I have land envy. There's no denying it.
We're not supposed to covet what others have, but I'd be lying profusely if I said I wasn't jealous of my friends born into hunting properties. If I could go back in time and talk to my great-grandfather, the conversation would include me begging him to buy rural land fifty years ago when it was practically being given away.
My whole life I've been hunting on other people's properties. I realize I'm fortunate to have had such opportunities, but hunting another person's place is a lot like going to dinner with your buddy and his wife. You just don't really know how to act, so you just operate as an abbreviated version of yourself.
Leasing is an option growing in popularity, but it's still more of the same with rules and regulations set by the owner. You're just paying for the privilege of being a guest. Hunting is about freedom. It's an escape from the pressures of rules and constrictions, so who wants to call ahead and let the landowner know you're heading to the woods, only to drive where you're allowed.
I can't tell you how many times I've heard the phrase, "Buy land, they're not making anymore of it." I intend to. I intend to leave my legacy in a piece of dirt. When my grandchildren hunt my land 50 years from now, I hope they tip their orange cap and say, "Boy, I'm sure glad grandpa bought this place back when land was affordable."
Affordable is relative. Right now, I can't afford to buy much, but I also can't afford to wait any longer. My plan is to get started with a small tract of land as soon as possible. I'll work that piece into a hunting property worth more than I paid for it, then I'll sell it and buy a larger piece. I'll repeat the process again and again until I finally have a piece of ground to satisfy my desires and I'll hold onto it for the rest of my life, which by that time I suspect won't be too long.
As soon as I have my own place, I'll start conducting timber stand improvements, planting food plots, removing invasive species, thinning the undergrowth, improving water sources, creating diversions, building structures, and more. I have spent so much time dreaming of spending my weekends improving a property, my property, that if half of what I have dreamed of actually happens, my ground will be a wildlife mecca.
Time spent studying prepares one for opportunity. I have studied opportunities for offsetting the costs of owning a piece of ground. There are federal, state and local programs that provide resources for conservation initiatives conducted on your land. With a little research you can find these opportunities, and put them to work easing the stress on your pocket book. Talk to a Missouri Department of Conservation private land specialist. They'll likely surprise you with the amount of opportunity there is out there to offset some cost of owning ground. A good local real estate agent can be a huge asset, as well.
Aside from the benefit of having my own place to hunt, I dream being able to manage a piece of ground for the benefit of wildlife and native plant species. I dream of knowing the fulfillment associated with managing a thriving ecosystem. My mind is made up. Now is the time. I am on the hunt for my place to hunt.
See you down the trail ...
Brandon Butler, the executive director of Conservation Federation Missouri, is an outdoors columnist for the News Tribune. Contact him at [email protected].