Choosing the right property

If you don't already have a property to manage then the first step to creating your hunting paradise is to obtain a property. Finding and purchasing the right property can be a daunting task. For most of us cost will be a major contributing factor on choosing a property. I would recommend getting the most amount of acres you can with a bare minimum of 5 acres. Depending on the wild game in your area though a larger property could be necessary. For example if you're buying property in an arid area with little vegetation then you will definitely want more than 5 acres. These habitats will generally support fewer game animals per square mile but on the upside they will likely be much cheaper than a property in a wetter region. And with the right management techniques you can increase the soil moisture in these drier areas and grow plants that would usually need a wetter climate. But if available i would try to find land in an area that would support trees just because it will be easier.

Ideally you'd want to find an area with a diversity of large game animals to hunt that way the land could support more calories per acre of wild game meat. Having property within the range of whitetail deer or blacktail deer is usually a great idea because these species can generally live in high densities, especially whitetails, and between the both of them cover most of the country. If there are neither of these species present then there would likely be mule deer, but these species generally do not live in high densities, but a management strategy could be adopted for them if necessary it just wouldn't be ideal. Other game species that it would be good to have within your area are black bears, turkey moose, feral pigs, elk and pronghorn.  The more species available the better. Some general areas with high game diversity include the Northeast, the upper midwest, the appalachians, the deep south, the rocky mountains (especially the northern rockies) and the west coast. I chose to move to the Northern Rockies because there are good populations of Whitetails, Mule deer, Elk, Black bears and Turkeys. There are even a few moose although they are generally not very common. You will have your own personal criteria when choosing a property, but choosing one within the range of at least of a few different species will definitely help you add to the potential calories per acre of your property.

If you're like I was when looking for a property then cost will definitely be a major issue. Some factors that make a property less expensive are being far from major cities, being poor farm land, having steep or rugged terrain and having an extreme climate. So in general a steep dry mountainside in the desert in the middle of nowhere would likely be the cheapest type of property you can find. This type would not be the best solution for the purpose of creating wild game habitat, but it wouldn't be impossible to do. It would just take a lot more work. Some of the factors like being far from population centers and being rugged terrain would not be a downside for our purposes and could even make the property a better choice. Being poor farmland is a potential negative, especially in drier climates, but wouldn't matter as much in wetter ones. And having an extreme climate is a mixed bag depending on how extreme we are talking. Very dry land is definitely something I would discourage unless you're really up for a challenge. Being really hot shouldn't be too big of an issue as long as it's somewhat wet. And being very cold is generally not an issue unless it's so cold trees won't grow like in tundra type areas or high mountain peaks.

In differing climates you will be planting different species of wildlife forage so keep that in mind when choosing a property. Factors such as your hardiness zone your annual precipitation and your seasonal precipitation patterns will all affect the plant species you choose. You're looking for species that will be hardy to your climate, enough so that they will be able to thrive and reproduce naturally. Generally speaking the wetter and warmer the location the more options you'll have for plant species.

One last important thing to look at when buying a property for wild game is water. I would say some kind of water source would be a requirement and if it doesn't have one on it already you would have to create one. This is even more crucial in drier areas. In arid regions if there is no water source than it would be nearly impossible to keep and hold game on your property. In wetter areas water would be less important because if there isn't a source on your property there is likely one nearby that the local wildlife are using, however I would still say it is a very good idea to have one on your property so that game have everything they need in one place, food, cover and water.

As far as the food and cover on the property you're looking at purchasing it would be a bonus if there already existed a good amount of species that were prime habitat, but this is not necessary. Most of you will be planting much of your own choices of food and cover species which will take some work but expecting a property to have everything on it you already want is a bit much to ask for.  But this is why I'm writing this blog. I want to help you manage your land by taking a heavy handed approach at creating great wild game habitat that once established could feed your family for generations.