I have been looking for another piece of ground and I found one that looks interesting in Notheastern KY. It's in Nicholas County. It's not one of the big trophy counties like Pulaski or Ohio County, but it looks good based on the aerial images with good water, terrain, cover and about 20% open to wooded.
I did a search and found some locals talking about the county. They say poaching is rampant, spotlighting all the time, trespassers, all the big ones have been shot, blah blah blah. But then again it seems every internet forum (probably including this one) the locals go out of their way to scare people from hunting their county. So I have no faith in those reports.
I'm primarily interested in deer quality, and soil quality. Thanks -
Russell's Link
For soil analysis, I use the USDA site. I've talked with them a time or two.
Also, I've spoken with the KY dept of Ag regarding CRP, gameland improvements, etc. They were very helpful.
I sent you a pm on where I would specifically look.
As anything, I have to weigh the price, the amount of acreage, the drive and the quality of hunting.
Pat...just let me know. I don't think you can go wrong in that particular area.
Eastern KY: My wife's family is from there. If YOU aren't from there, you're not welcome. Some counties are rough. I thought about buying land there because of the introduced elk. Overall the deer hunting is poor. Not good land for whitetails. My wife's family told me the locals will learn my name, my truck and when I'm there. They'll hunt and trespass all over the land and stay off when I'm there. If I say something...any cabin or stands or truck is gonna get it.
Western Ky: more civilized, GREAT trophy deer. Ohio and Muhlenberg counties are hot. Way western Ky near paducah and the illinois/missouri border have a lot of wetlands, good hunting, slightly rough, but no fears. Just plain old trespassers.
The bluegrass area of KY are the counties northeast and southeast of Louisville. Those are the real best kept secrets of the state. This is where I hunt. There's a lot of old money in this state and some of the families that started the tobacco and alcohol, horse racing, newspapers and hospitals bought huge tracts of land in this region. Look for land in oldham county, henry county, shelby, spencer, anderson, woodford and franklin counties.
Most of the wealthy power people I have met and know are tree hugging liberal non-hunter types. As a result a lot of huge tracts of land aren't hunted. I hunt a property in the middle of some of the Brown/Williamson family land (tobacco and alcohol money) and I call the place 'the petting zoo." Animals everywhere, like park deer.
Those old money families run those counties and they pay most of the revenue. There's a good old boy network that runs the law they way they see fit. When a person trespasses on their land they call the police and let me tell you, justice for the families that have hundreds of millions is WAAAY different than for me and you. You get caught there, they'll spend thousands to ruin your life, and they will. Lawyers and judges are in their pockets and the low lives know it. I've never seen or even heard of a trespasser.
That's the hoytie toytie part of the state and very civilized very high brow. Not the stereotype of KY. The deer are plentiful and those counties are pope and young producers.
If you can afford it.
Look at Henry county, if you have half to three quarters of a million, you'll buy a piece of heaven with great neighbors and very little to worry about.
I own property in PA and NY and have zero trespassing issues. I was told it would be the complete opposite. I have never had a break in, lost a trail camera, or a treestand. Maybe I'm lucky. Anyway, thank you for your thoughtful response and it certainly gives me a lot to think about.
I think it's a moot point anyway, I can't get the Whitetail Properties guy to respond to me so maybe even the Realtor is part of the anti-NR sentiment that runs rampant in Eastern KY? ;-)
SE Eastern KY is where you would have issue. You don't want to be there anyway as the deer hunting is crappy compared to the rest of the state. As a general rule, ignore the areas south of I64 and east of I75 and you will have great deer hunting and trespassing will be no worse than anywhere else you might purchase.
You will have zero issues in KY. You would be welcomed. The only thing with many Kentuckians is that they don't trust outsiders enough to give them access on their land. If they like you, and they will as you will treat them with respect, they will give you the shirt off their back.
If you would have asked me 15 years ago as to whether to purchase land in southern or eastern Ohio or KY, it would have been a no brainer for Ohio. Now....I'd say KY deer hunting is better overall, but you still have much better gun season dates in Ohio. KY gun season is going to be the second Saturday in November for nearly a month in most areas and in Ohio you will get to hunt right through the rut before gun season starts.
Eastern KY culture is steeped in mistrust because of what outsiders did there 50 to 75 years ago in the coal mining industry. My wife's family told me how northerners and big companies came in and made promises but instead destroyed land, destroyed opportunities, stole, lied and cheated the local people. Those mountain folks have long memories. Simply put, if you're not from there, they won't trust you. And I fully understand why they feel that way.
I have a friend who is an attorney in Louisville. He's originally from Pike county. I found a big, cheap piece of land there that backs into Daniel Boone National Forest. Elk are plentiful and spreading into the area. I figured it would be a great investment. Elk hunting in the next decade may be open access where you don't have to draw a tag. The elk re-introduction program has done WAY better that the biologists thought possible. If I buy that land I could have access to my own 200 acres and tens of thousands more in Boone! Build a cabin and I have a great investment and my own piece of Elk heaven!
So I asked my attorney friend from Pike county what he thought. His exact words were.."The locals will put you on probation until they can find you guilty." He shook his head back and forth slowly while saying it...
Here's the thing, I've hunted public land all over the state including places I was told not to go. I hunt alone and I'm obviously a yankee (Massachusetts boy). I have never had a problem, anywhere. I've enjoyed great hunting here.
I love Kentucky, the hunting is great and the people are too, in the areas around cities. Really rural areas you have to be known by your family's name.
Poaching??...I don't know about trespass and poaching on someone else's property, but I DO KNOW THIS... You're only allowed one buck per year in KY. I have met so many people with land and farms that take out their phones and show me there buck(s) for the year. They brag..."Here's my buck, here's my wife's buck, here's my daughter's buck, here's my sister's buck...hehehehe. None of those girls even got out of bed to get their bucks this year, they're good hunters hehehehe." The pictures they show me are great deer too. Pisses me off. And it's rampant.
"Poaching??...I don't know about trespass and poaching on someone else's property, but I DO KNOW THIS... You're only allowed one buck per year in KY. I have met so many people with land and farms that take out their phones and show me there buck(s) for the year. They brag..."Here's my buck, here's my wife's buck, here's my daughter's buck, here's my sister's buck...hehehehe. None of those girls even got out of bed to get their bucks this year, they're good hunters hehehehe." The pictures they show me are great deer too. Pisses me off. And it's rampant."
GOOD PEOPLE! Strict southern baptists, law abiding, God fearing, generous and REALLY hard working. Not sure about outsiders though... Like Bowfreak said, if you're very respectful and share their faith and work ethic they'll be the best family you could hope for. I miss them. I got tested hard down there as a yankee though LOL. Since I'm canadien french and and my first language was french they called me a "Super Yankee"
An elk stepped out of the woods at Grandpaw's funeral while they lowered him into the ground...
After I made some friends and found my place here I found some of the most generous people I've ever met.
People are actually having armed confrontations in the woods over moose hunting blinds in Quebec according to my family who live there. My dad doesn't want to go anymore. ?!?Canada?!? of all places. This stuff can be anywhere.
—jim
