Buyer Beware: Five Myths About Purchasing Hunting Land

Identify What’s Most Important

Rarely is there a single goal when you decide to buy land. What exactly do you hope to do with your recreational land? Is it for hunting, fishing, camping, ATV-ing or all the above? Is the land an investment? Do you hope to lease the land for farming? Are mineral rights a consideration? If so, who owns them? The highest and best use of the land for sale impacts price, often dramatically.

There are many ways to evaluate hunting land, beginning with road appeal. Homes have curb appeal, while land has road appeal. For example, is the land well maintained? How easy is it to get to? There’s always a balance to strike between travel time and hunting time.

When considering purchasing a hunting land parcel, inquire about trail camera footage, if available. The current owner may have years of footage revealing important information about the quantity and quality of the wildlife on the property. Once you make your purchase, install your own trail cameras without delay.

Attracting Game

You also want to ask yourself, “What is the realistic potential for attracting game to the land?” Check out water sources. If they are inadequate, consider what it will take to excavate a pond or add water troughs along deer trails. Are current or potential food sources available to attract the prey you seek? For example, deer love everything from clover to wheat, and from chestnuts to apples. Like wild boar, they love acorns too.

Finally, if you plan to add crops, trees or other food sources, make sure the soil type is appropriate. For example, heavy clay soils and chestnut trees do not mix.

Return on Investment

Getting revenue from hunting fees is great when it’s workable. However, there are other sources of revenue like harvesting timber and leasing for agriculture. Of course, there are intangible benefits as well. you may want to use your recreational land to entertain guests. Or, perhaps you’ll make it a place where you teach your children about hunting. Certainly, your return on investment may be about far more than money.

Building Generational Wealth

Over the generations, remote parcels may become land that’s ripe for development. Additionally, land has a tendency to increase in value over the long-term, even sometimes better than the stock market. It an be a comfort knowing that, one day, your grandchildren and great-grandchildren will enjoy the benefits of your foresight.

Five Myths to Dispel About Hunting Land

Prospective land buyers purchasing hunting land will want to see through common myths that many first-time buyers fall prey to during the process. A diligent, fact-based approach with the assistance of a qualified land expert is always best.

Myth #1 – It’s just about buying an attractive piece of land

This is a little like shopping for cars based on color alone. It’s limiting. Okay, so the land is attractive to you. But is it attractive to the animals you hope to hunt and the food sources those animals need to thrive? Sources of food and water are key. So is the sense of security animals get from having adequate cover. Location is another key factor so make sure to consider who your neighbors are and seek information regarding any pending or potential future development projects nearby that may affect your property.

Myth #2 – Disregard open land for hunting

How committed are you to making the land more amenable to hunting in the long term? If you are willing to add features to attract wildlife, you might get more value by purchasing less desirable (and lower cost) land upfront. Then, you can improve the property to give deer cover from predators where none exists by planting low-growing shrubs and tall grasses and doing things like adding water, food plots, and licks where appropriate.

Myth #3 – Land values only go up

If you want to see your hunting land as an asset, check the potential for appreciation. Over time, demand may increase or decrease. Understand that while usually the value of the land will increase over the long-term, there is always the possibility that the land’s value does not increase. Fortunately, there are ways you can tilt things in your favor like making improvements to the property and investing in land that already has known potential for appreciation.

The most important thing you can do to ensure the property your are purchasing is a good investment is to Find A Land Consultant who is a qualified expert in your market. Owning, using, and building the value of your land can bring more pleasure than monitoring an increase in the value of stocks or a 401k.

Myth #4 – It’s simple to buy the right land

Buying a hunting property requires due diligence. For example, an awareness of possible zoning restrictions is critical. You also need a thorough knowledge of the prey you seek. Look for land with the features needed for successful hunting. Chat with nearby landowners about wildlife management. Are they fellow hunters concerned about how the harvest proceeds, or not?

Myth #5 – It’s tedious buying land

You don’t need to be an expert right out of the gate. A land real estate specialist can help fill in any knowledge gaps as your hunt for the perfect property when purchasing hunting land. It is crucial to find a trustworthy land specialist with a thorough understanding of the land market in your area. If you are purchasing hunting land, be sure to seek the advice and guidance of a land expert. Qualified land professionals in your area can be found using the REALTORS Land Institute’s Find A Land Consultant search tool.

With the right attitude and approach, the search for land can be downright fun. Appreciate the quest for finding the right piece of land for what it is – a journey to be enjoyed. During your search, stay focused on the pleasures that owning the right land will ultimately deliver. Envision the camaraderie and the invigorating days to come. Happy hunting!

(Realtors Land Institute)