Is 10 Acres Enough?

[ATB]

I'm looking into buying land for hunting. I will fish the area in the offseason and in the future build a cottage. I'm kind of down to 2 areas and wanted to get some more experienced hunters opinions.

Property 1 Jackson County 10 acres 3 high 7 low connected to state land on 2 sides, the fishing is average but only a hour and a half from my home. Also, my in-laws have a lakefront cottage nearby this location that I use a ton in the summer.

Property 2 Roscommon County 35 acres 10 high and 25 low connected to state land on the back of the property. (never hunted up in roscommon), the fishing is better but over 3 hours from my home.

Both in the same price range, I like to fish different areas so this will primarily be used as a base for hunting/ cottage. I am leaning toward opt. 1 for hunting and close to home, but I never have hunted on private land. Is 10 acres worth the money for hunting purposes? :help:

[QDMAMAN]

ATB,
First off welcome to the site!
Ten acres in Jackson county beats 35 acres in just about any other county in the state. I would, however, avoid the state land connection if at all possible because you have absolutely no control over who will be hunting your property lines. A bad neighbor can cause the same headaches but it is also some one you can develope a relationship with and maybe even develope a deer management plan with. Close to home is a big plus for hunting and will afford you more oppertunities evenings after work or if you don't have the whole weekend to hunt.
The fact that you have digs close to the Jackson property is a plus that will allow you to do some habitat improvements during the summer while enjoying the cottage.

Big T

[davidshane]

ATB,

No one can really answer that except yourself. That's because no one can know what are the most important faxes in your eyes. I think we serve you better by telling you a little about what you get in those areas, both good and bad.I can't speak much about Jackson, but I know a little something about Roscommon.

I have property and family in Roscommon; I've road dirt bike and camp there since I was about 9. It is my primary hunting area and I know the county well.
I'm going to attempt to be short with this.

Some of the good:

Never ending trail systems for both bikes and sleds.

Great golf!

Lots of lakes and rivers with an assortment of fishing - including Bass!

100,000's of acres of state and fed lands all for you to roam.

Hunt all the stuff you hunt down state and include better grouse and add bear; maybe even a couger!:lol:

Three hours is not that far and when you are there, it seems like you are away from home - this is a nice feeling.

10 acres will be very easy to get borded with, unless it's a great 10. Even then, for me I need to be out exploring new areas and finding new set-ups. Thats a big part of the fun to me.


Some of the bad:
Deer hunting is better in Jackson (depending on where you are). Next to state land is never good unless the state land is good.

Deer hunting in Roscommon is hard and getting harder. Your at the mersey of weather, politics, and other hunters.



Thats it for now. For me, and me only, I would head to Roscommon. I'm 38 (so we are close in age) and I would get real tired of just 10 acres. After you build on it, it will be even less to play on. Then you will be off attempting to find a new play spot. In that area it's not always easy to find. You may even end up having to pay for a place to hunt (again, depending of that state land).

Good luck.

Dave

[Luv2hunteup]

Since you asked for opinions here's mine. Don't buy either piece of land since they are attached to public land.

[NATTY BUMPO]

Since you asked for opinions here's mine. Don't buy either piece of land since they are attached to public land.

:yeahthat: GOOD neighbors are the greatest thing in the world when it comes to deer hunting. And BAD neighbors are the worst. So DO YOUR HOMEWORK.

NB

[EdB]

The state land around Jackson is great for turkeys due to the quota system but I wouldn't step foot on it in deer season. Very heavy pressure. It's nothing to see 3 or 4 cars parked at every state land pull off. I know a lot of private land holders adjacent to state land complain about tresspassing problems all the time. Since the DNR's high quota for doe permits on state land is never filled, the does get punched hard and the herd is not that big on state land as compared to the private land around here. The other issue you will have is with all the small game and bow hunting pressure, the deer are well educated by gun season and a lot have moved off the state land to less pressured areas. If you had a large tract, say a 100 acreas or more with good habitat, your property could be the sanctuary state land bucks look for one week into hunting season but 10 won't do it. 10 acreas in Jackson county could be hunted but you would be better off to locate 10 acres away from state land and adjacent to tracks of private wetlands. That way, you couldn't end up being boxed in by other houses years from now. The safety zone required for one neighbors house could end the hunting on a big part of a 10 acre track.

[farmlegend]

Is 10 acres worth the money for hunting purposes?

No.

[ATB]

Thanks everyone great feedback. Its great to get real hunters feedback vs realtors. All the realtors have talked up the lots next to state land " it will make your acres seem all the larger". EdB the urban sprawl you eluded to into the Waterloo area had me concerned on a point you mentioned someone buying the 80 acre lot to the south of the property and building a 80 house sub-division and boom goes the dynamite I own non hunting swamp land. A slight change in the question how many acres is adequate to hunt in a stand alone piece of land not touching state property?

[Nimrod1]

ATB,
I have zero experience with Jackson, but I cut my teeth hunting Roscommon. The Houghton Lake area is about 2.5 hrs from my home. That drive won't seem like much, my property now is in Cheboygan county, which is 4.5 hrs. The deer numbers are down from 10 years ago, in Ros., but they are still higher than when I started hunting there. You may have to be willing to leave your land, but the deer hunting can still be good. If you catch this habitat disease that floats around here, you may be able to make that 35 into a nice deer park. I used to be part of a camp that had 45 acres, but it was surprising the amount of time we spent off the property for small game, grouse, woodcock, ducks, and some the best deer hunting was a walk away from camp.

If it were up to me, I would always take the larger chunk of land for the same money, provided of course there weren't any problems, like access or buildability(is that a word?)

Good luck!

[November Sunrise]

Keep in mind that realtors represent the seller. I don't know how many times I've heard potential buyers make statements about "their realtor", all the while not realizing that "their realtor" is contractually obligated to fulfill the seller's best interests. Even if you sign a contract with a realtor and they function as your buyers agent, they still don't make any money unless a sale takes place, so they still have a very real incentive to get a deal done. There are a lot of good people in the real estate business, but you're wise to be getting feedback from more objective third parties who don't stand to benefit financially from your purchasing decision.

In terms of how many acres is adequate, that's a very difficult question, with a lot of different variables.

For example, a very small perfectly located parcel could be quite workable if you don't overhunt it, assuming the parcel is surrounded by neighbors who don't have a problem with you tracking deer onto their land.

On the other hand, I have access to some 80 acre properties that "hunt small" because of prevailing wind directions in correlation to possible stand locations, or because of neighboring landowners that forbid anyone to enter their property to track or retrieve a deer, etc.

There is a thread already started in the whitetail habitat forum where many members have posted their experiences about how they bought their hunting properties, and the thought process that went into the decision. I'd recommend reading through that thread and then possibly following up with some of the individuals who operated with a well though out plan as they were preparing to buy their hunting land.

Welcome to the site!

[NorthJeff]

10 acres is enough for hunting in a very good setting. Say for example 10 acres of great cover in the middle of ag land. However, that small, and next to state land is probably a bad thing unless the state land is hard to access for others and is blocked off my numerous other parcels so that hunters have to travel far to reach the back of your parcel. Remember, you can hunt the state land too, but if your property is surrounded by many other smaller private pieces, you can have terrible neighbors that sit on the fence line surrounding your entire piece.

Some of the easiest parcels to manage are those surrounded by ag land. If you can find a small patch of cover surrounded by ag land you can have true gold mine of hunting property. Get that up to 40-50 acres surrounded by ag land, and little to no surrounding wood lots, and you can have more control than I can have with 250 acres surrounded by heavily timbered wilderness tracts....that is definately the best situation to ever have! Some of my best hunting experiences have come from hunting 5-15 acres of cover in surrounding ag land, simply amazing! Depending on the situation, I'd choose 10 acres ov heavy cover (or the ability to create heavy cover) surrounded by ag land, over 80 acres of woods, surrounded by woods, with lots of neighbors and no ag, mast, or fruit crops. At the same time, I'd choose 10 acres of private land, at the end of a dead-end road that you control, surrounded by 1000's of acres of public land where the nearest road or 2-track is a mile or more away.....over 80 acres along the road in the same area.

Good luck!

[Ferg]

ATB,

If it were up to me, I would always take the larger chunk of land for the same money, provided of course there weren't any problems, like access or buildability(is that a word?)

Good luck!

What Nimrod1 said - for my money - it would always the be the larger - I have 20 up in DMU001 now and wish I'd been more paitent and bought 40 - but I suppose had I waited for 40 - I would have wanted 80 ;)

But - I'd take the 35 for sure - both have the 'state land' stigma - hunting is better south - but 10 isn't large enough, IMHO, specially if your going to build on it -

My .02c

ferg....

[KalamazooKid]

NJ's advise above is dead on.

In my experience, strong consideration when looking at 10 acres is "what's next to me" - if it's state land you're going to deal with tresspassers. If you have neighbors, you need to MAKE SURE they'll allow you to track your deer (as an example) onto their property because rarely will a deer expire on your property!

[lwingwatcher]

Its great to get real hunters feedback vs realtors. All the realtors have talked up the lots next to state land " it will make your acres seem all the larger".

Whaddaya mean real hunter feedback v Realtor? And, the agents are correct, you get more land to roam for the same money being next to state ground. And, hopefully you have assurances that a mobile home park won't be going in next to you.

The vast majority of time I work with buyers I do so as a buyers agent. That way my fiduciary obligation is to the buyer and NOT the seller as others have alluded to. That means that the interests of my client are to be placed above mine so...but, I also know what somebody else was referring to about no closing/no compensation....

Be that as it may, I ask lots of questions of my clients so that I can best determine what potential properties would best suit their specific needs. Part of your problem might be compounded if you happened to tell the agents in either area that you are also looking hundreds of miles away. They might think that unless they push you toward a deal, they are not going to close and not be compensated for their time.

When I have buyer clients, I want to believe that they are not going to screw me so...it is easy for me to bust my tush to find them the right property...and that might mean going and walking it first and then calling or emailing them and telling them to save their gas...it was junk ground or surrounded by shanties or....you get the idea. It takes me a fair amount of time to scope out the neighbors...important points that others have made. How else can I provide professional representation if I fail to do that?

Figure out where you want to be, find yourself and Accredited Buyers Representative, and find one that is a hunter....a real hunter....not just some wannabe part timer that makes it out opening day and sits in a shanty overlooking a bait pile. You find that and let that hunter find you your ground. Spring is an awesome time to walk ground to look for sign and if it isn't there, don't whine that you made a poor purchasing decision.

Good luck

lwing

[BGB]

Luv2hunteup and Farmledgend are right.

If you own land adjacent to public land
1. expect tresspassers
2. expect anything you leave to be gone when you return (stands, trail cams, etc.)
3. if you bird hunt on your own property you will be done in 30 min or less
4. even 10 without adjacent public land is tough for deer unless it is prime between bedding and feed otherwise your neighbors get the shot unless it is rut and the bucks are running wild.

I own an 82 acre and 17 acre strip three miles apart. I deer hunt the 17 acre strip with good luck because my PRESENT neighbors don't hunt and it is a great funnel. The 82 is back up for when the neighbors change that I got for a good deal after years of looking and waiting . The 82 is where my food plots are and in the three years that I have planting them the deer pop. has tripled or better according to trail cam monitoring and winter tracks in the snow as well as visual observations. It is my future.

Depending on the geometry of the 10 acres you are considering, if a neighbor put a dwelling close to your property line, it could wipe out 1/3 of your legal hunting area.

Good luck in your decision. don't rush it and as Natty said, do your homework

[monczunski]

10 acres is perfect... set up two stands on your property.then what you want to do is bait your property or you can make a food plot...your most likely not gonna have the deer liveing on your land but if the state land is by you, you can catch the deer comming into your bait.and on the plus side you can hunt the state land aswell..we bought ten acres 2 years back and planted two plots. 3 deer were taken out of it in two days over the plots.we hunted the land across the street which is national forest and is about 750 acres or so.just goes to prove you can have the deer on your property even if it is little. during the season you might want to bait with an attractant over your bait. i prefer deer vour from wildgame innovations.

hope you take the advise. trust me works well.:smile

[fishin' fin]

No.
An emphatic no! A conclusion I learned after many thousands of dollars later!!

[lwingwatcher]

10 acres is perfect...

.then what you want to do is bait your property or you can make a food plot...

your most likely not gonna have the deer liveing on your land but if the state land is by you, you can catch the deer comming into your bait.

during the season you might want to bait with an attractant over your bait.



Well...there you have it folks....if you are a master baiter, you can even make something that is too small work for you....
:lol:

[monczunski]

nice one lwingwatcher

[fishin' fin]

Well...there you have it folks....if you are a master baiter, you can even make something that is too small work for you....
:lol:
Way........Way toooooo funny! Or not? Humor in the deer forum? Is hell freezing over??:dizzy:

[bishs]

I would not buy land that butts up to state land, except for the UP. I suspect that the 10 acres in Jackson is similar in price to the 40. You should check out, Saginaw, Gratiot, Montcalm counties. Most of these areas have a good farmland to woods ratio. The land prices are some of the best in Lower Michigan. These counties have not experienced the great real estate growth like southern Mi has.