Another thread's discussion spurred the idea for this question. If you had to choose (some of you may not have to given your circumstances, but for sake of discussion, let's say you HAVE to) between owning your own piece of ground (100+ acres) to manage as you please (location aside), and limited travel opportunities to hunt other species of in other locations, or never owning your own ground, having to hunt high pressure public ground, BUT with many options of traveling out of state and/or country to hunt every year, which would you choose and why? Yes I know that was the world's longest run on sentence, but I hope you understand the question?:D
If my choice was between being able to travel and hunt wherever I wanted or owning ground and having limited hunting opportunities elsewhere I would probably choose the travel route. That way, you get to see a lot of different places, hunt a lot of different species, and it also allows for you to expand your hunting season and make it last longer. Edit: My opinion may be different had I had experience hunting public land before, but I've been fortunate enough to always have about 150 acres to hunt privately.
Land. I have traveled a great deal and I am done with it. Not to say I won't in the future but it will likely be driveable if I do.
Travel. Although ironically enough I just purchased land. A few months back. But it really shouldnt limit my ability to travel. If you waould have asked me this question 5-10 years ago, I would have said land without a doubt. But as I started travelling to other places, I really find there are some cool and interesting things to see & hunt & people to meet.
You said 100+ acres.... Give me a value of the land (payments - w/ interest). That way I can see how much $$ I would have to travel on.
Unless I was able to live physically on the land to control access and monitor it, I'd pick travel. This is coming from someone that tried the own land thing.........
land without a doubt. I could share it with friends and family, Pass it down, and its an investment. If I ever got in trouble I could always sell it. Really, for me there is nothing to think about.
I really enjoy owning hunting land for now. But, I could see someday selling it if I were to retire to a warmer climate and using the money to travel on several hunting trips each year. If I was forced into making one decision, it would be to own land.
I would also take the land option. My family owns some decent hunting land, but its managed terribly. I would love to have my own piece that I could manage and hunt how I want.
Travel. No way can I hunt the same piece of ground year after year. I need a change of scenery now and again. North America is so diverse and amazing......I want to see as much of it as I can before I die.
Like I said....give me a $$ figure on the land. If the $$/acre are too low....hell I don't figure it'll be that great of hunting, anyways! If it's high....I have more money to travel with.
I'll take the land. No brainier for me. It is my most important goal in life. It is the reason I work as hard as I do (other than to feed my family). It is what I want more than anything. I'd be tempted to trade my dong for land if someone offered. Sick as it may be....... it is how bad I want it. I dream about it ~10 times per day. When I look back, I will be able to tell if I was successful if I am passing on land to my children. I'm saving my a$$ for it. But I know it won't happen till both kids are in school and my wife can get back to work. Boy it will be nice having two incomes again. Oh, by the way. That land needs to have an ~1000-1500' sq ft. cabin on it, wood heat and a nice covered deck.
Land, no brainer to me. I live on our 125 acres, and we're looking at more. It's incredible how the "right" places pay for themselves. Hard to find, but they are out there.
If I had land out west where there was many different big game species, I'd possibly pick land then. Figuring money wasn't a problem and for the area I live In now, It would be travel. If I or anyone was just a whitetail hunter, land would be a common choice I'd bet.
$2500/acre-60% tillable/40% Mature Timber. Geographically, let's keep it limited to your current location.
It all depends on where the land was located. If it held a good amount of deer during the hunting season, then it would be land.
