So my big dream is to own a hunting ranch. I want a few hundred acres of high fenced land, with hills/ mountains and some meadows or fields along with a stream and lakes. (Sounds Nice Right?)
I want to provide opportunities to hunt upland birds, ducks, turkeys and big game whether it be whitetail deer, mule deer, elk or maybe even an exotic species.
I have a few questions I hope the people of OBN and who ever else is reading can answer.
1. How much does buying Deer cost and where should I buy them from. ( I want to buy and manage my own herd because I want to be open all year long without the need for seasons.)
2. How many deer should I start with to build up my herd.
3. What is the smallest amount of property I could get started with.
4. What is the average price people will pay to come hunt something like this.
Now I know I can find all of this online, but a lot of the info I look up is old and out of date. I am hoping people can answer these questions, so I can at least start a plan, it never hurts to plan and set goals. I am sure I will have many more questions in the future but this can get me started. And maybe someone else has the same dream and same questions and can find their answers here.
Start off with your department of fish and game. The laws on this can get hairy.
ReplyDeleteI don't know anything about deer management, but for a true fair chase hunt and a free roaming herd, I would imagine you would need a lot of land. A whole lot. If you live in a flat area, then probably close to a thousand acres. In a hilly area, 400 would probably be the minimum.
Hunts like this are very expensive. Usually they charge depending on the size of the animal killed. I've heard of people paying $8000 or more for a buck in the 180's.
Personally, I think it would be more cost effective to lease ranch land and develop a game management plan. Once you have a herd of trophys you can charge $1000 - $2000 for a three to five day hunt. If you have a good reputation and a good web site, you can do well. I would guess that it would take ten years to get to that point though.