According to a 2022 NDA report, 88% of whitetail deer are harvested on private land in the United States. If you’re looking for the most consistent success on deer therefore, private land is definitely the place to be. Even if you currently have some private access, sometimes these areas can be lost, or just aren’t that great due to a wide variety of factors – leaving you wanting to find a new deer hunting “hotspot” (or a few, which is never a bad idea). If that’s you, and you feel a bit entrenched in the hunting wasteland of mediocrity where you currently hunt, it’s time to break out of that rut. (Public Land is definitely an option, but we looked at that totally different beast (HERE) in a separate article) Let’s look at 3 ways you can get onto new ground and hopefully gain a private land hunting hotspot.
Private Land Hunting Options:
To hunt private land, there are really three options to consider: get permission, lease, or own. Each of these has their pro’s and con’s but are viable for gaining access to good land. Here are some things to consider in each of these unique cases.
Private Land Hunting Option 1 – Getting Permission:
Getting Permission: At first glance this sounds like the best option, and there are many pro’s if you can acquire this. All you need to do is get a “yes” from the land owner and you immediately have access to potentially good hunting with little to no overhead or effort. No money is spent to hunt or on upkeep of the land. Depending on the land, it may be great hunting already and all you have to do is show up. These are all great and good reasons to pick the low hanging fruit and kick over a few rocks in pursuit of hunter-friendly land owners. But there are many cons, as well, which center around one thing – control. You just have very little. First, there may be other hunters using the land. If you can’t lock down sole use of it, and the landowner is nice enough to give you access, they probably will to others and this can easily turn into a public land hunter- behind-every-tree scenario.
Second, you most likely will not be able to do land improvements unless your owner relationship is great or you can convince them it will benefit their land. You are kind of stuck with what it is. Third, you will most likely have to ask year after year and put forth effort to keep good relations with the owner. You could literally lose it at the whim of the owner, which happens quite often. If you can do this, and are ok with these variables, permission can be a good option. Just keep expectations real and get ready to hear “no” as this option is very difficult these days, especially with the popularity of leasing. Using your social network through work, friends, church, and anywhere else can be your best chance as most people trust who they know much more than whom they don’t, thus increasing your odds. Focus on building relationships and helping the landowner if you can over years and think of this as a long, not short game. Focus on people, not getting what you want out of them for the best results, and if you happen to get permission, be thankful and enjoy the opportunity.
Private Land Hunting Option 2 – Leasing:
This is a step I personally have not taken due to the big con we probably all know – money, but it can be a legitimate option if you cannot get any permission or you want more control of variables. First, you don’t have to know, build rapport, or even keep up relations with the owner. You should if possible because you may want to keep the lease, but using the land is more contingent on signing a contract, paying the money, and not breaking any rules therein. The biggest con is being able to afford this year after year, as most leases run thousands of dollars each season. However, you should consider this if you don’t know the area or how long term you may want to be (opposed to buying) and can financially afford it. Also, if you are considering buying in the area, this could be a short term solution and “test run” to allow you to see what the area deer herd and hunting pressure is like.
This way you can hunt the area for a few years and see for yourself if you’d like to take the plunge and buy your own piece. This will allow real life realities to sink in and the infatuation of a “new hotspot” to wear off. Drive distance, area hunting pressure (bow and gun season), and deer herd quality at all stages of the year will come into much clearer focus and allow a better decision. It allows you to hopefully keep leasing if you like it, but also the flexibility to drop it and hunt somewhere else if you find better land or that you want to be closer to home. If you are ready to splash the cash, they can be great hunting and an especially good option for out of state hunting and avoiding public land mobs. You just have to weigh the actual cost of this versus saving for a new gun, bow, or potentially buying your own land.
Private Land Hunting Option 3 – Buying:
To take the long-term plunge into the world of land ownership, there’s many factors to consider. Weighing the long term financial cost should be the first, especially with fluctuating loan rates. Leasing and buying can be expensive these days, both increasing yearly. The good thing about buying your new land is that the cost won’t go up as could when signing a lease contract every year. You can also do whatever you want to make changes to your land and there will be restrictions on a lease.
Justin Olk is a land specialist for Whitetail Properties in West Central Michigan who shared a few tips with me for those considering buying land. He says, you must consider the three big things deer need when choosing land and buying a property which are cover, water, and food. Cover is the biggest consideration in his opinion. According to Justin, “There can be food and water on a property but it will not hold deer if there is no cover. I’ve seen properties with beautiful food plots and plenty of water never produce quality deer and it’s because there was no cover. Deer will simply travel from their bedding area to food and if that bedding area is too far away you’ll never see deer during daylight hours.”
One not only must consider what is going on at the property, but also the surrounding property and what it does to meet these needs. Are the neighbors supporting QDM or just filling tags? Is there a sanctuary, big food source, or good cover that will enhance your abilities to hold deer on your prospective land? The absolute jackpot is finding a piece entirely surrounded by sanctuary – either no hunting private or government owned property that allows deer the chance to grow big, old, and behave like normal deer that aren’t pressured. But even if the property passes these tests, one must not overlook access. Justin says, “ As hunters we try to pattern deer but many don’t realize deer can also pattern us. Multiple enter and exit strategies are extremely important. Wind direction, road frontage, trail systems and topography are all factors for access so it’s important to understand not only where you’ll be hunting on the property, but how you’ll get there as well.”
Additionally, think about how turn-key ready the property is, and your ability to make land enhancements. Are food plots already established and you’ll just have to make adjustments, or do you have to start from scratch and totally re-engineer the land (cut trees, remove stumps, kill off invasive weeds, plant fruits trees, till the soil / build a nutrient base, establish bedding areas, etc.)? If you can find these factors and keep pressure low on your land and add additional elements of draw to it, your land will become a magnet to attract deer as the season goes on and the squeeze outside grows. If many of these factors are not present, it could take over a decade to get the land to where it’s good hunting, so consider this carefully.
It’s hard these days, but with some planning and the right tactics you can indeed find great new private land to create new deer hunting memories.
HIGH IQ TAKEAWAYS AND CHALLENGES:
- Which of these options for gaining access to private land sounds best? why?
- Devise a plan to explore these options more, or take action to start the process to gaining new land access. What will you do? Write down 2 things.
- Get a journal going like the DEER IQ Journal (a free download HERE to help you begin your journey to become a greater hunter!)
