Land values are going up

It would be interesting to study how the changing land ownership demographics is affecting deer hunting and deer population

Grandma dies and the kids sell her 40. A well to do guy from city (at least is our area) buys the 40 for $200K

My guess is he's not brown and down local type hunter but more into QDM? That's just a guess from the guys I know who moved in. Locals very rarely can afford land in Waupaca county now.

I would also guess they are not interested in timber cutting (but that is a nice check once in a while) or shooting every doe they see

10 years from now I predict less local family land and more outsiders to contend with keeping QDM and deer populations in check.

Should be interesting to watch for sure. The CDAC is happy with Waupaca doe harvest last year and we only took a few more does. Seems like that went away quickly - personal agendas is my guess

I see it differently. A guy who lives there with adjoining ground won't let the tillable ground slip away and hunters really don't want that. Hilly wood lots , maybe. But I've seen hillsides logged, dozed off and a couple crops planted, then rolled into CRP ( highly erodible). Large land owners consider deer as one not very important piece of a puzzle that generates cash flow. Leasing and hunting are minor considerations in the ability to subsidize a land acquisition. They will take the money,but won't invest any effort. Sometimes a outsider sneaks in there, but the locals are clannish and know whats going on don't trust real estate agents. Another thing , a guy with only 40 acres can't control what goes on around him.If you own enough ground and you keep hunters off except for a few friends and family you can't kill enough deer to hurt the trophy potential. I see it being more land being closed off and ownership in fewer hands and leasing going to the highest bidder. I hope I'm wrong.
 
Doe shooter I can surely see your point in Ag country

By us it is more woods than fields. I'd guess 60-80% woods. Soil is filled with rocks making good farm land an exception. We don't have many huge farmers but some. Most of the time woods sells for more than ag fields. Right now some swamp is going for $4000/ acre vs farm for $2500/3000/acre
 
Doe shooter I can surely see your point in Ag country

By us it is more woods than fields. I'd guess 60-80% woods. Soil is filled with rocks making good farm land an exception. We don't have many huge farmers but some. Most of the time woods sells for more than ag fields. Right now some swamp is going for $4000/ acre vs farm for $2500/3000/acre

Bull farmland out numbers woodland. Straight from Waupaca county's web site:

" Waupaca County encompasses approximately 760 square miles of which about 17 square miles is surface water, 420 square miles is farmland, 202 square miles is forested, 97 square miles is wetland, leaving about 24 square miles designated as urban area that includes six cities and six villages."
 
Tom - true. The part of Waupaca/Shawano/Portage county - which arurably is the best deer country and where I personally watch land values is between

Iola north
Tigerton south.
Marion west
Rosholt east

It's mainly mixed woods with heavy woods

The rest of the county has better and more farm land. Good hunting too but not the values as in this area above from what I've seen
 
Spent the morning here today at a land auction. 42 acres bordering our east edge. I would have loved to buy it and even spend more then what I should to have it just because it's against us.
After a lot of discussion with the wife we came to the place that we decided it just isn't the right thing for us to do for our family financially, even though it was the "perfect fit" property wise. There's only so much debt that's ok and we're pushing that too much already.
Went to the auction, stood there and watched it sell for 5,000.00/acre. Got some great news though when I met my new neighbor, they are very serious about QDM and are on the same page as we are with harvest goals. I'm actually more excited right now (i think :) ) then if we would have bought it. Not more debt and an improved situation from what it's been the past 17 years.
It's a huge win for our local QDM co-op, these guys are interested in joining and it's the kind of neighbor we love to have........ did I mention the new neighbor is Amish? :)
 
For your entertainment value, I will share whats happening in the world class wildlife country of Northern Mexico. I bought my original 6000 acres in 1996 for $65 an acre. It was part of a 250,000 acre ranch and essentially all Mexicans viewed their property strictly as cattle ranches. I was one of the first Americans to buy property down there for recreational purposes and it took lawyers a year and a half to develop a scheme making it legal.

Flash forward to today and Americans own as much property along the river as Mexicans all for the fabulous hunting and fishing with the most recent sales going for around $300 acre. My American neighbor immediately to the south has a 50,000 acre ranch and to my east an American owns 12,000 acres. Such as it is up and down the river. Of course no one is selling their property anymore in our neighborhood since Mexico changed the constitution allowing foreign investment in oil and gas and the Eagle Ford shale play is directly across the river in Tx.

And across the river in Webb and Maverick county if you could find a ranch to buy it probably would range from $2000-5000/acre. That of course without minerals. Margaritas anyone!
 
For your entertainment value, I will share whats happening in the world class wildlife country of Northern Mexico. I bought my original 6000 acres in 1996 for $65 an acre. It was part of a 250,000 acre ranch and essentially all Mexicans viewed their property strictly as cattle ranches. I was one of the first Americans to buy property down there for recreational purposes and it took lawyers a year and a half to develop a scheme making it legal.

Flash forward to today and Americans own as much property along the river as Mexicans all for the fabulous hunting and fishing with the most recent sales going for around $300 acre. My American neighbor immediately to the south has a 50,000 acre ranch and to my east an American owns 12,000 acres. Such as it is up and down the river. Of course no one is selling their property anymore in our neighborhood since Mexico changed the constitution allowing foreign investment in oil and gas and the Eagle Ford shale play is directly across the river in Tx.

And across the river in Webb and Maverick county if you could find a ranch to buy it probably would range from $2000-5000/acre. That of course without minerals. Margaritas anyone!
Wow Baker. Do you want to adopt me? You'll get 5 grandkids
 
Bullwinkle,
We are in Coshocton Co. Ohio. Around here Auctions are very common and profitable.
Today's auction was absolute, meaning the seller was selling regardless of the price however some sellers will place a reserve bid on the parcel.
This parcel was all wooded, had no mineral rights with it, does not lay well to hunt and the timber was harvested heavily
5 yrs ago.
I hate the thought of buying property without the mineral rights.
 
Looks like you have a similar situation as we do with deer hunting land values. Pretty crazy $5000/acre for hunting land. It will be interesting to see what the next 20 years brings in WI.

There are so many areas struggling to get their deer population back - wolves and heavy doe kills have taken a toll. The amount of land considered good deer hunting has reduced big time. I think this is the biggest driver in price increases in Waupaca county.
 
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