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Buy, outfitter or public?

Been hunting for 3 years only. I got skunked my first year. Second year I bagged a doe and this year I bagged a button buck. I hunt public land. I have seen big deer and have had close encounters with good ones. First one got me with buck fever and I missed. Second one was ruined by a pair of hunters walking behind and spooking the buck. I'm 32 and I believe I got started too late since my father wasn't a hunter. I'm now at the point where I want to go after mature deer. It seems like everyone is bagging big bucks on social media and more often than not this is happening on private land. I know land in IL expensive but I'm also fortunate to be able to afford purchasing a decent chunk of land. I've seen outfitter charge anywhere between $2500 to $5000 for a weeks worth of white tail hunt on managed property. Are you better off spending that kind of money vs. paying for land over the next 15 to 30 years? I'm not interested in leasing land.

Around here your looking at $5000 an acre and up. Then you've got the screwy recreational taxes. Lot on money to spend to hunt deer a couple months a year. Go out in the summer and meet some landowners and farmers. Most are good people. I've had them tell me "family hunts here, but you can hunt that 40". We allow guys to hunt our farm to keep the doe population down. Bucks over 3 1/2 are fair game too. Lot to look at before you jump into land ownership. Where are you looking at buying if I can ask?

Yeah I hear you. I think it'd be cool to have a small cabin and set up a shooting range to plink during the summer. I'm finding land for anywhere between 3 and 4K an acre. I'd like to get close to 100. I have no preference as to where. Anything too close to Chicago is very expensive.

I bought my farm about 6 years ago. Here's my opinion. You can go out and pay an outfitter $3,000 for the rest of your life which would cost about $100,000 and in the end have nothing to show except a few dandy bucks.

When you purchase your own you can pay a little more than $100,000 and not only have a few dandy bucks but you can also pass the land down to your kids. You are also in complete control on what happens at your own place but remember it is a lot of work.

My 60 acres cost around $160,000 and I make about $3,500 on CRP and for crops on the farm. It will eventually pay for itself. My farm is in Marion County just south of Effingham.

If you have time to dedicate to your property id say invest in it, but if not, Id say work harder to hunt the free public land, I have 2 friends who consistently kill mature deer on over pressured public land, didn't happen overnight, it takes a lot of work and dedication. A lot of work goes into land ownership, Paying for it, taxes, maintenance, etc. Then if you don't live close, you will never see what is going on or who is on your ground while you are not there. If you own much under 160 acres, its sometimes hard to keep deer on your place, and your neighbors will be benefiting from your efforts. A land payment is a big, long-term commitment, It will make you think when you write that check for your yearly land payment. If I didn't farm, I wouldn't be buying property just to hunt on, seems foolish to me to pay that much for a silly deer, but that's just my opinion. If you own land, you better be prepared to be there on it and maintain it, regularly, not just in September, when you are scouting to hang stands and on weekends to hunt. Think about it long and hard, forget the B.S. of leasing and try the old fashioned approach of asking a landowner for permission. Don't show up during hunting season and ask, start now. As a farmer...nothing pisses me off more, than people wanting to be your friend from Sept through Dec. then when I need a little extra hand farming or something...they are all busy playing golf and at little league. Have a whole bunch of people want to hunt.........where are they all at when I need help putting up a wagon load of small square hay bales in the barn in July?? I can tell you where they wont be.......On any of my hunting spots. Sorry for the rant, but think about it a while, try a few different public places, maybe hunt later season more(less hunters) Dont just jump in yet.....move slow and think. Good luck

Southern ILbowhunter,you said it well. I'm not a farmer but was one of those who 'bucked" bales in the past. True what you said and my experience during haying time never saw any of them then when hunting came guess who was on the land hunting? Got away from that and hunt public only unless invited or asked by private landowners. Its my choice but I dont have to or want to get involved in all the personality clashes and egos etc.

I own 220 by cambell pond good deer and dux but a ton of work. Nobody shows up to help plant mow cut lanes kill wasps nrush blinds or help with decoys They will show up to hunt and you will find friends then you didnt know you had. It gets expensive and its a lot harder as you age.

Thank you all for all the feedback. I'm more than willing to help out with farm labor during hot summer months for permission to hunt private property. Also thinking it might be better to buy a small propert closer to home.

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