Hunt 365 January 2018-Buying or Leasing Land

This month I have a question coming from Linda in Wayne County Iowa concerning buying or leasing land for recreational use.  Every year, at season’s end, there is always a spike in the interest around buying hunting land or finding a hunting lease.  This isn’t a coincidence.  Hunters having bad seasons often reflect back on them this time of year in an effort to change their outcomes for the following year.  I do this myself every year so that I can make plans to improve.  Linda was looking forward to next year back in October when I first got her question.  Linda asks, “Hey Tom, my husband and I have been avid archery hunters for many years.  We share hunting on an old family farm with several of my nephews, my brother, and a couple family friends.  The family farm isn’t quite big enough to hold us all as the hunting pressure seems to be pretty intense.  That’s not the worst of it all.  Every year we disagree more and more about how we should be hunting the farm, who should pay for things like food plots, and this year is no better.  We would like to move on and are debating whether we should lease a farm or buy.  We can most likely lease more acres than we can afford to buy.  And, we are considering buying or leasing so that we can have more control over the land we hunt.  Any thoughts?  Thank you.”

To Buy or Lease Recreational Land

Hunters looking to gain access to hunting grounds where they have some or all control over what happens on them often turn to buying or leasing.  There are advantages with both of course but usually hunters looking to have more control over their hunting grounds dream of the day of owning their own property.  Recreational land is not cheap, so leasing can be a viable option for many hunters who can’t afford to own land, but have a few extra dollars to afford a lease.  Linda is asking for advice because it is probably the case that they are caught in the middle of this predicament themselves.

There is no right or wrong answer when it comes to buying or leasing recreational land.  There are some very distinct differences though and each has potential pros and cons.  All I can do for Linda is break down what my experience has been with hunting the “family farm”, leasing, and then becoming a landowner myself.  Maybe through explaining my experiences it will help Linda and her husband decide what is best for them.

Leaving the Family Farm

Very early in my hunting life, I felt hunting the family farm just wasn’t giving me the return I wanted from my hunting experience.  Each year I looked forward to hunting with my dad, uncles, cousins, and also my grandpa’s long-time friends.  We would all pack into my grandpa’s 120 acres for archery and gun seasons.  Hunting pressure was intense but none of us ever cared….it was about filling tags.  It didn’t take long and I was starting to push the boundaries of what was normal for that time…putting in food plots, letting smaller bucks go, trying to put less pressure on the deer.  Being one of the youngest hunters in our group, I didn’t exactly have too much say in what went on.  My dad backed my desires as much as he could but that 120 acres, with that many people hunting it, was never going to be what I wanted.  So, reluctantly I moved on.  First, I sought out public hunting in areas with less hunting pressure.  I had zero money only ambition.  Public hunting was a bit better but the pressure was still intense.  This was all in my teens and early twenties while I was still in school and just starting my first full time job and a young family of my own.  With very little expendable money in hand, but still a ton of ambition, I sought a lease in an area of the state that offered great hunting.

The Pros and Cons of Leasing

If Linda wants more control over their hunting grounds, leasing a piece of property can be a great option.  Leasing allows the hunter to access ground in an area they can only dream of owning land in.  Lease prices can vary greatly depending on the area and the type of ground you lease.  I personally know of ground in Iowa being leased anywhere between 5 and 20 dollars an acre.  I’m sure in some cases it’s even higher.  To lease 120 acres at $20/acre would cost Linda $2400 every year.  Her return for that investment is knowing she has a place to hunt of her choosing.  She can walk away when she wants to, or she can stay if the land is a great place to hunt.  If her relationship remains positive with the landowner this could provide many years of great hunting.  At the end of ten years though, Linda will have spent $24000 on her hunting and will only have some mounts and memories to show for it.  That’s not bad just something to consider.  I can think of a lot of worse things to spend your time and money on!

Not all leases are created equal though.  Some landowners can have very restrictive rules regarding who can hunt the lease, if you are allowed to hang tree stands or put in food plots for example.  Very few landowners will allow you to do hinge cuttings on their property or other improvements you wish to take up.  Many leases are not exclusive and the landowner will continue to hunt or may have their own children for example that will continue to hunt the property.  Of course, there is no telling when a landowner will decide to cut firewood, or spread manure, or have the timber on their property harvested.  Sorry to point out the obvious, but the landowner still owns the land.

Any improvements you make to the property in terms of habitat, plantings, etc. will ultimately be to the benefit of the landowner.  As a hunter, you’ll experience ownership in a simulated fashion, but the land is not yours.  When I leased land, I was always torn between the reality of knowing the land was not mine, and my desire to treat it like it was.  For example, I always wanted to put in some more permanent type box blinds so that we would be more comfortable during cold sits on stand, especially during the gun seasons…but I was torn spending the money and time installing permanent blinds on land that was not mine.  I always wanted to plant apple trees, or create fence jumps, interior plots, and other land improvements.  Some of these improvements we did invest in, but looking back we only got the short-term benefits as we no longer use that property.  What I’m trying to say is, leasing has the illusion of ownership, but make no mistake, it is not owning the property.  Short term positive results in your hunting experience can be real and great, but they are in fact short term.  Leases end, land gets sold, and you as the hunter leasing the land has to once again find new ground to hunt.  Leasing hunting ground is very similar to renting a home, it has its advantages but it’s not your own. 

To sum up leasing, in my experience, leasing can fill a short-term void in any hunter’s experience.  It is affordable for most hunters especially when going in with other like-minded hunters.  But if I had to do it all over again, I would have spent less money on a smaller lease with fewer people involved.  When I leased, it was a group of 5 hunters and we had all the same problems Linda described in her original question.  My suggestion, if you are going to lease, keep your lease affordable enough so that you can have your own exclusive lease and make sure to address any questions or concerns upfront with the landowner.  Get your lease in writing and always remember the land is not yours.

Owning Your Own Land

Owning your own hunting land is the crown jewel of hunters.  I don’t know of many hunters that don’t dream of one day owning their own hunting land.  When I went through my progression of hunting the family farm, to leasing, to now owning my own farms, I never took my eyes off the prize.  There is nothing wrong with hunting the family farm with a bunch of other hunters, then sharing ground on public land, and leasing your own little piece of ground.  But nothing quite compares to owning a farm.  Because land values in my lifetime have never decreased (over the long term), and the ability to buy income producing farm land, I personally can’t see any negative with pursuing owning your own piece of ground.  Don’t make the mistake however of purchasing ground in an area that doesn’t offer you the management practices you desire or your hunting won’t improve all that much.  Hunting land can have a long-term investment return of 7% or greater too if you find land that has cash income from tillable acres and the land appreciates in value.  A great long-term investment combined with recreational value and owning your own farm seems like a no brainer.  Linda, all I can say is this…leasing hunting ground can fill a void in your hunting experiences on the short term, but in many cases, leases won’t give a die-hard hunter the true fix they want or desire.  By all means, lease land now if that’s what you can afford, but don’t take your eyes off the prize!M