Smallest acreage you would buy in a subdivided ranch?

[miket]

As most know, they are breaking up ranches and selling them off in smaller portions. Have been doing it for a while around Val Verde County etc. Now seems to be happening more in the Menard county areas etc. As much as I hate it, it does open up the possibility of owning a few acres for us not so lucky individuals.

Of course the issue is then there are too many people hunting the smaller properties and hunting quality goes down and the other attending issues.

So, IF you were to buy a piece, what do you think would be the least you could buy to have some bit of control, or to lessen the effects of breaking these places into smaller pieces?

160ac?

More?

Right now I am looking at somewhere around $750k to spend on the right place. Obviously this is an issue these days......

Dont want to go too far west, somewhere around Menard County is about as far west as I want to go.

[AntlerCollector]

I personally wouldn’t buy on these butchered up ranches.

That being said look for a property on the outskirts of it. None of those small properties will be worth hunting in a few years down the road. They all get over hunted. As more and more folks build and live on their pieces of land the hunting pressure will increase even more. If your main goal is getting a property to hunt long term I would stay away from those type of deals. They are popping up everywhere unfortunately.

[CEO]

Not sure how big of a spot you would need. I do know a buddy bought a smaller piece (50 acres +-) in one of these acreage subdivisions in South Texas. We went by there to check on it after a hunt and there were people and camps everywhere. He said a deer would need to belly crawl past 50 other hunters to ever make it to his property.

[Hogmauler]

I personally wouldn’t buy on these butchered up ranches.

That being said look for a property on the outskirts of it. None of those small properties will be worth hunting in a few years down the road. They all get over hunted. As more and more folks build and live on their pieces of land the hunting pressure will increase even more. If your main goal is getting a property to hunt long term I would stay away from those type of deals. They are popping up everywhere unfortunately.

This; however, a person has no idea what’s gonna happen around where he buys at. You can control some of the activity and use through deed restrictions etc. And some folks may not hunt or let their kin folk hunt. Others will and ultimately everyone ends up with a ten acre deer lease.
You can try to control larger tracts by buying at the end of the road and creating habitat that attracts and holds whitetail most of the time. By back 11.75 acres is not hunted, ever. It’s at the end of the road and surrounded by pasture land owned by one family. Eventually that could be sold and cut up.
So you may have to by land without power and water available. I wouldn’t because you always wanna consider resale when you purchase real estate.

[miket]

I personally wouldn’t buy on these butchered up ranches.

That being said look for a property on the outskirts of it. None of those small properties will be worth hunting in a few years down the road. They all get over hunted. As more and more folks build and live on their pieces of land the hunting pressure will increase even more. If your main goal is getting a property to hunt long term I would stay away from those type of deals. They are popping up everywhere unfortunately.

Not sure how big of a spot you would need. I do know a buddy bought a smaller piece (50 acres +-) in one of these acreage subdivisions in South Texas. We went by there to check on it after a hunt and there were people and camps everywhere. He said a deer would need to belly crawl past 50 other hunters to ever make it to his property.

This is exactly what Im worried about. I keep trying and trying to stay in Texas ( born, raised and have lived within 20mi of here my entire life ), but have been priced out

[M16]

It's not all about the acreage. I had 40 acre place next to a big ranch that wasn't hardly hunted. Killed a good number of 140, 150, and even a 160+ in an area where a 120 is a decent deer. I've since bought another 75 acres that connected to it. Reducing my competition from that place that got hunted.

It takes a lot of looking but you can find honey holes that are not large acreage but produce good deer.

[sharpstick35]

Deed restrictions and POA's can help. I know of several that have antler restrictions and other limits in place. I also know of several people that buy a 70 acre ranchette and then buy another later so they don't have to pay for it all at once.

[Gary Roberson]

Menard County just adopted new regulations to govern the subdividing of land in the county. I am sure that it will slow down if not deter further fragmentation of large ranches into smaller tracts (less than 50 acres). I think we will see folks buying several of these tracts that are adjacent to each other in the current subdivisions, making a more desirable hunting situation.
Adios,
Gary

[TreyRo]

They just cut up the place next to the one I hunt. Super disappointing.

[sharpstick35]

Menard County just adopted new regulations to govern the subdividing of land in the county. I am sure that it will slow down if not deter further fragmentation of large ranches into smaller tracts (less than 50 acres). I think we will see folks buying several of these tracts that are adjacent to each other in the current subdivisions, making a more desirable hunting situation.
Adios,
Gary

I've been arguing for similar restrictions in Edwards county for years. there are developers dividing down to 15 acres on top of questionable lending practices in the area.

[150class]

There are honey holes out there but a 3000 acre ranch being subdivided into 20-150 acre places is not one of those honey holes. I hope to have 150-250 acres in the net 10 years but will not par take in a broken up ranch.

[lck90]

Menard County just adopted new regulations to govern the subdividing of land in the county. I am sure that it will slow down if not deter further fragmentation of large ranches into smaller tracts (less than 50 acres). I think we will see folks buying several of these tracts that are adjacent to each other in the current subdivisions, making a more desirable hunting situation.
Adios,
Gary

Sure wish someone would convince Lampasas County to do the same. This area is being busted up left and right. Not sure what all these people are going to do when / if their wells run dry.

[DUKFVR]

Deed restrictions and POA's can help. I know of several that have antler restrictions and other limits in place. I also know of several people that buy a 70 acre ranchette and then buy another later so they don't have to pay for it all at once.

This. I have heard of a few that are actually good. just have to research & research more.

[Heath]

When I was looking for land, I would immediately pass on anything that described as a ranchette or tracts. I wanted to be the small guy (what I could afford) in the middle of larger ranches.

[wytex]

Have a ranch next door to where we work divided, it was thousands of acres with great hunting. Deer number are way down all over now, they shoot everything they can get a tag for, doe included.
Now we get stray dogs, cats and various folks wandering into the gate.
Trespassing is a real issue now.