If you love to hunt, you know that there’s nothing better than hunting on your own land.
There are many reasons that this is true. When you hunt on your own land, you don’t have to worry about other hunters getting in the way. You have a much bigger degree of control over the animal populations that reside there as well.
Best of all, you can learn every inch of your land by heart and you can invite your friends to join you and make some memories, too.
If buying hunting land is on your mind, there are many things to consider. Since this will be a long term investment, you want to get the best hunting land available to you.
Read on to learn about the many things you should look for and think about when buying hunting land.
Why Buy Hunting Land?
When you own your own hunting land, you get to make the rules. You can decide who comes on your land and when, or you can decide to keep it for your own private use.
Perhaps you have been hunting on a friend’s land or on public lands for many years, and these locations certainly have their benefits. Our nation’s public lands include many thousands of acres of wildlife and beauty, and when you go deep, you can feel and can almost vicariously experience the hunting trips of our ancestors.
If you’ve been using a friend’s land for years, you probably know it inside and out. You know every tree, every stream, and every place animals like to eat, hide and graze. You are a part of it, and it is a part of you.
You experience that same familiarity and the same feelings when you buy your own land. But there’s one thing that makes it even better: it’s yours.
When you are buying, you need to choose a reputable team to help you make the best choice. After you find the right team, you can start the search.
Tips for Buying NY Hunting Land
If you see a good deal on hunting land in NY, you may want to buy it right away. That might not be a good idea. There are a lot of considerations to think about when it comes to purchasing land for hunting – so don’t be impulsive.
You’ll want to think about all of the following factors before signing anything and before handing your money over to anyone.
1. Budget
Before you even begin shopping, you need to determine a realistic budget for hunting land. Prepare to stick to it. It’s easy to fall in love with a plot of land that is out of your price range and rationalize your way into making a purchase that in reality, you can’t afford.
Setting a budget for yourself ahead of time is wise. You need to make sure that you will be able to afford the land that you choose without having to endure financial hardship now or later on.
Loans
It’s possible that you have saved enough money to buy the land outright with the money you have in the bank. More likely, you will need to take out a loan for your purchase.
Consider the monthly payments that a loan will require and examine your overall income and living expenses budget to make sure payments will be feasible in both the long and short term.
Once you have chosen land to buy, you’ll need to put down a down payment. This is often around twenty percent of the total purchase price, but it could be as much as fifty percent.
Make sure that you are prepared for this and that it won’t put you in a precarious situation before you agree to it.
Taxes
You also will need to familiarize yourself with the tax requirements for any land that you purchase. In most cases, you will need to pay taxes on your land every year, so you need to be prepared for that.
Sometimes there are exceptions and exemptions to this rule, and the realtor from whom you purchase the land will help you navigate this confusing realm.
2. Location
After the budget, the second most important factor to consider when buying hunting land is the location. In many ways, the location is the truly most important factor.
Distance
When you buy land for hunting, you will first want to think about the distance of this land from your home. If it’s too far, you won’t be able to use it as much as you would like.
Ideally, it would be great to find some land that is within an hour of your primary residence but depending on where you live, that could be challenging.
If you can’t find something that close, then land within a drive of three hours from your home will probably do. That way, you can wake up very early, drive the distance, and you can still enjoy a full day of hunting before you run out of daylight.
You may plan to build a cabin on your land or you might have a camper to bring along, but if neither of these things is in your plans or budget, you may also want to think about whether or not there is another lodging available nearby.
Hotels, rental houses, or established campgrounds in the vicinity may be important to you if you enjoy multi-day hunting trips.
Terrain
Before making your purchase, you should take a lot of time to really explore the land. Is it easy to access? Is there a safe place to park and a flat place to camp if you so desire in the future?
Look at the amount of tree cover, the availability of water, and the open spaces where animals might congregate to feed. Think about where you might build tree stands or bird blinds, too.
Ask about the property’s neighbors and take the time to meet them if possible. Inquire about their hunting behavior and wildlife management practices and make sure your philosophies and lifestyles mesh well.
Try to forge a positive relationship with them right from the very beginning.
Hunting Wildlife
Obviously, you’ll want to make sure the land will attract and maintain plenty of the types of animals you choose to hunt.
If you are a deer hunter, you will want to choose land that is inviting for deer, but keep in mind that your land may attract other game that could interest you as well. When choosing animals to hunt, you may find that you want to try things you have never even tried before.
When inspecting your land, look for animal signs. Scrapes on trees, animal trails, and animal droppings are all signs that game visits your property on a frequent basis.
You’ll want to make sure that the land you buy is ripe for the happiness of the animals. Game is drawn to land when there is plenty of cover in which to hide, when there is plenty of food for prey, and when there are water sources to quench their thirst.
When your land has all of these things, you know that you will have critters to hunt for years or even decades to come.
Other Uses
A lake or pond can provide the opportunity to fishing when it isn’t hunting season. Land that attracts a wide variety of birds can be great for birding.
You may even want to bring friends and family to your land for camping trips throughout the year; even if they are not hunters themselves, they too can revel in the abundant wildlife on the right piece of property.
3. Other Considerations
Although budget and location are the two biggest things to think about when buying land for hunting, there are some other things to consider, too.
First, you should think about whether or not you plan to build on the land that you buy.
If you are only using it for hunting and occasional camping, then you don’t have to worry about things like water sources and the potential for electric connectivity, but if you plan to build a cabin down the road, these things might be important to you.
Also, if you hunt with a group of friends on a regular basis, you might want to ask them to go in on the purchase with you. This can be a wonderful way to buy a larger plot of land then you would be able to otherwise, and then you and your friends can enjoy it together.
If you do buy land with a group of friends, much discussion will be required beforehand. Make sure you have the same goals and management plans for the land and that you are all able to afford the investment. Set ground rules for sharing the land to make sure there are no friendship-ending arguments down the road.
Choose the Hunting Land That Works
Buying hunting land is an exciting step in the life of any hunter. If you can find a plot of land that meets all of the above criteria and you know that you can afford it in both the short and long term, go for it.
You’ll be thrilled to have land of your own that you can use and enjoy for years to come. Happy hunting!
If you’re looking for hunting land in New York state, look no further. Check out our listings and give us a call. We can’t wait to help you find land that you will love.