Owning land

[sbeasley]

It's pretty much human nature to never have enough. - of anything. I'm sure I'm not alone in wishing I had a ranch, a sancuary, twice as many acres... you name it. We do own 21 acres in hill country but as I stated above - gotta have more.

I've been a member for 14 months now. Can't explain what you guys and this site have done for my hunting psyche. I think I'm slowly letting go of this desire for a dream property. The beast has taught me you shouldn't overhunt places, no matter how big or good it is. If you're just shooting fish in a barrel on some great property.....does that get old? I think it would almost get too easy? The common response would be to just raise your bar, pass up 150" deer, I know the lucky few can afford to get selective like that.

I've never been spoiled by great hunting property so I don't see myself having to make those decisions. I genuinely love being in the woods, scouting.......HUNTING! Prowling around on public is just fun. I think a big chunk of prime whitetail habitat would ruin it form me. I might get bored.

Would you?? Am I crazy?

[bigwoodshuntn]

I've always said even if I won the lottery I would still hunt public land. There's just something about being able to roam freely anywhere I want to hunt. No one can tell me I shot the wrong deer or "their" deer. But it all comes down to what you like and what makes you happy in hunting. Not crazy at all!

[Dewey]

I currently own over 6 million acres........as a taxpayer of WI public land.

Since I enjoy the challenge of hunting public so much I have zero desire to purchase my own hunting land. Unless I bought thousands of acres I would get bored very quick. Sitting in the same stands over and over on the same forty is just not for me.

[jwilkstn]

I currently own over 6 million acres........as a taxpayer of WI public land.

Since I enjoy the challenge of hunting public so much I have zero desire to purchase my own hunting land. Unless I bought thousands of acres I would get bored very quick. Sitting in the same stands over and over on the same forty is just not for me.

Dewey beat me to it

My family owns a farm but I identify more as a public land owner to be honest. I love hearing a turkey gobble in any direction and knowing I can go hunt him, or finding big buck sign in they middle of 30,000+ acres and knowing that deer is in there somewhere.

[tgreeno]

I currently own over 6 million acres........as a taxpayer of WI public land.

Since I enjoy the challenge of hunting public so much I have zero desire to purchase my own hunting land. Unless I bought thousands of acres I would get bored very quick. Sitting in the same stands over and over on the same forty is just not for me.

Well said! I totally agree!

[SEMObowhunter]

I'll give a little take on this. I was raised on 200 acres that joined Mark Twain National Forest in SE MO on three sides. I could literally hunt anywhere I wanted and honestly, never hunted "the farm". Just used it as access and always saved it for rifle season when we had a family member down from the city, or a youth. They could hunt there and we wouldn't have to worry of them getting lost. So I have hunted public all my life. in November of 2015 I bought a house and 45 acres that joins no public, but there was a 300 acre clearcut behind it that holds a lot of deer and the landowner said act like it was mine as he just bought it for the timber. I thought I will never have to go anywhere to hunt. WRONG! I mean I actually don't need to move around, if I want to deer hunt. However, I'm after mature bucks, not deer. I did take a 4.5 year old 8 off of it with my rifle but this is just a mere travel route during the rut. Could I make it hold deer, sure. But would I be happy sitting the same one or two stands on the 30 acres that is huntable? Absolutely not. So I save the one or two good spots for a quick hunt during the rut, or opening of rifle season, but my heart is on the public land. I'll never be a big landowner, I have no desire. It seems the more land you have, the more time you spend worrying about someone tresspassing, killing your deer, etc. I would rather just hunt and if I blow it, so be it, onto the next buck or gobbler. My grandpa told me one time, the more you want the more money it takes, and the more money you have, the more time you spend keeping someone from taking it instead of enjoying life. He never had anything, worked all his life and is 81 years old and still works 25 hours a week. I want to be that guy, I'm not out to make a big splash in life. We are only here for a little while so lets enjoy our health and blessings we do have, and of course teach pass the fire we have onto a youngster. Happy Hunting!
Wes

[cbay]

I'll give a little take on this. I was raised on 200 acres that joined Mark Twain National Forest in SE MO on three sides. I could literally hunt anywhere I wanted and honestly, never hunted "the farm". Just used it as access and always saved it for rifle season when we had a family member down from the city, or a youth. They could hunt there and we wouldn't have to worry of them getting lost. So I have hunted public all my life. in November of 2015 I bought a house and 45 acres that joins no public, but there was a 300 acre clearcut behind it that holds a lot of deer and the landowner said act like it was mine as he just bought it for the timber. I thought I will never have to go anywhere to hunt. WRONG! I mean I actually don't need to move around, if I want to deer hunt. However, I'm after mature bucks, not deer. I did take a 4.5 year old 8 off of it with my rifle but this is just a mere travel route during the rut. Could I make it hold deer, sure. But would I be happy sitting the same one or two stands on the 30 acres that is huntable? Absolutely not. So I save the one or two good spots for a quick hunt during the rut, or opening of rifle season, but my heart is on the public land. I'll never be a big landowner, I have no desire. It seems the more land you have, the more time you spend worrying about someone tresspassing, killing your deer, etc. I would rather just hunt and if I blow it, so be it, onto the next buck or gobbler. My grandpa told me one time, the more you want the more money it takes, and the more money you have, the more time you spend keeping someone from taking it instead of enjoying life. He never had anything, worked all his life and is 81 years old and still works 25 hours a week. I want to be that guy, I'm not out to make a big splash in life. We are only here for a little while so lets enjoy our health and blessings we do have, and of course teach pass the fire we have onto a youngster. Happy Hunting!
Wes

Great post SEMO. I mirror what has been shared. It' been a lifelong dream to own a bunch of ground, but now the size of that dream has shrunk considerably. There's no way i'll afford enough ground to even think about hunting the way i want to hunt now. We have some ground and enjoy working on it, putting in some plots, etc., but my desire to hunt there has just about disappeared in the last couple years. Now it's really about everything except hunting.

[ontario farmer]

I own farms. But I hunt public land too because my land base is quickly over hunted and the deer leave the hardwood bush in the last half of the season too. Public land gives me swamp and marshes and winter deer yards that I do not have at home. I save the private land for family weekend hunting so my grown children can enjoy hunting when they have time.

[Octang]

Great post. I agree completely. I hunted on private land my whole life, but I have never been so passionate about hunting since I moved onto public land. I feel like the vast expanse of land opens up endless options and strategies for me to pursue. At this point I don't feel like I could go back to just hunting one 40 acre plot again.

It is a feeling that is hard for me to put into words, but I suspect I don't have to because many of you feel it too.

I also don't get excited about hunting on overly managed land (just like I get annoyed watching unrealistic hunting shows that only show managed land being hunted). That takes away the thrill of the hunt for me. Maybe I would shoot bigger deer, but every time I would look at my wall hanger I would have a feeling that I didn't earn it.

[Hawthorne]

I'm co owner on 60 acres and own my own 23 that I plan on retiring at.I owned another 40 but sold it. I love having land that said I hunt public also. I got a great deal on my 23 acres. It's already doubled in value almost. It was pretty much all old crp field with lots of brush in a good location. I've planted roughly 2000 trees the last 3 years on it. It's a nice little spot and will get better has time goes by. I'm also adding a pond soon.

[rfickes87]

I currently own over 6 million acres........as a taxpayer of WI public land.

Since I enjoy the challenge of hunting public so much I have zero desire to purchase my own hunting land. Unless I bought thousands of acres I would get bored very quick. Sitting in the same stands over and over on the same forty is just not for me.

Dewey beat me to it

My family owns a farm but I identify more as a public land owner to be honest. I love hearing a turkey gobble in any direction and knowing I can go hunt him, or finding big buck sign in they middle of 30,000+ acres and knowing that deer is in there somewhere.

You guys are dead on!!!!!!!!!!!!!

I was playing cards with my buddies the other night and the one said he wants to buy 20 acres off his neighbor bc its prime bedding next to the 80 his parents own just so he can finally post it and keep other hunters out. He wants to offer like $120k to his neighbor and he's 30 and still lives with his parents haha!! I'm just sitting there like "WHAT?! ARE YOU NUTS?!" I can go find all the bedding I want for free.

[tgreeno]

I think a good number of hunters don't want expend the effort and work hard. They want to put cameras the same spots and sit in the same stands year after year. My brother in law is exactly this type of guy. He has a 40 I used to hunt. He gets a few nice deer on camera's, but never see's them during hunting, every year! He has no bedding on his land, it's just a transition area, they pass thru.

Albert Einstein once said, “The definition of insanity is doing the same thing over and over again, but expecting different results”.

[headgear]

Hunting large tracks of public can be addicting, it is really nice to not have to worry about property lines. Sure there might not be a ton of large bucks around but it sure ups the challenge that is for sure. One could even say there is no greater high than scoring a large public land buck.

[mibowhunter]

I love hunting public land.... but it is still my dream to own a small piece of property. I'd like some place where I can put in a food plot, do some habitat work, and put up a cushy tower blind. :) I have young kids that I'd love to introduce on a private place rather than dealing with many of the crazies I encounter on MI public land. I am pretty sure if I dragged my 7 year old 1.5 miles in to public through water and muck, she will never want to hunt with me again.

[cedarsavage]

Hunting large tracks of public can be addicting, it is really nice to not have to worry about property lines. Sure there might not be a ton of large bucks around but it sure ups the challenge that is for sure. One could even say there is no greater high than scoring a large public land buck.

That's where I'm at, I like to roam and be able to do as I please. Even though it's a major headache sometimes I love the big woods