Are you looking to buy a timber tract or hunting land?

Timber tracts can be quite unique and vary from one to the next, especially in price.  Right now we are seeing a range on timber/hunting tracts that go from $2250-$5000+ per acre depending on several things.  The main factors that go into the price of the property are if there is a building site, the quality of timber on the property, other income, access (hunting and vehicle), neighborhood, improvements to the property, and proximity to paved roads.

The quality of timber on a property is important to look at when buying a tract.  When walking a property look for cut stumps and logging roads to see if the property may have been previously logged.  Good trees to look for will have a trunk of at least 24 inches that you cannot get your arms around, that have grown straight for at least the first 15-20 feet with very few branches and knots growing in those 15-20 feet.  The species to look out for are Black Walnut, Oaks and Shagbark Hickory, Maple, and Cottonwood  to name a few.

When buying a timber tract for hunting you also want to look at the neighborhood you are buying in and keep a few questions in mind.  Do they practice QDMA?  What deer have been harvested in the area in recent years?What do trail camera pictures show from the area?  Is your neighbor 1-3 large land owners or 5-8 small land owners?  These questions can help you find the right piece of ground and can also effect the hunting on the tract you are looking at.  You also want to look at access to the property.  Do you have top access?  Do you access from the North or South?  In our area we have a predominant North-North West wind so access from the South can help you access your stand locations without being winded by deer that are bedded.  Is the access off black top, is it an owned or easement access, is it off gravel, is it gated?

Another factor to look at is if there is an existing approved well, septic or electric. Permanent blinds, ponds or established food plots to help improve the property.  These can all add value to the property.  There also may be income producing factors on the property like CRP or CREP, WRP, cell phone or radio towers, wind easements and subsurface rights that could produce income.

I hope this article helps you when looking at buying a timber tract, if you have any other questions or are interested in buying a timber tract to hesitate to call me at (507)696-6228 or email me at Lucas@hpraa.com.

-Minnesota Land Specialist Lucas Mestad