Lets step back and take a look at recreational land in general. Many of us remember the days where gaining permission to hunt wasn’t all that difficult. I don’t think those days are completely over but it sure is getting tougher and unfortunately there is no going back. I’m certain of that. If anything, the trend will only continue. Where does this leave us? There is no doubt we still have options. 1. We could give up hunting…Yeah right, not a chance! 2. We could find a lease and pay to hunt…feasible but can get expensive with no hope of building equity. 3. We could hunt public land…not always for the meek but not a bad choice and something I am still willing to do. 4. We could knock on more doors…absolutely. Most of us including myself currently hunt on permission to this day. 5. We could buy a farm…another solid option but takes the most planning of all the options. Lets talk about each of these and go in to a little depth on the last one.
1. Give up hunting. Although the sale of hunting licences across the country are slowly declining, this one is simple. NO WAY! If you’re reading this article right now you eat up deer hunting so I’m already preaching to the choir. Therefore we already know giving it up is not an option!
2. How about leasing a farm to hunt. I know quite a few people that lease hunting land but this is something I have yet to do. I’m not saying that I am against it or above it. It’s something which to date I have tried to avoid for one reason…It’s expensive. It’s actually the most expensive way to hunt outside of a guide. With leasing you are actually “spending” money rather than investing it or building net worth with it. Granted, you are willingly exchanging your money in hopes of creating a quality experience and positive memories. Similar to a vacation. I get it and understand why people do it. In fact, I too may choose to lease someday. A little more detail on why I have avoided it is because the money spent on a lease is truly gone. Say for instance a lease costs $3600. That’s $300/mo. I heard a gentleman say that he’d rather lease or pay a guide and “spend” less every year than having a farm payment. While that may be true, land payments are not “spent money”. It’s just not as liquid as cash upon each payment, but one’s equity has undoubtedly increased. Personally, if I had a choice, I’d rather have a $600/mo farm payment over a $300/mo lease where I can build equity every month AND create positive memories. This is just my opinion. I’m just a thrifty person trying to keep my hobby up while shoring up my family’s future.
3. Lets talk about something that is “free”. Well not exactly free but something our tax dollars have already paid for…public hunting. Here lies a very solid option for young and old alike. I haven’t hunted public land for a few years but overall I had positive experiences when doing so. I won’t get too deep into this option as an entire encyclopedia set could be written about this subject. However, I hold good public hunters in a high regard. They are some of the best woodsmen out there. Substantially more factors go into finding and harvesting mature animals on this land as well. I would never think for a second that the best deer hunters are necessarily the ones that kill the biggest deer. If I was forced to bet on it, I’d be inclined to say some of the best hunters are actually public land hunters. My approach to hunting public land is very clear…I want to avoid pressure. If that means hunting right by a busy road, way deep into the timber, or weird off the wall spots…that’s where I’m looking hard to hunt. This last archery season I was hunting some pretty good private ground not more than 1 mile from a friend that was hunting public ground. It was November 9th and I wasn’t seeing anything worth picking up my bow. At 1pm that afternoon he harvested a great buck around 160″. Case in point, his set was on public land, in an off the wall spot that only made sense if you were thinking outside the box. I don’t believe setting ones sights on a giant public land buck year in and year out is realistic, but I do believe with enough effort, the opportunity in the Midwest to encounter a nice buck on public land does exist.
4. Hunting on permission can be a very broad subject but still an option nonetheless. As for myself, I still hunt a fair amount on permission. I like to spread my pressure out as best I can for a variety of reasons therefore I really try to have a couple of different herds of deer to chase. This being the case, it requires I seek out permission. This is not a one and done thing. I try to find a new place to hunt every couple years because for one reason or another, I stop or can’t hunt somewhere and need a filler. My goal here is very similar to my public land approach. I want to avoid pressure. We work so hard for peace, tranquility, and a positive experience that if I can help it, I’m going to do everything in my power to make that happen. I’m not trying to gain permission in the highest profile areas. I’m not trying to step on anyone’s toes. I’m surely not trying to make waves or upset anyone. My goal is to have fun! If that means I have to chase deer a little “smaller” than ideal, then so be it. At least, I’m not going to get in the stand and hate my choices up to that point! If I may give one point on gaining permission to hunt, it’s to put yourself in the landowner’s shoes. Think like them throughout the entire interaction and its hard to go wrong. Whether you gained access or not, you’ll at least understand the end result and give yourself something to think about the next time you approach a land owner. I don’t know my odds of yes’s versus no’s but I can say that the last 2-3 places I’ve gained access to hunt, the landowner had no idea who I was upon introducing myself. True, it’s much nicer to have rapport going into the conversation but it’s not a must if handled well.
5. The end goal for many hunters, land ownership. “Dream big” is not just a cliche it can be a reality and WILL be a realty for someone reading this very article. I can remember just like yesterday rocking my daughter to sleep and wondering if I’d ever have a farm of my own to hunt. It’s not a matter of “can or can’t” it’s a matter of “will or won’t”. Don’t find excuses for why you can’t own land. Simply ask yourself “how” you can do it. I mean that with every fiber in my body. If you want something bad enough you have to ask yourself “how can this be done?” This will cause you to pull out a piece of paper and design your road map to make it a reality. This is where the Baader-Meinhof Phenomenon begins to take effect and pieces will start to slowly some together. You’ll think about it constantly. You’ll stretch, you’ll grow, and you’ll become more financially savvy because of it. Owning land is not just for the rich. In fact, owning land is something that has made a lot of people rich. Another great thing about the investment of land is that you can get a loan for it. Sure you may need 20%+ down but how great is that? You can’t put 20% down and get a loan to invest in a mutual fund or stock market. This goes to show how solid even banks feel about land is as an investment. I know at least a dozen people “ready” to buy land but are waiting for that deal of a lifetime or waiting for the market to crash, yet years later the market has continued to climb. Possibly faster than their ability to save. Now, don’t think I am trying to suggest that one should over pay or spend their life savings in a volatile area. I am merely suggesting that one shouldn’t arbitrarily wait to buy real estate. Rather, one should buy real estate and wait. In fact, there is not one 10 year span in United States history where real estate has not increased in value. I may sound somewhat slanted towards owning land but my reason is pure…It’s because I know where I have come from (nothing) and what it’s done for me. However, DO NOT get me wrong. I am absolutely nothing special. I have seen many other people set their family’s future up with land ownership as well. At the end of the day, it’s the only sure fire way to have your “slice of heaven” in regards to hunting. As mentioned, there is no doubt this route takes the most work and planning but I have yet to meet a single person that has said they wish they waited longer to buy land.
To wrap this up, land is a dream for so many hunters. Creating positive memories with friends and family, not having to worry about permission, increasing your net worth, having a place to call your own, the list goes on and on. All too often our dreams remain just that, “dreams”. I know with 100% certainty that having your own personal farm to hunt is not out of reach if you make a plan and work your plan. Though all markets are different, the fact remains that you can make it happen. If you’ve ever heard the quote “Dream Big”, do yourself a huge favor and let those two words resonate with you until you remove “can’t” from your vocabulary.
Sean-Iowa Land Man (515) 402-2543