One of the first things I ask myself when I look at a hunting property is pretty simple:
Can this ground help pay for itself?
I’m a hunter, so naturally I’m looking at the deer, cover, water, access and what the neighboring properties look like. But I’m also looking at the farm from the ownership side.
What can it produce every year?
That’s one of the reasons I really like hunting properties that have some combination of CRP, farm ground and grazing. You can own a place you enjoy hunting while still having some income coming back off the property every year.
It’s not going to make the land free, but it can sure make it easier to own.
CRP Is Hard to Overlook
CRP can be a great fit on a recreational property.
You have an annual payment under the contract, but you’re also maintaining grass and cover that can be extremely beneficial to wildlife.
I’ve walked plenty of CRP ground in western Kansas and the Oklahoma Panhandle that holds whitetail, mule deer, antelope, pheasants and quail.
But I don’t look at CRP strictly by the payment.
I want to know what’s around it.
Does it connect to a creek or draw? Is there farm ground next door? Are there shelterbelts or trees nearby? Is there water in the area? Does the grass actually provide enough cover to hold wildlife?
A quarter of CRP surrounded by bare farm ground is one thing.
That same quarter next to milo, a shelterbelt, a creek drainage and another big block of grass can be a completely different hunting property.
That’s why you have to look beyond the CRP contract and look at how the property actually lays.
Farm Ground Can Work Twice
Tillable ground is another piece I really like on a hunting farm.
First, it can provide income.
Depending on the property, that may come from a cash lease, crop share or another arrangement with a local farmer.
But there’s another benefit that won’t necessarily show up on a spreadsheet.
Food.
Wheat, milo, corn and other crops can be a huge draw for wildlife.
Some of my favorite layouts are properties where the farm ground and hunting cover are mixed together instead of having 160 acres of wide-open tillable ground.
Give me crop ground next to CRP, native grass, a creek bottom, plum thickets or heavy bedding cover and now we have something interesting.
The farmer can make use of the productive acres while the hunting side of the property benefits from having that food source right there.
That’s a win in my book.
Grazing Has Its Place Too
Pasture can produce income without ruining a hunting property.
It just needs to be managed correctly.
I’ve seen properties where cattle and wildlife work together just fine. I’ve also seen what happens when a place gets grazed down to the dirt and there isn’t enough cover left to hide a rabbit.
There’s a balance.
A good grazing arrangement can generate some annual income while keeping the grass healthy and the property maintained.
I don’t automatically look at cattle as a negative on hunting ground.
I look at how they’re being managed.
I Wouldn’t Try to Make Every Acre Produce a Check
This is where hunting land is a little different from straight production ground.
Sometimes the most valuable five or ten acres on the whole farm aren’t producing any cash income.
They might be the acres tucked back against a creek where you can plant a food plot.
They might be thick grass where a mature buck beds.
Maybe it’s a plum thicket, wet area or nasty little corner that’s difficult to farm.
On paper, those acres may not look very productive.
To a hunter, they can be some of the best acres on the property.
I wouldn’t give that up just to squeeze another few dollars of rent out of every acre.
The Layout Matters More Than People Think
This is probably one of the biggest things I notice when I’m looking at recreational ground.
You can’t evaluate it from an acreage number alone.
Two 160-acre farms can have almost identical income and hunt completely differently.
One may be a square quarter of open cropland with roads on three sides.
The other might have 80 acres of cropland, 50 acres of CRP, a creek, thick cover and one secluded entrance.
They’re both 160 acres.
They’re not the same property.
I want the income-producing acres positioned where they make sense, and I want enough cover, water and seclusion left for the wildlife.
That’s when a property starts checking a lot of boxes.
Income Makes a Good Hunting Property Easier to Own
A CRP payment of a few thousand dollars per year probably isn’t going to be the reason somebody buys a hunting farm.
But it matters.
So does a crop lease.
So does grazing income.
That money can help cover property taxes, food plots, road work, fencing, equipment and the other expenses that come with owning land.
And if you’re financing the purchase, every dollar coming back off the farm helps.
That’s why I think buyers need to look at more than the purchase price.
What does the property cost to own every year?
What does it produce?
And what do you get to enjoy while you own it?
Those are three different questions.
What I Look For
If I’m looking at a hunting property with income potential, I’m trying to put the whole puzzle together.
I want good cover.
I want water or dependable water nearby.
I want quality neighboring habitat.
I want access that lets me get in and out without blowing every deer off the farm.
Then I want to see what part of the property can produce income without hurting those things.
Maybe that’s CRP.
Maybe it’s 80 acres of wheat.
Maybe it’s summer grazing.
A really good property might have all three.
There’s no perfect formula because every farm is different.
That’s also part of what makes land interesting.
Good Ground Can Do More Than One Thing
Some of the best properties I come across in Northwest Oklahoma and Southwest Kansas aren’t strictly hunting properties, and they aren’t strictly agricultural properties.
They’re both.
You can hunt whitetails in November, chase pheasants or quail, run some cattle, collect a CRP payment or rent the farm ground.
And hopefully you’ve got a piece of dirt you enjoy owning along the way.
That’s the type of property I like.
If you’re looking at buying or selling hunting, farm, ranch or CRP land in Northwest Oklahoma or Southwest Kansas, give me a call. I’m always glad to look at a property, talk through what it’s producing and figure out what makes the ground different.
