One of the many benefits of being a hunter in the United States is the ability to find public lands relatively close to home on which to hunt deer, ducks, grouse, pheasants, and other game and nongame species.
Such land belongs to everyone, is accessible to everyone, and is usually managed for forestry and wildlife purposes.
Millions of people hunt public lands every year. But some people want to own their own property, manage it the way they think is best, maybe build on it, and know that when they go hunting, no one else will stand (or sit or walk) in the way of their grand plan. Indeed, for some people, owning their own piece of hunting land is a dream.
It may not be a plain task – simplicity is of course relative when it comes to purchasing any type of property – but those who plan ahead and know exactly what they are looking for have the best chance of success.
What is the current market situation?
First, let’s look at the whole picture.
“The market is still competitive, especially for finished, proven hunting properties,” said Travis Hamele of UC Hunting Properties in Wisconsin. “The properties I call ‘pristine’ — maybe they have trails or something like that, but the owners haven’t improved them with things like food plots and warm-season grasses — aren’t as competitive because they need work. The work costs money and time, but if you like that, you can find some properties there and just let your imagination be your guide.”
Don’t ignore agricultural land
As hunters begin their search, Kevin Mahoney of Coldwell Banker Crown Realtors in west-central Minnesota advises them to contact two or three real estate agents in the area they are looking at. He says these agents should have experience helping clients buy and sell farmland.
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While agricultural land is not classified as recreational property, it often includes a variety of land types such as lowlands, forests, pastures and arable land.
“Don’t discount farmland as hunting land,” Mahoney said. “Some of that farmland, even though it’s listed and sold as farmland, is very good hunting land.”
Hamele gives similar advice.
“Look at all the avenues that have properties listed because there are some that are listed by someone who may not be advertising them to the hunting and recreational community. They’re more like an opening,” he said. “Sometimes they get overlooked, but they can be a really good opportunity to find good properties at a reasonable price.”
Staying close to home
Hamele also recommends that potential buyers stay relatively close to the home unless they have the option of staying near or on the property they are purchasing.
“Anytime you’re more than about two hours away, people just don’t use their properties as much,” he said. “So be aware of how far away your home is so you can actually use it more often.”
“Know what you want from a property, how far you can travel and, of course, what you can afford.”
Work with experienced real estate agents
Like Mahoney, Hamele also recommends people work with real estate agents who have experience selling fishing land.
“Wherever you look, find an agent and a company that specializes in recreation and hunting areas,” he said. “I wouldn’t recommend using a real estate agent to find a property where your goal is to shoot big deer. They probably won’t know what the terrain looks like, whether there are things like sinkholes, pinch points and saddles. Those are all things that can help you find that perfect little piece and have success right out of the gate.”
Know what you want in advance
Hamele also recommends that people know ahead of time what kinds of improvements they might want now or in the future. Is there internet access? Are utilities nearby? If not, are you willing to consider secondary utilities, such as solar?
You too should do your own research.
What does the land around the property look like? If your goal is large money, for example, a property surrounded by many 10-acre lots may not be what you want. The same property surrounded by immense estates or immense pieces of public land may be what you want.
Above all, Hamele recommends that potential buyers know exactly what they’re looking for and what they can afford, and then be ready to make a decision when the right opportunity arises.
“When you finally see the property that you’ve envisioned and you’ve already thought about all of these things, you can make a quick decision about whether it fits into your plan for what you want out of a property,” he said. “If you do all of your research up front and you’re ready to go into a competitive market, you don’t have to do all of your due diligence under pressure, so to speak.”
