What should I look for when buying some hunting land?

[Dads Son]

I'm interested in buying some hunting land and I was wondering what I should look for? I want to plant food plots and do anything I can do to manage the property for some big deer.
I'm looking at 100 acres or more.
I want to be able to get a truck to the food plots to spread the lime. I'm sure I can save some money that way.
I would love to find something that doesn't have too much hunting pressure in the area.
It would be awesome to have neighbors that practice Quality deer management.
Closer would be better but land prices are cheaper farther away.
Please add anything to the list.
Thank You

 

[buckdeer1]

Check out sites that list land in your area such as landwatch.
have your financing set up.
Listen for land that "might" be for sale and contact the owner

 

[j-bird]

Start by looking at the big picture and at the things you can't control so much. Look for areas that appear to have good wildlife habitat in general. Look at how the cover and terrain may influence how the deer travel in that square mile or so. Look for areas with few neighbors that own larger parcels. Last thing I want is lots of 10 to 20 acre parcels surrounding my place. This tends to increase pressure that may push deer to you, but that also increases your odds of fence sitters and those that fences don't mean a damn thing to as well!

Look at the lay of the land your looking at buying. Can you access it all, can you develop a perimeter trail if you wish to? Do you have open areas for plots and enough cover to hold deer? Ponds and creeks are nice to have that can save you some money later. Will you have access to utilities?

You can typically manipulate your property to some extent, but you can't fill canyons or level mountains. You also can't control the neighbors or much of what the natural world has placed there. Large rocks would be a concern, a lack of habitat diversity would be a concern, roads that allow traffic to see well into the property would be a concern. SOIL - what sort of soil is there would be a serious concern. You don;t want your property to be an island of cover in a sea of nothingness. The deer will move, but if the property is not part of their normal pattern you may have difficulties changing that pattern and other hunters get a crack at those deer before you do.......because your not going to hold deer on your property alone with 100 acres unless you take extreme measures to do so.

Just because you can plot, and plant trees and dig ponds and the like doesn't mean you have the resources to essentially wipe the slate clean and start from scratch. Your looking for a property to improve, not start from a blank sheet. Every property has limitations, just look beyond your property lines, because the deer don;t care about property lines. And understand what you have to work with and what your limitations may be.

 

[swat1018]

Get a Google Earth view, make sure you aren't an island of woods in a sea of AG. I know it sounds good, but it takes lots of habitat to support lots of good deer. Bucks especially don't like to rub elbows. Buy a piece with a river, stream, or some kind of waterway. Rivers and streams are like deer interstates. Look for a mix of open and timber, with lots of edge. If you want to plot, make sure you have descent soil, it makes life a lot easier. Avoid pieces with lots of road frontage, road hunters will find your place easy enough if you make great improvements. Consider if you need land with a place to stay, a pond, or anything else you really want.

Be willing to hold out for what you want, and pay a little more; or jump on a piece that is a steal that you can flip and end up with what you want. I've done it both ways and have had success. If you are a trophy hunter and trophy bucks drive you, buy where the big bucks are, don't think you'll grow them anywhere. Just some experiences in my years of buying hunting farms....

 

[Bullwinkle]

Good advice

My 2 cents

Location, location location - even if you have to pay a little more you will not regret it

Neighborhood is very, very important

Diversity

Access is critical

Food, cover, water and security.

Rarely do great properties make it on the MSL. The good ones are sold direct most of the time. Don't just look on Whitetail Properties. Properties end up there because the land owners couldn't sell them outright

 

[OkieKubota]

Big woods with big woods around it...chainsaw and dozer puts what you want where you want...diversity of terrain...ability to have water...

Been my model and has worked out well...

 

[Chummer]

Big woods with big woods around it...chainsaw and dozer puts what you want where you want...diversity of terrain...ability to have water...

Been my model and has worked out well...

This is my approach as well. Nothing like creating and carving the property you want out of big woods. It instantly becomes the best draw for miles around.