My wife finally agreed to let me purchase a piece of ground to hunt on. She personally couldn't care less about the hunting, but she wants to have a large enough piece of ground so that we can build a bunk house on it for family reunions etc...
Obviously I want to have a good piece of hunting ground to go along with the package. We live in Nebraska but she wants a piece of ground somewhere further south where the winters aren't as cold. We wouldn't be moving but it would be more of a vacation spot.
Her thought was the Ozarks region in MO, she likes the rolling hills and pasture areas. I would prefer to lean towards Kansas as the quality of deer there is better. MO land seems to be cheaper per acre, but generally the ozarks don't alternative revenue streams like farming that a good piece of KS property would have.
I know MO doesn't offer landowner tags to Non-Res landowners, I'm not sure about KS on that one yet. Still need to do some homework.
I know from listening to Grant Woods that you can do a lot of work on these Ozark region properties to help produce good bucks, but I'm not sure I'm going to have the time for all that. I'd prefer something I could set and forget and perhaps add a food plot or two.
I've also thought about NE Oklahoma.
I know it's not the ideal situation as it's probably 7 hours from home, but Momma's not going to let me buy something here. Besides, I already have access to 700 PRIME Platte River bottom acreage with tons of deer.
Any of you with knowledge of both areas have an opinion about the pro's and cons of each area? I'm thinking I can't go wrong with either, but would like to hear from others.
btw...thinking down the road. I have 4 kids and the oldest is 8 so will need to be thinking about getting each of them deer in the years ahead too. Population density is probably more important for that than trophy potential and I'd rather see my kids get opportunities than to kill a big buck every year.
Thought, comments, not-so-snide remarks?
It has turned out to be good hunting but more to the point with it being close, my wife and I use it constantly.We are discussing retiring up here because we love the woods and the abundant wildlife. Also there are bike trails and great canoeing close by.
I would opt for something closer you can use and keep an eye on.
Bill
Missouri, currently offers the opportunity for unlimited non-resident deer permits. As you know the land is less expensive in Missouri. I also feel that Missouri probably offers a better environment for family get together based on other activities available. There are probably more deer in Missouri.
Based on the above information and most importantly the fact that your wife prefers Missouri, I feel your best option is Missouri. Since, you have good trophy potential at home you could treat Missouri as simply a place to hunt deer and not worry about trophy hunting.
Ignoring the family part, a cabin in WY near a ton of great public hunting would be my choice. Great state, different species to hunt (still have wt and turkeys), snowmobiling in the winter, mountains, and lots of room to roam.
The properties I hunt now are 1.5 hours away and 3 hours away respectively and it's awfully tough to get out to the property that's 3 hours away as it is.
However, at the end of the day it's what mama wants. I'm only 36 and not even close to retiring and I run a very busy trucking company so I don't get to get out as much as I want but my time will come.
If you did the math on actual days in the woods, depending on costs, I am willing to bet it would work out to well over $2K a day. Conservatively. To hunt.
Were I you at 36, I would look into buying timberland. By the time you retire, you should have both money and a land portfolio to manage as it suits you. Not to mention the opportunities along the way. Great legacy for your family, as well. If the trucking company is yours, you are probably doing well enough to need the shelter.
A good land investment with hunting is close......
to add quality deer most will have to drive.
The single MOST IMPORTANT aspect for a distant farm is your relationship with your neighbors.
The SECOND most important is the STATE.Habitat is easy to improve but the potential of the soil and thus the trophy potential simply cannot be duplicated I don't think all the money in the World could raise the Ozark region of MO up to your present standard in Nebraska.
My distant farmland has been my best investment and as given my family the best hunting experiences of our lives.......The drive was way and is way worth it.
Land just got higher as I was posting! :)
One is holding quite a bit of $$$ in reserve, believing prices will fall some more. The guy seems to know what he's doing because he's amassed several thousand acres through time.
As per what Pat said,...try to get as close to home as you can while making everyone happy.
And we have some nasty winters in Kansas, too, so if she's really wanting better weather you're going to have to go even further south.
Weather is always a roll of the dice.
If you finance bare ground land, banks want a large down payment and offer short term loans with a short amortization schedules.
Why not go buy 4 plexes, have someone else pay them off(tenants) put little down, and get a 30 year amortization schedule. You can defer taxes through depreciation, and get a way better rate of return. With the cash flow, you can pay for the hunts you want. Your down payment money goes much farther with rental$.
All that said, billionaire type giant ranches seem to appreciate well, and the wealthiest people in the world need to buy something to avoid taxes. I'll assume your not going to buy 30,000 acres though.
Here are my thoughts from a buying/selling land in KS and then researching a replacement property that I bought in March.
KS is a special state to hunt, great deer numbers and if you take your time, you can find a great deal buying from the smaller realtors or at auction. If you buy through a big name deer realtor expect to pay top dollar. SE or South Central KS is where I would look. Just know that you have to deal with a draw, specific weapon (bow vs rifle) and expensive licenses. KS is definitely more remote than MO, sometimes too remote. As an example I would have to drive 25 miles just to buy gas. Potential is high to have a solid return on your investment. If you don't rush the buy and wait for the right place, it is realistic to double your money. I live in MA and went three times a year but regardless of how far away it was, I thought of it as an investment first and did well.
MO doesn't have the same hype as KS and I think you can get more huntable land for your money with a young family. I have a good buddy in Ozarks and have hunted there many times, just a beautiful place with a ton for you and your family to do. If I had a young family, I honestly would look here vs KS. I think your wife would enjoy it more and happy wife means happy husband. The turkey hunting is superior in MO and deer numbers can be comparable to KS in the right areas. MO is tricky though, make sure you really understand what is around you and the history of the property. More populated than KS and you will probably have less mature monster deer but there are some great places for sale. I almost bought a place in MO near KC, it came second to where I eventually bought a place. Licenses are easier to buy and you can use the same license for all seasons.
I ended up buying a place in Grayson County KY after a three month search. I don't want to throw out numbers here but I ended up paying 20% less than their asking price and got about 35% more land per $/Acre. I saw the potential this place has and with its strong history of producing some big deer, I was sold. If done right this land should yield a good return. I added four plots this fall and plan to add one more next season. I am also adding a giant pond next year and stocking it. Right up the road is a state park that rents cottages so no need to build.
Talk to as many realtors as you can, learn what the areas are like, let them sell you a bit and see if it matches up with what you want. I probably spoke to 40 realtors all over the Midwest to find my place, I have a folder 3 inches thick with property flyers :) Enjoy it, I had so much fun and now that I am hunting the new place after all the initial setup work, I am already thinking about how I can parlay it into an even larger tract.
Good luck in whatever you chose, I hope you and your family enjoy it together. I just returned from 5 days of hunting with my brother and first cousin.. worth every penny.
That's exactly what I plan to do. I don't think I will end up buying from Whitetail Properties or Cabelas trophy properties. Probably some small town realtor that knows a farmer that wants to divest.
I'm thinking it's going to be MO, my wife is leaning heavily that direction.
