Everybody with more than 5 acres must be trying to kill deer on their property. Not good for growing mature deer... I don’t hunt here..just my observation being outside during gun season.
D
Deleted member 40728
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For the primary purpose of deer hunting and if trophy quality is any concern I would be looking for a place that has a decent buck to doe ratio. You can always try to shoot lots of doe to improve the ratio but I have found that is pretty tough if your neighbors own 1000s of acres and don’t shoot anything but bucks.
NEWHunter
Well-known member
Sucker Creek? Looks like there is enough ag land in the area to keep deer numbers reasonable. The closer to home the land is the better. We used to have land 40 minutes away and that wasn’t bad. The closer it is the easier it is to enjoy.
Food plots are expensive to install and maintain. Take that in to account when buying something without a tillable component. Water can sometimes be a better draw than a food plot. If you have the only water in a few hundred acre area you will have deer. A small waterhole is super cheap. Having good bedding areas is a huge plus. A bit of thermal cover will help hold deer on your property all year and is a great place to find sheds. But as others have said the biggest challenge with hunting land is the neighbors. Often times, from a hunting perspective you don’t know what you have until after you’ve owned it for a few years.
I would say that that much road frontage is not ideal. However, it does give you the ability to split the property in to two 40s which would make exiting easier and more profitable. The property looks like an ideal candidate for MFL. I wouldn’t cut any of the remaining oaks or white pine. Cut all the popple you want.
The guys in Texas have the right idea. For gun hunting an 80 in WI like that, long straight 16 foot wide lanes are the way to go. A couple of box blinds and gun season will be a really good time. Looks like that property has a bit of topography that might inhibit that. If not, I’d rent a timber axe for the weekend and get to work on some 400 yard lanes.
From an investment perspective, the best time to make money on hunting land is up front - assuming you’re not going to be in the path of development in the next few decades. Recreational land is a luxury good and if you look hard enough you can sometimes find inefficiencies in the market. A death, a divorce, a property that has had no activity because some stupid agent told them it was worth a fortune and should price accordingly. These are things that can lead to a price break when you buy. The farm credit guys are a good place to look for financing.
On the sales end of things, you’d be surprised how many folks can’t produce a good trail camera/harvest history for their property. At minimum this will help sell your property sooner and depending on the quality can help you get a bit of a premium.
I’m in a similar situation and going to be walking an 80 in NE WI in the next couple of weeks. The property has been sitting for a while because it’s at least $50K overpriced.
Good luck
Try the address below - a ton of useful info.
www.nass.usda.gov
Food plots are expensive to install and maintain. Take that in to account when buying something without a tillable component. Water can sometimes be a better draw than a food plot. If you have the only water in a few hundred acre area you will have deer. A small waterhole is super cheap. Having good bedding areas is a huge plus. A bit of thermal cover will help hold deer on your property all year and is a great place to find sheds. But as others have said the biggest challenge with hunting land is the neighbors. Often times, from a hunting perspective you don’t know what you have until after you’ve owned it for a few years.
I would say that that much road frontage is not ideal. However, it does give you the ability to split the property in to two 40s which would make exiting easier and more profitable. The property looks like an ideal candidate for MFL. I wouldn’t cut any of the remaining oaks or white pine. Cut all the popple you want.
The guys in Texas have the right idea. For gun hunting an 80 in WI like that, long straight 16 foot wide lanes are the way to go. A couple of box blinds and gun season will be a really good time. Looks like that property has a bit of topography that might inhibit that. If not, I’d rent a timber axe for the weekend and get to work on some 400 yard lanes.
From an investment perspective, the best time to make money on hunting land is up front - assuming you’re not going to be in the path of development in the next few decades. Recreational land is a luxury good and if you look hard enough you can sometimes find inefficiencies in the market. A death, a divorce, a property that has had no activity because some stupid agent told them it was worth a fortune and should price accordingly. These are things that can lead to a price break when you buy. The farm credit guys are a good place to look for financing.
On the sales end of things, you’d be surprised how many folks can’t produce a good trail camera/harvest history for their property. At minimum this will help sell your property sooner and depending on the quality can help you get a bit of a premium.
I’m in a similar situation and going to be walking an 80 in NE WI in the next couple of weeks. The property has been sitting for a while because it’s at least $50K overpriced.
Good luck
Try the address below - a ton of useful info.
USDA - National Agricultural Statistics Service - Wisconsin - Land Sales
USDA National Agricultural Statistics Service Information. NASS publications cover a wide range of subjects, from traditional crops, such as corn and wheat, to specialties, such as mushrooms and flowers; from calves born to hogs slaughtered; from agricultural prices to land in farms. The agency...
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Steiny
Well-known member
I own four different hunting farms, two in IL and two in IN, about five hours apart. Check out the adjacent neighbors. You're typically better off being bordered by farmers or AG land rather than small lot residences, hobby farmers. The town folk with a two acre plot up against you can be a pain; dogs always barking and running loose, ATV's, shooting, over hunting their little patch, etc.
I'd look for something that will produce a little income; CRP, farm ground to cash rent, timber to harvest, hay ground, etc. At least get enough to cover your taxes and annual expenses. A water sources is nice. Ground that can't be so easily viewed from the roads is also a plus.
It will take a long time for bare hunting land to appreciate much and to be considered much of an investment, especially if you are financing it, so you need to buy it right. Don't be bashful about starting real low on your first offer, you can always go up later. Your age is important too. If you're pretty young, you can plant things and make some drastic changes over time, if older you better buy something close to what you expect the finish product to be.
In the last few years there is a trend of realtors such as Mossy Oak specializing in hunting properties. They tend to focus on a bunch of big buck pictures, beaten trails and rubs with their photos and talk about all the "potential" for building lakes, making income from the property, etc. then jack up the price like it's some wildlife hunting mecca. I think the farmland guys price stuff more reasonably, but ultimately it's up to you how much to offer.
Good luck. I've had a bunch of fun with it.
I'd look for something that will produce a little income; CRP, farm ground to cash rent, timber to harvest, hay ground, etc. At least get enough to cover your taxes and annual expenses. A water sources is nice. Ground that can't be so easily viewed from the roads is also a plus.
It will take a long time for bare hunting land to appreciate much and to be considered much of an investment, especially if you are financing it, so you need to buy it right. Don't be bashful about starting real low on your first offer, you can always go up later. Your age is important too. If you're pretty young, you can plant things and make some drastic changes over time, if older you better buy something close to what you expect the finish product to be.
In the last few years there is a trend of realtors such as Mossy Oak specializing in hunting properties. They tend to focus on a bunch of big buck pictures, beaten trails and rubs with their photos and talk about all the "potential" for building lakes, making income from the property, etc. then jack up the price like it's some wildlife hunting mecca. I think the farmland guys price stuff more reasonably, but ultimately it's up to you how much to offer.
Good luck. I've had a bunch of fun with it.
TheBenHoyle
Well-known member
I hope to be in the market for some recreational land in the near future. I have considered it many times and I could never justify it as a money investment. The dollars and cents just don't add up. I'd never make as much off rents to cover the loan and taxes so I'd have to kick in from my income and that wasn't possible.
Then my wife inherited some family land and she owns it with her siblings. We currently get money from the rent, but I looked at the land value versus the rent and before we even take out the taxes we are only making 2.5%.
At this point if we liquidated all of the land and put that into a financial investment (stocks, bonds, etc.) we would be making more than 2.5% and I could justify not putting all of the money into investments and buying a small 40-80 acre property that was just for fun.
But as someone else mentioned, owning property with siblings comes with problems and our problem is getting everyone to agree to sell the land. I guess it'll happen someday.
But as far as your situation goes, if you can afford it and it is close to home so that you will put in the time to get your enjoyment out of it, I would say go for it. Looks like a good hunt able parcel and you will have the opportunity to play with the land, cut some trees, plant some trees, clear some brush, etc. I know that is at least half of what I am looking forward to with my eventual purchase of land.
And if you own the land, you can call the shots. You want to invite someone along, you can. You want to move your stand to the west side for a hunt, you can.
Good luck. I hope it all works out for you.
Then my wife inherited some family land and she owns it with her siblings. We currently get money from the rent, but I looked at the land value versus the rent and before we even take out the taxes we are only making 2.5%.
At this point if we liquidated all of the land and put that into a financial investment (stocks, bonds, etc.) we would be making more than 2.5% and I could justify not putting all of the money into investments and buying a small 40-80 acre property that was just for fun.
But as someone else mentioned, owning property with siblings comes with problems and our problem is getting everyone to agree to sell the land. I guess it'll happen someday.
But as far as your situation goes, if you can afford it and it is close to home so that you will put in the time to get your enjoyment out of it, I would say go for it. Looks like a good hunt able parcel and you will have the opportunity to play with the land, cut some trees, plant some trees, clear some brush, etc. I know that is at least half of what I am looking forward to with my eventual purchase of land.
And if you own the land, you can call the shots. You want to invite someone along, you can. You want to move your stand to the west side for a hunt, you can.
Good luck. I hope it all works out for you.
BrentD
Well-known member
I own a piece of South Dakota with 2 siblings and maybe 8-10 other people, many who I have never met. It's not a big deal because there is little at stake and little value, but if I could, I would buy them all out. However, as the land is worth very little, no one wants to sell for basically dinner money. We are all hoping that they will strike oil there or we will discover T. rex, Sue's big brother (in pristine condition of course).
Wildabeest
Well-known member
I took a slightly different approach and bought smaller parcels that give me good access to public. I also looked for things that were likely to appreciate.
I have two 20 acre parcels in MT, each giving me access to separate 640 acre tracts of State Trust lands that don’t otherwise have public access, so very limited hunting pressure. One is 100% off grid with a cabin, the other is vacant and in a development with power and year round road maintenance. Realtor reached out recently inquiring into to whether I’d want to sell either or both of them - she said I could likely sell them for 30-50% more than I paid less than 2 yrs ago for each one. I told her I wasn’t ready to list them, but if she had a qualified buyer interested at those prices to give me a call!
My place in WY is only 3 acres but has a nice off-grid cabin and outbuildings, and the development borders hundreds of thousands of acres of public lands. Sage flats loaded with antelope less than a mile down the hill, and alpine country loaded with elk, deer, moose, black bear (and at least one recently spotted griz) just up the hill. Don’t have exclusive access to any of that public, but it’s massive country so hopefully I’ll be able to get away from the crowds. Look forward to hunting it next year!
I have two 20 acre parcels in MT, each giving me access to separate 640 acre tracts of State Trust lands that don’t otherwise have public access, so very limited hunting pressure. One is 100% off grid with a cabin, the other is vacant and in a development with power and year round road maintenance. Realtor reached out recently inquiring into to whether I’d want to sell either or both of them - she said I could likely sell them for 30-50% more than I paid less than 2 yrs ago for each one. I told her I wasn’t ready to list them, but if she had a qualified buyer interested at those prices to give me a call!
My place in WY is only 3 acres but has a nice off-grid cabin and outbuildings, and the development borders hundreds of thousands of acres of public lands. Sage flats loaded with antelope less than a mile down the hill, and alpine country loaded with elk, deer, moose, black bear (and at least one recently spotted griz) just up the hill. Don’t have exclusive access to any of that public, but it’s massive country so hopefully I’ll be able to get away from the crowds. Look forward to hunting it next year!
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Owning land means trimming, mowing, fencing, cutting, stacking, spraying, clearing, repairing, tilling, driving (a lot,) paying taxes, and sometimes nursing bruises, cuts, and sore muscles. I think it's funny when people call it "recreational land."
Wildabeest
Well-known member
When you drive a desk for a living, all of those things could be considered “recreating”. I certainly do.
ignorethefringes
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Exactly. That is the biggest drive for me to own in the future. All of the above sounds like several weekend camping trips with the kids and you can't beat that.
Steiny
Well-known member
Not necessarily true.
With the exception of the travel, paying taxes and setting some tree stands I have done zero of this type of work on my IL ground. I've got a farmer that farms the tillable and all I do there is play around.
But ..... I do enjoy working on our land and spend countless hours working on my homeplace in IN. I don't hardly consider it work and do it on my own time schedule.
wisconsinteacher
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My wife and I walked the 80 yesterday. The south 40 is thicker than hair on a dog's back but there are deer in there. The north 40 is nice with a small stand of oaks and a swamp. The oaks had deer sign and the swamp had tracks going across it. In an hour, we kicked up 4-5 just walking down the main trail. I'm going to walk it agian tomorrow with a forester and see what he says. I know the deer are there, I just don't know how to hunt a thick 40 with no tress big enough for a stand other than cutting trails and putting out blinds.
stealthy_bowman
Well-known member
Don’t hunt the thick 40. Leave it as a sanctuary that you never go into therein creating a safe haven for the deer. That will pay dividends for you as deer will quickly learn that area to be a sanctuary. I would just hunt the edges of it...
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