Smaller land tracts- Edwards, Val Verde county

[sharpstick35]

It depends on what your priorities are. If your after trophy whitetail then lease. If you want the family getaway that you can hunt then buy it. I got an 8pt in the 110's in november and an axis doe and hog last week on 40 ac. my taxes were around $200. and other than the opening day, thanksgiving, and christmas we are usually the only ones out there.

[Kdog]

Rocksprings is just like WI.

I own property in WI and hunt between Rocksprings and Brackettville. I got a kick out of that too.

[gingib]

I would rather own my own land and just shoot does than pay a lease fee.

x2! For sure.

Its like people who love renting. Ill pass and take equity

[gingib]

Shooting 6 bucks on 40 acres is practicing QDM ?

LMAO...He is from up north, excuse him

[Kdog]

Hunting on most of them is mediocre. You'll probably kill some stuff but it's not good enough to buy it for that reason IMO. For the price of that land you could get a pretty nice lease for a long time.

I agree with this. I think the problem a lot of times is finding a good lease, that may take a little while. The other good thing about hunting a lease is you actually get to share a camp with other people. You can build very good friendships. When it's fragmented land I don't see that happening as much. Not always easy to find the right place though.

[JayKen86]

Thanks for all the replies, taking all into consideration!

[JayKen86]

I agree with this. I think the problem a lot of times is finding a good lease, that may take a little while. The other good thing about hunting a lease is you actually get to share a camp with other people. You can build very good friendships. When it's fragmented land I don't see that happening as much. Not always easy to find the right place though.

I wouldn't let go of my lease I'm on now... too cheap and close to home with decent deer and good company, I'd be crazy... just the thought of one day knowing we will loose that lease scares me though!

[Kdog]

I wouldn't let go of my lease I'm on now... too cheap and close to home with decent deer and good company, I'd be crazy... just the thought of one day knowing we will loose that lease scares me though!

Maybe get a second lease as back up . I think the same way though. I thought a lot about buying a place 10+ years ago before I got on my deer lease. Glad I didn't, but I still look quite often online.

You can always cross that bridge when you get there, and save up some money to prepare. I keep wondering if land prices for recreational land will actually come down at some point when a lot of the baby boomers die or get to old to use their properties. The prices for land out where you are looking seem really high for what you get, but who knows what will happen to land prices? I don't necessarily buy into the idea that they always rise.

Good luck!

[Gunnyart]

It's hard not to be envious of folks who can afford even moderate sized chunks of land. Being a TX vet I was able to do 5% down and bought 10 acres on a 30 year note from one of those developers that divide up bigger plots.

I agree with the neighbor concerns and no the hunting will never be great but man do I love owning a little piece of Texas.

Some day it'll just be our home and I'll probably do a lease if I really need a better hunting property.

[SFAbowhunter]

I'd rather own land and not give my money away on a lease. At least with the land purchase you should be able to at least get your money back out of it...if not make money. Finding a good lease these days is really hard to do and probably one of the main reasons I'm looking at purchasing land instead.

[Kdog]

I would. Doe meat tastes better anyways, especially here where the deer never get big.

OP, if you want it, go for it. We hunt 40 acres in WI, and two years ago, my dad shot a great 11 point, and our neighbor shot the 4th largest deer in the state for that year. Both of which were way over 200 lbs. This year, the land provided at least 6 18" plus bucks (Huge for our area of WI), all of which were around 200 lbs. You just have to make friends with the neighbors, and practice QDM together.

That is like comparing Mars to Earth. Wisconsin can produce Boone and Crockett deer despite doing everything wrong. Edwards and Val Verde counties are not near as forgiving. Two very different situations/habitats.

[SaltwaterSlick]

That is like comparing Mars to Earth. Wisconsin can produce Boone and Crockett deer despite doing everything wrong. Edwards and Val Verde counties are not near as forgiving. Two very different situations/habitats.

Yea, and kind'a funny how so many "northerners" come down here and tell us all just how great it is up north...

If it's so great why don't they just stay home and enjoy it?...

[Balcones_Walker]

I can't tell if this is one of those "don't move here!" threads, or if my experience has been far, far outside the norm. I've had a great experience owning land in that size and area.

[Bumpy]

I would rather own my own land and just shoot does than pay a lease fee.

I own my own land and still lease. Nobody wants to just shoot does.

Bumpy would...

I'd rather own land and not give my money away on a lease. At least with the land purchase you should be able to at least get your money back out of it...if not make money. Finding a good lease these days is really hard to do and probably one of the main reasons I'm looking at purchasing land instead.

The land I have my Father paid for so it means something to me. It was in the family before him as well. My dad lives on a 100 acre tract bordered by the National Forest North of us and on every side is family land some kind of way. I have been on a lease before and I'd do it again but I would rather own something. I put a 400 dollar feeder out and my dads bull knocked it over when he got out. That is the issues when hunting on family land lol. A few years ago I had a feeder out and 2 bulls my dad was feeding out in his pen got out and went right to it. I swear that feeder sound calls the bulls in. My cousins have killed good bucks in the area on family land that I would be happy as hell to post. There are a lot of mature bucks in our because not many people hunt. Folks keep talking about small properties but yawl are shopping in the wrong areas. Yes East Texas might not be like Central Texas but properties where mine are have been in families for yearssssssss and most are vacant. Heck the property next to my Dads the folks live in either DC or California I'm not really sure but I have free range of it well the cattle do. I'm an ownership kind of guy but hey I enjoy just eating deer meat all year.

[Radar]

http://discussions.texasbowhunter.com/forums/showthread.php?t=8575

This was a discussion on TBH about ten years ago.