Some questions about buying some hunting land.

[Chainsaw]

You guys will probably think I'm crazy for what I'm dealing with then.

I'm six hours from my property. I stay in the neighbor's cabin for now. Thankfully, he's a very nice guy and I try to pull my weight and help share some costs and such. I don't have any storage right now, so I drag all my tools up. So here's my take on it.

I could try to buy land closer, but that would mean 3-4 times as much money per acre. I'd rather quick working years sooner than save on some drive time. I'm not a debt guy, so borrowing and paying for 20 years is not my thing. The hunting isn't great yet, but the upside is huge. There is no real competition from neighbors when it comes to the habitat race. The drive up is therapeutic. It gives time to decompress, think, listen to podcasts, loud music, or catch up with people on the phone. The drive home can get a little long, especially with a hangover. But I've grown out of the need to get plowed the night before I go home.

Being that far away definitely requires some planning and organization. I'm 40 minutes from any real retail services beyond a gas station, liquor store, and small time lumber yard. I've also got a lousy vacation allowance at work, so I really have to prioritize my work and work hard while I'm there. At some point, the work will slow down and I can focus on the roses.

There's upside to it all though as well. I see what I go through to make this stuff happen, and many think I'm crazy. They're probably right, but the reward of seeing things change quickly and impact deer movement are the payoff. I get a hell of a recharge from being up there. As far as hours on the road, it's really not a big deal. All you're really talking about is a few hours of sleep or part of your sunday afternoon. If I leave after work, I get there at 11pm, whereas others may be there by 830. Gas is gas. It's a very tiny part of the overall cost of what I'm doing.

Your take on this has worked well for my wife and I. And likely not most of us on the forum but everyone else may think you are crazy; in a few years most will think you are just plain lucky and likely some think that way already. From living in two places I can vouch for the need to be very organized or your tools are always in the other place, the one you are not at. Not being very good at staying organized I found it helpful to have two complete sets of everything I needed at each location. Because of the lack of urgency of building up a stash of tools for the away place, flea markets and tag sales became a fun thing to do as a way to find needed stuff reasonable.

I look forward to reading more about your property improvements as you move along with it. And Oh boy, do I ever remember those hangovers of long ago!!! They made for some tough driving days.

 

[Elkaddict]

Buying two of everything......at least 2 of all tools..... I often wonder what we'll do with all the extras when we retire up here. I guess there are some things you can't have too much of. With the driving time to our place, I find detailed "to do" and "what to bring" lists indispensable. Planning is the key. I think it forces me to be more thoughtful in everything we do up here. Not a bad thing.

 

[Chestnut Valley Farms]

I would explore land in both with an open mind. You want the right piece of ground that meets all your goals. I would be willing to drive a lil farther for a superb piece. With that said I was lucky to buy a piece within an hr from our home and love it. Sure is nice to run out for an evening hunt.
I sometimes wish I would have bought ground with crop income. An annual check sure would be nice for habitat projects, tractor fuel, gravel, an lots of other things!
I had fun shopping for land! Dont let any pushy realtors talk you into something your on the fence about!
Good luck and enjoy it.