The Land Search
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The Land Search
For me this time of year is great for Ice Fishing, Predetor Hunting, and one of my favorties Land Searching. I understand some are still waiting for the fat lady so to them Good Luck!
Now is my time to start to pour over maps, plats, ect. to find that next hotspot. My searches include finding lightly pressured public, MFL, Limited Access properties, and of course a few places to knock on doors.
How do you choose which public/MFL properties to look into? How do you tell from maps alone what properties you want to expend boot leather on and which ones you should take a pass on?
How do you pick which private pieces to knock at? What have you had success with? What didn't work?
If you were going to lease how would you pick your lease? What would you expect to pay?
How about parks or other limited access/draw hunts? Anyone do anything with these? What did you see?
Anyone think they found the holy grail of public/private land only to get burned? Anyone ever burned on a lease?
There is alot to cover regarding this topic, I don't know if it's been covered before, but I think it's a topic we could learn from each other on. So let's hear it!
Now is my time to start to pour over maps, plats, ect. to find that next hotspot. My searches include finding lightly pressured public, MFL, Limited Access properties, and of course a few places to knock on doors.
How do you choose which public/MFL properties to look into? How do you tell from maps alone what properties you want to expend boot leather on and which ones you should take a pass on?
How do you pick which private pieces to knock at? What have you had success with? What didn't work?
If you were going to lease how would you pick your lease? What would you expect to pay?
How about parks or other limited access/draw hunts? Anyone do anything with these? What did you see?
Anyone think they found the holy grail of public/private land only to get burned? Anyone ever burned on a lease?
There is alot to cover regarding this topic, I don't know if it's been covered before, but I think it's a topic we could learn from each other on. So let's hear it!
DROPTYNE
"Obsessed is a Word the Lazy Use to Describe the Dedicated"
"Obsessed is a Word the Lazy Use to Describe the Dedicated"
- Hodag Hunter
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Re: The Land Search
For locating private ground to hunt I have found it very difficult to gain access in the central part of the state. My luck is so-so in northern WI for bowhunting permission but most I have walked it's just better to hunt choice public spots. The private is ok, not a whole better than the public and with boundry resrtrictions.
Back to central WI, years ago, rabbit hunting just about anybody let you out on their property, bow hunting access wasn't bad either. Now....oh boy.
What I have found is networking with just about everybody a guy knows, personel and thru work. I have had this work in the past for private access but a guy sure needs to discuss hunting alot to bring it around in the conversation. Seems just about any landowner has kids, cousins, nephews, son-in laws...you get the picture who hunt.
The big buck craze that boomed the last 5-10 years sure doesn't help with bowhunting access, but either has bolstered land prices, split up larger parcells for smaller sell-offs and little Johnny who only gun hunts grandpa's farm doesn't want bowhunters out there getting a crack before he does.
My take.....I'm saving for a small slice of the pie. Purchase the right 40-80 acres for mainly the kids as 10 years down the road I don't see access issues getting any better. I'll buy in Northern WI, yeah not the best for trophy potential, but I can afford it and still plenty of public close buy too hunt that also.
Central WI hunting land going for $3000 to $4000 per acre just makes a guy shake his head. If you have it spend it, but with out much quality public land nearby, what is a guy to do before burn out? Jam four hunters on a forty? Fat chance that works year in and year out. I know I would grow tired of it real fast and kids wouldn't be far behind.
All I can say is good luck, there is usually a diamond in the rough just about anywhere, but be prepared to loose access almost on a yearly basis. I have kids and decided ownership of a home base is a better solution.
Back to central WI, years ago, rabbit hunting just about anybody let you out on their property, bow hunting access wasn't bad either. Now....oh boy.
What I have found is networking with just about everybody a guy knows, personel and thru work. I have had this work in the past for private access but a guy sure needs to discuss hunting alot to bring it around in the conversation. Seems just about any landowner has kids, cousins, nephews, son-in laws...you get the picture who hunt.
The big buck craze that boomed the last 5-10 years sure doesn't help with bowhunting access, but either has bolstered land prices, split up larger parcells for smaller sell-offs and little Johnny who only gun hunts grandpa's farm doesn't want bowhunters out there getting a crack before he does.
My take.....I'm saving for a small slice of the pie. Purchase the right 40-80 acres for mainly the kids as 10 years down the road I don't see access issues getting any better. I'll buy in Northern WI, yeah not the best for trophy potential, but I can afford it and still plenty of public close buy too hunt that also.
Central WI hunting land going for $3000 to $4000 per acre just makes a guy shake his head. If you have it spend it, but with out much quality public land nearby, what is a guy to do before burn out? Jam four hunters on a forty? Fat chance that works year in and year out. I know I would grow tired of it real fast and kids wouldn't be far behind.
All I can say is good luck, there is usually a diamond in the rough just about anywhere, but be prepared to loose access almost on a yearly basis. I have kids and decided ownership of a home base is a better solution.
- Sam Ubl
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Re: The Land Search
http://coastal.lic.wisc.edu/wisconsin-i ... in-ims.htm
Find your county, start locating parcels and identifying the tax payer - do your research, find their number and give them a call.
I can tell you right now that I have more options of private tracks than I think is healthy.. LOL. I brag about that because I'm fortunate enough to suffer severely from the best kind of stress, the mind game where you're sitting one parcel wondering what's happening at the other.
Find your county, start locating parcels and identifying the tax payer - do your research, find their number and give them a call.
I can tell you right now that I have more options of private tracks than I think is healthy.. LOL. I brag about that because I'm fortunate enough to suffer severely from the best kind of stress, the mind game where you're sitting one parcel wondering what's happening at the other.
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Re: The Land Search
little Johnny who only gun hunts grandpa's farm doesn't want bowhunters out there getting a crack before he does.
I have a great example of this. About two years ago one of my buddies informed me that his Uncle had about 3500 acres in Sparta, WI that he thought I could hunt. He spoke to his uncle and I got the go ahead! Rolling hardwood bluffs, cropfields the whole nine yards. I was in Big Buck paradise. A week after the conversation I had been looking at maps and arials planning everything out, I was stoked, then I got the call. I guess the nephew who is the only person that hunts this entire chunk of heaven raised a huge stink about how it was his hunting property and blah, blah, blah, you get the picture. I asked if there was anyway I could get to hunt a 40 or 100 or whatever, his uncle basically said I would love to have you hunt but it ain't worth creating a family fued over it........
Chapped my a**!
DROPTYNE
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- Hodag Hunter
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Re: The Land Search
Hey Droptyne, I read my post again and it sounds kind of negative, maybe I shouldn't paint such a bad picture, but that's my experiance.
I have experinaced so many downs when contacting people in this central part of the state it's not even funny.....I know guys; notice I typed guys as in not an isolated instance, personally that married into "land rich" families that they are not allowed to hunt on. One guy must be married more than five years before he can hunt the family homestead. This is no BS I couldn't believe it.
When I say central WI, it's the Oshkosh north to Appleton Green bay area out to Waupaca. I grew up smack dab in the middle of here and know a ton of people and finding land is not easy.
Let me know if you want to get out and walk that public you mentioned back in gun season.....before the snow is too deep or this spring.
I have experinaced so many downs when contacting people in this central part of the state it's not even funny.....I know guys; notice I typed guys as in not an isolated instance, personally that married into "land rich" families that they are not allowed to hunt on. One guy must be married more than five years before he can hunt the family homestead. This is no BS I couldn't believe it.
When I say central WI, it's the Oshkosh north to Appleton Green bay area out to Waupaca. I grew up smack dab in the middle of here and know a ton of people and finding land is not easy.
Let me know if you want to get out and walk that public you mentioned back in gun season.....before the snow is too deep or this spring.
- Haus86
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Re: The Land Search
This last Spring I spent a lot of time trying to find private places to hunt. I finally bought a plat book, and it was the best decision I ever made. I was able to look at aerial photos, compare them to the plat book, and narrow down my search to areas that I thought would be promising. I knew if I received permission, I would more than likely be sharing hunting rights with a bunch of other guys. As a result, I focused around areas where I have seen good bucks from the road, and areas that were closed to hunting or acted as refuges. I was able to get permission on several farms. Even though others had permission, the hunting was better than I had ever experienced. Some of the spots are stupid looking and a lot of guys would over look them. My wife, buddy and I ended up seeing around 30 different mature bucks.
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Re: The Land Search
I also like to ask to shed hunt first. That way I can build a relationship and walk the land before I ask to hunt.
- Sam Ubl
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Re: The Land Search
Sounds like a situation I faced.
I was born into a home a couple pastures and horse stable on 40 prime Waukesha Co acres. My grandpa had dug a small pond, stocked it with bass and panfish, there's a stream with trout flowing right through the woods and really a hunters paradise. My parents were divorced when I was very young and my grandpa, who owned the land (he bought it for my mom and dad) ended up selling it when I was about 10 years old - in the mean time, my mom rented an apartment and the ranch home was rented but we had rights to the land and stable since Grandpa still owned it.
Long story short, at 15, my mom began leasing her horses there for a good deal since we built the place and the new owners liked our family. At that time, she secured permission for me to bowhunt, but being your and new at this game on my own, I didn't do the best, but boy were there the deer.
Two years ago, I approached the new owner and secured permission after describing my history with the place. Immediately I went down and started walking the land and eventually found my stand site.
That night I'm bragging about how happy I am, blah blah, and I get a call...
The dude who rents a bedroom at the house from the new owner also hunts back there and starts ripping me a new one. I explain my history to him and that I secured permission from the owner, and he goes on to say, "yaeh, yeah, I talked to him and you aint coming out here no more! I work to hunt back there! I groom those trails back there and do the upkeep on the property, etc."
I told him my dad and grandpa made those trails and built the pastures, etc. and that I'd be happy to help out in any way I could. He said, "The land will be posted after tonight! Don't come back!"
LOL, what a SOB!!
I was born into a home a couple pastures and horse stable on 40 prime Waukesha Co acres. My grandpa had dug a small pond, stocked it with bass and panfish, there's a stream with trout flowing right through the woods and really a hunters paradise. My parents were divorced when I was very young and my grandpa, who owned the land (he bought it for my mom and dad) ended up selling it when I was about 10 years old - in the mean time, my mom rented an apartment and the ranch home was rented but we had rights to the land and stable since Grandpa still owned it.
Long story short, at 15, my mom began leasing her horses there for a good deal since we built the place and the new owners liked our family. At that time, she secured permission for me to bowhunt, but being your and new at this game on my own, I didn't do the best, but boy were there the deer.
Two years ago, I approached the new owner and secured permission after describing my history with the place. Immediately I went down and started walking the land and eventually found my stand site.
That night I'm bragging about how happy I am, blah blah, and I get a call...
The dude who rents a bedroom at the house from the new owner also hunts back there and starts ripping me a new one. I explain my history to him and that I secured permission from the owner, and he goes on to say, "yaeh, yeah, I talked to him and you aint coming out here no more! I work to hunt back there! I groom those trails back there and do the upkeep on the property, etc."
I told him my dad and grandpa made those trails and built the pastures, etc. and that I'd be happy to help out in any way I could. He said, "The land will be posted after tonight! Don't come back!"
LOL, what a SOB!!
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- Hodag Hunter
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Re: The Land Search
I hear yeah on that one Sam. I should have clarified similar situations in my posts. Sure I have been granted access to some parcells but so have others and would just as soon hunt public with LESS pressure than some of these private spots.
- GRUD
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Re: The Land Search
Word of mouth or knowing somebody goes a long way. Two of my spots were lost this year. One had a strip crew come through and take out all the honeysuckle, the second got mulched by the highway coming through. I need to get out and get a few more because public land is nil where I live here in Indiana.
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Re: The Land Search
How do you choose which public/MFL properties to look into? How do you tell from maps alone what properties you want to expend boot leather on and which ones you should take a pass on?
There is an atlas book out that I feel is a "must have" for any serious deer hunter seeking quality public land. Its called the "All outdoors atlas & field guide" Its available at: www.scmaps.com
Its available for a limited number of states. Wisconsin for example is split into two books, Northern, and southern. It works like any other atlas with the exception that it highlights every property that is public or MFL property open to the public. The public hunting land shown is not just the stuff the DNR shows on there site or in maps but every single property the DNR owns that is open to hunting regardless of size. MFL land that is open to hunting is also shown. MFL land is private land and is often posted NO TRESSPASSING, but is open to hunting or fishing. No scouting without permission though. However, coyotes are in season year round
As far as picking lands based on maps, I look for remote properties away from towns and motels. On aerials and topo's I look for buck bedding. A property can only hold as many big bucks as what it has big buck bedding areas... In hill county I look for lots of points, crows feet, and rapid elevation changes. In marsh's I look for points and islands in the cattails. Farm land, big woods, tamarack or dogwood swamps can be a bit trickier and may need boot leather. However transitions and elevation changes are good places to start.
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Re: The Land Search
How about parks or other limited access/draw hunts? Anyone do anything with these? What did you see?
Nature Conservancy land. Most of them allow hunting by draw. They each have different rules, and allow a certain number of hunters. One of our members runs the hunting on a conservancy property in Waukesha that I have hunted and they do doe only hunting and about once every 3 years or so they do EAB and allow some bucks to be shot.
There is another one that I think is called Pine Island or something close to that in Menomonee falls that buts up against Andraes land
I shot a few monsters over there You have to draw for time slots if I remember correctly. Anywho, here is a link to the hunting properties available:
http://www.nature.org/wherewework/north ... n/animals/
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Re: The Land Search
Ive had good luck hunting horicon marsh,there's what 30.000 thousand acres.My best spot only saw one guy in over 10 years.
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Re: The Land Search
Ralph, I know Dewey rocks out Horicon, he's probably the guy you saw........ Pm him
DROPTYNE
"Obsessed is a Word the Lazy Use to Describe the Dedicated"
"Obsessed is a Word the Lazy Use to Describe the Dedicated"
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