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Hypothetical Situation

Ghost

Ghost

Life Member
Ok, you are a well to do individual with a lust for deer hunting and deer management. You are interested in buying a large tract of land to produce a deer paradise...something you always dreamed of doing. You want to be able to fully enjoy this property, but you also are concerned about making a sound financial investment. You are from any state except Iowa. In other words, you are not a resident of the state of Iowa.

Would you buy land in Iowa knowing that land values have doubled in the past 7 years? Would you buy in Iowa knowing that the law states you could only draw a tag every two or three years?

Why wouldn't you buy land in Northern Missouri where land prices are cheaper and you could buy all the over-the-counter tags you wanted?

Your thoughts...
 
If I was that well to do I'd buy land in both States. Then I'd work my ass off to try and get the laws changed in the state that has restrictions that I think are unfair to me as a land owner. In the mean time I'd hunt every year in the less restrictive state and every three years, unless I get a Governors’ tag, in the more restrictive state.

After I was successful in putting together a coalition of like thinking individuals and forcing the state to change it's laws I'd sell my ground in the state I just screwed over for mega bucks and buy even bigger tracts of land in the original less restrictive state with cheaper ground.

I'm just sayin.....

The 'Bonker
 
<div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Quote:</div><div class="ubbcode-body"> If I was that well to do I'd buy land in both States. Then I'd work my ass off to try and get the laws changed in the state that has restrictions that I think are unfair to me as a land owner. In the mean time I'd hunt every year in the less restrictive state and every three years, unless I get a Governors’ tag, in the more restrictive state.

After I was successful in putting together a coalition of like thinking individuals and forcing the state to change it's laws I'd sell my ground in the state I just screwed over for mega bucks and buy even bigger tracts of land in the original less restrictive state with cheaper ground.

I'm just sayin.....</div></div>

I think Bonker pretty much just described what the Drury's did in Decatur county (except they did not need to get the laws changed to increase the value of their IA land, their "name" association in the industry did most of that). Again, I have no disrespect for these people individually, I just do not think what they are doing for the future of deer hunting is a positive thing for the people which have bought alot of their products along the way.
 
The sound investment is where my eyes came to a screeching halt. /forum/images/%%GRAEMLIN_URL%%/smile.gif

My hunting partner and I always have dreamed about if we hit the lottery how we would buy large tract of land and do foodplots/Trophy QDM/ect... My hunting partner always says how he would by out two large ranchers in our area. Each runs about 2000acres and then some of the small tracts around it. I have always said why start from the beginning with genectics/qdm go somewhere where genetics are better and start.

After considering it, I would buy property in the NE 1/4 of MO if I had my choice just based on tag situation.

Dean
 
I would buy in Missouri. What these "certain groups" don't get is that the deer hunting is Northern Missouri is just as great as Iowa, just doesn't have the appeal "Hunt Iowa" . I would buy as much ground as I could in Northwest Missouri, practice QDM to the maximum, food plots, refuge area's and timber manangement. The deer are there, they just don't get the chance to see old age with rifle season being in the peak of the rut.

On top of that, I can kill 3 bucks (2 archery, 1 rifle or muzzleloader), always buy all of my tags at a cheap price, and have practically unlimited doe tags, right over the counter every year.

Plus, I wouldn't wine to everyone that I can't kill 4 bucks instead of 3, because I knew the law before I bought the ground /forum/images/%%GRAEMLIN_URL%%/cool.gif
 
<div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Originally Posted By: Fishbonker</div><div class="ubbcode-body">
After I was successful in putting together a coalition of like thinking individuals and forcing the state to change it's laws I'd sell my ground in the state I just screwed over for mega bucks and buy even bigger tracts of land in the original less restrictive state with cheaper ground.
</div></div>

With the new regulations, you wouldn't "outfit$" it to death before selling at a profit???
 
Hi all, this is my first post. I went to the bootheel of Mo. twice for work in the last month, and couldn't help but wonder what the hunting land was selling for in the upper part of the state as I was traveling back home to NE Iowa. I saw some ground that looked great for whitetail. I can't afford to buy ground in Iowa aside from the 14 acres I own due to the popularity of hunting and the price of corn. If I had extra money to spend, I would go for the land in Missouri. Cheaper land prices (from what I have heard), a milder winter, and the potential to manage your land for quality bucks sounds too good. Don't get me wrong, I love where I live in the valleys off of the river, and see some pretty nice deer, but I just can't afford to buy more ground to hunt on, and see more and more land getting leased and bought just for hunting with no chance for me to hunt on anymore even though I had access for years. Basically, I would buy the land in Mo., and wait a couple of years to buy land in Iowa cheap from bank sales after some of these people realize they stretched themselves out too far.
 
Regulations for the rut gun season are what separates midwest states trophy potential. You will need to buy more acerage in missouri than in iowa to produce top aged bucks, its just a product of rifle season outside your property (from first hand experience). I say go to Missouri, pay less, get better return on your money and kill your bucks every year... If land prices havent dropped in this market they may not get any lower.
 
If you hadn't added the "sound financial investment" portion to your scenario, I'd say that I would buy a 1500 acre tract in NE Missouri along the river somewhere. It's got the potential to produce the same quality of deer that we have here in Iowa as long as you have the ability to manage it from a "QDM" perspective.
But...........From a "sound financial investment" perspective, I'd purchase the land in a few "key" areas in Iowa. Property is a great financial investment in my opinion, especially over the past decade. The push for renewable resources is going to do nothing but continue to raise the value of tillable ground in the state, and the continued allure that Iowa's trophy deer hunting creates will keep the timbered portions of the tillable tracts rising along as well. Don't look for agricultural or timbered land to go down in value any time soon, if ever, especially in Iowa.......JMO.
 
Missouri is very good hunting but the state's rifle season begins 11/13 to 11/16 every year which of course is the middle of the rut. In addition, I think Missouri has more hunters and less seclusion. From an investment standpoint Iowa is the place to buy compared to MO. Speaking of the Drury's I believe Terry Drury sold his farm in IA and bought a large tract in N. MO., but as someone stated he purchased a very large tract enabling him to control his hunting.
 
<div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Originally Posted By: Ghost</div><div class="ubbcode-body">
Ok, you are a well to do individual with a lust for deer hunting and deer management. You are interested in buying a large tract of land to produce a deer paradise...something you always dreamed of doing. You want to be able to fully enjoy this property, but you also are concerned about making a sound financial investment. You are from any state except Iowa. In other words, you are not a resident of the state of Iowa.

Would you buy land in Iowa knowing that land values have doubled in the past 7 years? Would you buy in Iowa knowing that the law states you could only draw a tag every two or three years?

Why wouldn't you buy land in Northern Missouri where land prices are cheaper and you could buy all the over-the-counter tags you wanted?
</div></div>

I've been thinking on this one a bit. I pictured myself stuck in some crappy state like New Mexico because my wife got the "dream job" and then a few years down the road we decided to let me buy my chunk of ground. If we could afford it I would buy in Iowa but I would be very selective in where I bought ground. I would really try to buy ground near someone I knew/trusted (good friends or family) and talk to them about a hunting partnership of some kind. I would buy the land and have them watch over it, run trail cameras, etc and in return they could hunt it whenever they wanted WITHIN REASON. All details would obviously be worked out before I signed any paperwork and a simple handshake would seal the deal, not some damn written document. There would be no party hunting deer drives and they could only take their immediate family members so long as they all harvested a couple does to help out the population. So long as we communicated everything would be great, because this is a hypothetical situation and NOTHING would go wrong. /forum/images/%%GRAEMLIN_URL%%/smile.gif I'd do my best to get whatever legal tags I could and come back to hunt as much as possible.

I do think a driven individual could buy a large chunk of land just about anywhere in the country and shoot a big buck off of it so long as he's willing to hunt the land right. Each deer hunting state has "perfect tracts" of hunting land and with the right amount of blood, sweat, and tears you can turn it into a mecca of big bucks, it just might take longer than other states.

That all being said I know that I could never buy land outside of eastern Iowa because when I retire, this is where I will be. I was born here, I was raised here, and I damn well better die here when the time comes. There is no better place on Earth.
 
Just making sure I understand my choices. I can buy land on either side of an imaginary line with names identifying it as separate states in which the habitat is identical?

Choice #1 Buy land in Northern Missouri where the tags are more liberal and I can hunt my land each year but there is a rifle season, more out of state hunters, and a less desirable wildlife program, all of which result in less big bucks?

or..........

Choice #2 Buy land in Iowa where the the DNR sets rules to ensure the future of big buck hunting will continue make Iowa the desirable destination that it is, knowing that I will only be able to hunt it for bucks every two to three years. Then, protest, complain, and petition until I make is so that I have the right to hunt it every year with more liberal tags. Also, complain about the DNR, the organization that is responsible for what Iowa hunting currently is, and force them to make changes that bennifit me in the short run resulting in rule / law changes that eventually make the hunting identical to what I could have enjoyed in Missouri?

or.......

Choice #3 Buy land in Iowa, knowing the rules as they stand, enjoy amazing deer hunting like I have never seen in my home state. knowing that I will only be able to buck hunt it every 2-3 years, and be content with the rules that are in place realizing that these rules are what made Iowa the buck destination that it is?

Is this the correct question? If so, Choice #1 and Choice #3 seem to be the most logical choices to me.
 
<div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Originally Posted By: Bowman</div><div class="ubbcode-body">
Is this the correct question? If so, Choice #1 and Choice #2 seem to be the most logical choices to me. </div></div>

Really?
 
Well I have hunted IA for the past 8 years and have also had the privledge to hunt our farm in IL during that time. I have to admit, year in and year out I see and harvest more deer in IA but I do have to admit as far as bucks go I don't think either state is superiour, although my 2 biggest bucks have come from the East side fo the Mississippi. I think the attraction to owning land in IA would only be if I lived there as the current regulations make it a dream to hunt as a resident. However, if I could only buy one large chunk of land it would have to be somewhere I could hunt it every year, it just doesn't make much sense to me to but that much time, money and effort into a place that I can hunt every 3 years when you can have the same quality of hunting ground in MO, IL, OH (whatever midwest state you are living in) and be able to chase big whitetails every year. I feel as if I have made many good friends in this state that would be willing to let me hunt anytime, as a resident or non-resident and of course they in return my land in another state would always be open to them.



However, if I did purchase land here, I wouldn't push to have the laws changed, I would be completely fine with hunting it every 3 years with the archery gear, and would be content with shooting does at $100 bucks a pop every year, I knew the laws getting into it and I shouldn't try to ruin things for those who have enjoyed the rules and regs just because they don't benefit me. This is one of the last states left where outfitters aren't everywhere and for that reason alone I hope IA never changes its laws.
 
Good catch JRBRONC! Amazing how a single typo changes the whole point. I edited to read correctly!

Thanks!
 
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