Losing some hunting property --Help!

[Deerthug]

The picture below is an aerial view of the hunting property I have been hunting on for the last 5 years.

It was a total of 120 acres. When we bought 6 years ago the owner subdivided and we bought 30 acres to the right of the red line but had permission to hunt on the left of red line for free. The 90 acres on the left are in the process of being sold. All we know is that the new buyer is a retired Nassau cop and may be planning on building a house close to the road (bottom of picture) as the water table further into the property is too high and not buildable. There are three watering holes to the left but none to the right of the red line. Hoping to get permission for this season at least to hunt on the left. But in the event we are not given permission, where would you put the stands from the left to the right? There is a logging road under the canopy of the thick woods to the right off of which there are multiple trails coming down the hill into the soybeans to the right of the red line. In the upper right hand corner is also a funnel where the deer come off the hill and into the soybean. Any suggestions would be appreciated.

[papabear]

I would hunt were red dots are good luck

papabear

[Deerthug]

Thanks Papa. Only problem with the two on the bottom left just to the right of the red line, there are no trees there. Would have to put ground blinds which was my intention. I was also thinking of putting one tree stand all the way in the upper right hand corner at the end of the logging road. There are a lot of signs, rubs, scrapes along the logging road. We also got some good bucks on camera in the middle and just to the right of the red line. May set up a blind there as well. Heading up this weekend to do the work.

[steve863]

Hard to give advice from above ground. What sucks here is that you possibly lost 75% of your hunting land. That is the BIG problem in areas like Dutchess & Columbia counties and I'm sure many other areas in the state. It's becoming more suburbia than it is a rural area, and it ain't going back any time soon. Hunting on these small lots in these types of areas has many challenges, the least of which are where the deer might be or where to position your stand. Lets hope the new landowner is a nice guy and will let you hunt or track on his land. Many get pissed at people for just looking at their land, nevermind hunting or tracking game on it. Things always change, but rarely for the better it seems.

[Doewhacker]

Hunt the woods and get recovery rights from your neighbors, never hunted fields personally.

[Deerthug]

Hard to give advice from above ground. What sucks here is that you possibly lost 75% of your hunting land. That is the BIG problem in areas like Dutchess & Columbia counties and I'm sure many other areas in the state. It's becoming more suburbia than it is a rural area, and it ain't going back any time soon. Hunting on these small lots in these types of areas has many challenges, the least of which are where the deer might be or where to position your stand. Lets hope the new landowner is a nice guy and will let you hunt or track on his land. Many get pissed at people for just looking at their land, nevermind hunting or tracking game on it. Things always change, but rarely for the better it seems.

I never thought that the remaining 90 acres would EVER be sold considering the fact that the property is really not buildable on that end. And I can't imagine someone paying upwards of $400K just for hunting lands if you can't build on it. We are going to try to get permission to hunt and if all else fails, recovery rights. I'm crossing my fingers, toes and anything else I can cross . . .

[Doewhacker]

I would consider searching the area for more lots to hunt too, never hurts to have a few spots lined up and that way you can still stay at camp and hunt the area.

[steve863]

I never thought that the remaining 90 acres would EVER be sold considering the fact that the property is really not buildable on that end. And I can't imagine someone paying upwards of $400K just for hunting lands if you can't build on it. We are going to try to get permission to hunt and if all else fails, recovery rights. I'm crossing my fingers, toes and anything else I can cross . . .

Why on earth would anyone spend that kind of money for something they can't build on? Are you sure they can't build? Unless someone is dirt rich I also couldn't imagine someone spending that kind of money for hunting land either, especially anywhere in southeastern NYS when that kind of money can get you a huge spread somewhere else. There are some treehuggers out there who have money and want some property in the country. If those type bought the land next to yours you may need more than your toes and fingers crossed to get hunting access.

[Deerthug]

Why on earth would anyone spend that kind of money for something they can't build on? Are you sure they can't build? Unless someone is dirt rich I also couldn't imagine someone spending that kind of money for hunting land either, especially anywhere in southeastern NYS when that kind of money can get you a huge spread somewhere else. There are some treehuggers out there who have money and want some property in the country. If those type bought the land next to yours you may need more than your toes and fingers crossed to get hunting access.

I don't think they're treehuggers. The guy who bought it is a retired Nassau cop. We are concerned that he may try to set up a shooting range or just go up there with his cop buddies and just target shoot. Have not met the guy yet but learned this through the seller. Hope to meet up with him this weekend and feel him out. For now the only way he can access that property is through our driveway to our parcel since they have not harvested the soybean yet. Our neighbor across the way keeps an eye on the property for us and gives us the heads up on what is happening.

You can build on the land but close to the road - toward the bottom to the left of the soybean area is buildable.

[steve863]

I don't know how a real shooting range or even someone just target shooting too much would swing in such a location? There seem to be more than a few dwellings around there from the arial. I couldn't imagine someone not putting up a stink over too much gunfire sooner or later in a place like that. We are talking Dutchess/Columbia counties here, not some county up in the Dacks.

[Deerthug]

True. We just don't want to be sitting on the deck up at the house and hearing the gunfire every weekend. Unless the gunfire comes from our firearms during the season. I sure as hell would put up a stink and get it shut down quickly.

Edited September 12, 2012 by Deerthug

[growalot]

retired cop...400k undeveloped...hhmmmm

[steve863]

True. We just don't want to be sitting on the deck up at the house and hearing the gunfire every weekend. Unless the gunfire comes from our firearms during the season. I sure as hell would put up a stink and get it shut down quickly.

That's exactly what I mean. Not even a shooter/hunter wants to hear it all day long, let alone someone who isn't.

[oneidacountyhunter]

What's the L-shaped figure bottom right corner? Outbuilding? Camp? House?

Even though you may have lost the 90 acres, I think your remaining 30 acres still look good. $400,000 for land? wow.

[Deerthug]

What's the L-shaped figure bottom right corner? Outbuilding? Camp? House?

Even though you may have lost the 90 acres, I think your remaining 30 acres still look good. $400,000 for land? wow.

The L-shaped figure is a barn/garage (used to be a poultry farm/fruit tree farm 50 yrs ago) The house is just above and to the right of the top of the barn.

I know there are a lot of deer on the property with some decent size bucks 6pt and better mixed in with some cow horned spikes as well as tons of doe. When we sit in the tree stand that is in the middle of the tree line along the right thicket we can hear bucks grunting behind us at the top of the hill which is the logging road. That's why we plan on moving at least one stand to the far upper right hand corner at the end of the logging road.

[Deerthug]

retired cop...400k undeveloped...hhmmmm

Maybe he's looking for areas to bury some of his skeletons??? The ponds are man made about 25 feet deep. with a few possum swimming around, trout and other fish. The water is moving water that comes form a stream off the property.

[beachpeaz]

I'm curious how the property to the right of the line is 30 acres, but the property to the left that looks maybe 50% larger is 90 acres? is there property missing on your map?

[G-Man]

i'd be back in the thick woods,top rt corner of the property. fields are nice you can see deer but the better bucks will not enter in daylight, even during the rut if they are mature, the older ones will chase doe and keep them in the thick stuff. you'll see younger bucks chasing around the fields, the big boy waits till they chse em into the woods esp if there are a lot of doe around

[Deerthug]

I'm curious how the property to the right of the line is 30 acres, but the property to the left that looks maybe 50% larger is 90 acres? is there property missing on your map?

Probably not drawn to scale. The lines to the left of the red line probably goes further into the woods to the other side of the tree line. But we own 28.976 acres according to the deed. I think the total amount of acreage for the entire property before it was subdivided was 123.something.

[Deerthug]

i'd be back in the thick woods,top rt corner of the property. fields are nice you can see deer but the better bucks will not enter in daylight, even during the rut if they are mature, the older ones will chase doe and keep them in the thick stuff. you'll see younger bucks chasing around the fields, the big boy waits till they chse em into the woods esp if there are a lot of doe around

I originally had my stand up in that corner but never saw any bucks. Only saw doe and that was even during all day sits. We took it down and put it on the other side of the red line along the tree line to the bottom left where the star is. That's where I got my first 5 1/2 pointer and a doe two years ago. But we got some big bucks on camera along the red line. So we are putting at least a blind along that line.

[WNYBuckHunter]

400k for 90 acres? Theres one born every minute I guess lol.

[Dinsdale]

400k for 90 acres? Theres one born every minute I guess lol.

Around here (I live near this property) 5K an acre is about right for that size acerage......proximity to getting to NYC in a couple hrs........location location location.

Maybe this particular property is a bit high IMO.

Lost more than one property to folks south of Westchester coming up here and buying land......tough place to count on keeping hunting rights in general.

Hope you make friends with the new owner.

[Nomad]

Well I hope it works out for you somehow, I really do. However I have a shooting range on my land and I can see idk 8 -10 houses from where I shoot. I built a berm to make it safe and no houses down range ,but behind me are 5 houses in a row, they bought their lots off my father-in-law, the nearest one just over 500 feet from my range.

We blast handguns ,shotguns and AK-47's with bump stocks( look it up ) . I try to avoid week ends, BUT its my land I'll do as i please the neighbors can always make an offer, then they can do as they please .

If one does not own the land they hunt on,every year they hunted it was a gift. I lost 4 or 5 farms over the years myself, but I own one myself so I always have someplace to hunt . Good Luck

[BizCT]

400k for 90 acres? Theres one born every minute I guess lol.

Not a bad price at all. There's a 3 acre property I would love to buy for $100K or less in Putnam County for hunting. The seller won't budge from $180K.

Edited September 12, 2012 by Biz-R-OWorld

[steve863]

Well I hope it works out for you somehow, I really do. However I have a shooting range on my land and I can see idk 8 -10 houses from where I shoot. I built a berm to make it safe and no houses down range ,but behind me are 5 houses in a row, they bought their lots off my father-in-law, the nearest one just over 500 feet from my range.

We blast handguns ,shotguns and AK-47's with bump stocks( look it up ) . I try to avoid week ends, BUT its my land I'll do as i please the neighbors can always make an offer, then they can do as they please .

If one does not own the land they hunt on,every year they hunted it was a gift. I lost 4 or 5 farms over the years myself, but I own one myself so I always have someplace to hunt . Good Luck

I can agree with you that it's your own property, but it's one thing doing something on your own property quietly and another when you are producing loud noise for an extended period of time that echos all over the area. I guess in some locations in the state this may be acceptable, but I know for a fact that it wouldn't swing for long in Deerthug's area.