Regardless of why you might be curious about purchasing hunting land — whether it’s for commercial or personal use — it’s good to know a few things before spending all of that money. Here are just a few tips that might help you in acquiring hunting land for yourself in the future.
Make a Financial Plan
Decide how much you’re willing and able to spend and be honest with yourself about it. Consider not only your income but also all of your costs to ensure that purchasing this home will not put you in a financial bind.
Will you pay for the land yourself or take out a loan? If you’re paying cash up front, the process is really easy. If you want to finance the purchase, you should begin looking for lenders as soon as possible. The finance process can be time consuming, as most regular banks do not lend on recreational property or unoccupied land. Finding a lender that does can be difficult. These properties’ loan conditions are as diverse as the lenders themselves.
Interest rates and loan conditions are heavily influenced by your credit history and the property you pick. You must make a down payment regardless of the option you choose. This is normally 20% of the purchase price, but it may be as high as 50% — a significant sum to pay all at once. Will you spend some of your savings or find another means to get the money? Planning ahead of time might save you a lot of trouble in the future.
Look for Specialty Real Estate Agents
Buying hunting land may require a real estate agent that specializes in recreational properties. Purchasing this kind of land land differs from purchasing a home or condominium. There are a few more things to think about. Unless you have a specific house with hunting land in mind, it is best to hire a real estate agent that has dealt with similar transactions before so they can advise you throughout the entire process.
Location
When looking for hunting land, you should set certain limits on the ideal location. You want it to be outside of the city but still within driving reach of your house. Travel time should be considered when determining how much you are prepared to pay for land. It’s always a better choice to spend more time hunting rather than traveling to and from the area.
Setting a trip time of no more than three hours is excellent. You may leave early in the morning, arriving at dawn for a full day of hunting, and return home before the day is done. This is especially useful if the land is for hunting only and there is no place to stay on the property. You should also think about how close the land is to hotels and motels in case you need to remain the night.
Hunting Land Types
Terrain is crucial for hunting land, especially if you intend to build a cottage or park a camper on the land. You’ll need at least one dry, flat space to put a home and getting to it shouldn’t be difficult. Finding a decent spot near the road can make wildlife less frightened when you arrive and depart the area. Keep an eye out for trees that will serve as tree stands and open areas where deer may eat.
In addition to thinking about the land’s terrain, you should keep an eye on the homes that are close to the ones you’re interested in to get an idea of the hunting lifestyle of the area. Introduce yourself to the proprietors and inquire about their lives. People are usually eager to provide you with knowledge that will be beneficial to you. Learn about their hunting habits such as whether they use good deer management techniques, if they allow rifle and/or bow hunting, and so on. Inquire about adjacent public hunting land. It’s a good idea to cultivate strong relationships with your neighbors and make sure you have similar viewpoints on hunting and property management.
Another important consideration when buying hunting land is Texas is what kind of hunting and outdoor activities will be available on it. While deer hunting may be your major motivation for buying hunting land for sale, there may be plenty of ducks, turkeys, and other wild species that give wonderful hunting possibilities as well. You might also want to look at other outdoor activities you like and how they might be included into your purchasing decision. When it’s not deer season, a lake or pond is a great place to go fishing. Camping and birdwatching are two more enjoyable activities that can be done at any time of year and may be enjoyed by the entire family.
Wildlife Quality and Abundance
The majority of people desire quality and abundance of animals when purchasing hunting land, and this is arguably the most difficult thing to determine. The following are some methods for investigating wildlife quality:
- Inquire with the vendor. You may or may not receive an honest response. However, some landowners who are selling their property are unaware of the distinction.
- Find out who has previously hunted the land. Get the name and phone number of the persons who rented it for hunting if it has been leased.
- Call a biologist from the Texas Parks and Wildlife Department (TPWD), since they can be a great resource.
- Contact the local game warden, who may be of assistance.
- Inquire if the nearby landowners hunt or lease their property. If they rent, get in touch with the folks that rent their land. Even if they are complete strangers, most hunters will strive to assist one another.
Water Access
Water is a vast topic that affects humans in a variety of ways, but it is also important to consider when purchasing hunting land in Texas. The kind of water that’s available on potential properties can affect how ideal a piece of land is for different kinds of hunters.
If you’re a waterfowl hunter, you’ll want plenty of standing water in the autumn and winter. Whether it’s in the form of a lake or a stock tank, as in the case of Wetlands Reserve Program WRP territory, water is necessary for waterfowl hunting.
However, if you’re a deer hunter you’d likely rather have property located along or river or a piece of land with a decent stream or two running through your property. Check out our Texas ranches for sale with river frontage. A lake with a stream or two is the best of both worlds. Tracks with a lot of developed water are hard to come by, and the pricing reflects this.
In addition to affecting the type of hunting you can do on the property, water is also necessary for a home or cabin. The following are questions you should ask the seller:
- Does this property have a well?
- Do your neighbors have wells or are they on rural water?
- How far can rural water be found?
- How much will it cost to provide rural water to the property?
- What is the depth of fresh potable water?
Most of the time the vendor will be able to respond to these inquiries. You might want to inquire about water availability with the county’s Cooperative Extension Agent. Furthermore, the local Farm Service Agency Administration is typically well-versed on water availability. The local United States Department of Agriculture NRCS office, which is situated in the county seat of almost every county in Texas, is where you’ll find this agency. It will also help you find county land for sale.
