Which Ingredients Make the Perfect Hunting Land for Sale?
If you are one of over 15 million avid hunters in the United States, then you know the importance of pristine hunting land for sale. Whether you are in search of the perfect place to visit with your buddies or a property where you can truly “live off the land,” there is a checklist that you must follow. So, what should you be looking for? What are the perfect ingredients that create ideal hunting land conditions? Before you write a sizable check to make that important purchase, be confident that you have the right components for hunting success.
What Are Your Plans for Hunting Land for Sale?
Your Desired Game
While the popularity of deer hunting is unparalleled, other popular game include turkeys, squirrels, rabbits, and quail. We’ll get into specifics later, but the best available land for sale in Ohio is an open space with plenty of wooded areas and a clear water source.
How much land do you need to hunt? This is a popular topic among hunting land buyers. Two frequently asked questions are, “How many acres do you need to hunt deer?” and “What is the minimum land needed to hunt?” For smaller or slower animals, such as turkeys and rabbits, it’s best to have at least five acres. For deer, ten acres or more is ideal. A good rule of thumb regarding land size and wildlife is: the bigger the animal, the more space you will need for hunting.
The Income Potential
Until this point, you may have hunted for pure personal enjoyment; however, owning hunting land for sale in Ohio may offer new opportunities to generate revenue from the land. As such, the more you “upgrade” the land, the more income potential you will have.
The most straightforward way to earn income on your hunting land for sale is to rent your property to fellow sportsmen. If you don’t intend to live on the property or hunt all year, why not temporarily rent to others? Who can ignore income without much inconvenience?
Another potential avenue for income is investing in a farm for sale. A property with food plots will undoubtedly attract wildlife (and feed you and your family, too). Animals, such as deer, do not usually find it challenging to locate their own food; however, food plots give deer easier access to the nutrients they need to develop and mature more quickly. As a result, the deer on your land will produce high-quality meat.
What do deer like to eat? Hay, beans, and corn all provide deer with much-needed calories. There should also be a distinction made concerning your food plots. Feeding plots keep your deer healthy, whereas hunting plots draw deer (or any wildlife) onto the property. Hunting plots should include winter peas, brassicas, and cereal grains. These crops specifically attract whitetail deer, for instance.
The best location for hunting plots is between the feeding and bedding areas. This way, the deer will flock to this area at the beginning and end of the day; doing so will make it easier to hunt them on your Ohio real estate. The key to attracting any animal is having precisely what they need, when they need it the most.
Other improvements you can make to increase income include cutting access roads through the property. This will allow for more hunting area and keep wildlife on the property. If you are so inclined, you can even have a cabin built. Later, when you choose to sell land, you’ll have everything you need to convince the land buyers that you have done your due diligence and this is the perfect land for hunting.
PERFECT Hunting Land for Sale: A Recipe for Success
Hunting land, like farm land, must be cultivated. It does not just happen on its own! Luckily, there are specific ingredients you must have for hunting prosperity. Here’s the recipe:
Ingredient #1: Signs of Wildlife
Your first, and possibly the most important, ingredient for buying perfect hunting land for sale in Ohio is a sign of wildlife. You might be thinking, “No kidding.” Unfortunately, the seller might be under the impression that the land has deer, turkeys, and other animals, when it doesn’t. Or, you might be walking into a scam.
Make sure you scout the land yourself. What should you look for? Check for deer rubs and tracks, indicating that the land has been used for hunting.
Also, assess the diversity of the hunting land for sale. The more diverse a piece of land, the better it is for a sportsman like you, and your family and friends. The best land will have just the right combination of briars, shrubs, weeds, grass, and hardwoods. These building blocks ensure that the available land has everything that wildlife, such as deer, need year-round.
Ingredient #2: Acreage
We alluded to acreage above, but want to reiterate that sportsmen and trappers need several acres available to hunt. As discussed, the wildlife you plan to hunt will dictate the acreage you need; but the method you use to hunt (e.g., rifle, bow and arrow) and the number of hunting partners is also important.
There has been much debate about how much land you need to hunt for certain game. For example, if you and a partner want to go deer hunting and you plan on using rifles, ideally you will want at least a 50-acre area. If you prefer to hunt for deer alone, you can get away with an area of 25 acres. When you use a bow to hunt deer, you can get away with a piece of Ohio real estate no bigger than 10 acres; even if you have hunting partners along with you.
Ingredient #3: Timber and Water
In the specific case of deer hunting, a piece of Ohio hunting land is a great choice where there is enough healthy oak. Oak is a food source for the deer and will keep them on the land. If you want to ensure they stick around, the land needs other sources of food and bedding. The easier the deer can access these elements, the more likely you are to be able to catch them. As such, pine and hardwood trees are also desirable for deer; they will actively seek them out when hungry. Hardwood trees attract deer because they contain the acorns deer like to eat.
Water is also an important feature for a successful hunting property for sale. A deer needs approximately 1-½ quarts of water per day. As such, your land should have a few small water sources for deer or other animals to wander about the property.
Ingredient #4: Neighboring Hunting Land
The ideal hunting property will be located near other hunting properties, or farm land for sale, for that matter. Consider this rule of thumb on deer: If you want to buy Ohio land, specifically to hunt deer, ask your future neighbors if they have deer on their property. Also, research the area to find out if the wildlife you seek is known to frequent that area. And, while you’re at it, you may want to look at how large the wildlife tends to be. That is a good indicator of the size of the wildlife you might expect to see on your land.
Ingredient #5: Convenient Hiding Places
It is important to purchase land where you’ll have places you can conveniently hide from deer. Being able to remain unseen will make catching as many deer as you’re seeking easier. One of the best ways to do this is to buy land with hills. The element of surprise is your biggest asset when hunting; so the more hills a property has, the easier hunting deer on it will be.
Ingredient #6: Sufficient Access Points
Being able to see deer without them seeing you is important; however, you must also purchase land with enough access points. Deer, for instance, are smart enough to know where the danger lies; if you continually hunt them from the same direction, other deer will learn to avoid the danger. As such, try avoiding a pattern for an attack. Develop two or three access points, increasing the likelihood of a successful pursuit of your game.
Ingredient #7: Location and Convenience
Location is one of the most vital factors when buying real estate. Ensure the land for sale is in a prime location for hunting. Research the neighboring areas. And investigate the property’s history. Has the hunting land been clearcut in the last 20 or so years? If so, that’s usually a negative aspect of the property. You may also want to buy hunting land for sale in an area near your primary residence for convenience.
Concluding Thoughts
Finding the perfect land for hunting is not an easy task. With so many factors to consider, the process when you purchase land can be extremely lengthy. That’s why you need expert advice from a commercial real estate firm that knows the landscape.
Ready to claim space and pursue your favorite game? The Robert Weiler Company has helped many sportsmen find hunting land for sale in Ohio. Contact one of our land broker specialists today at 614-221-4286.
