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A Place of Your Own Part Nine: Land Buying Mistakes

December 22, 2010 By Leave a Comment
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A few years ago, I put together a list of the top ten mistakes that I think most first time land buyers make. It was sort of an attempt to provide a “cheat sheet” for first time land buyers to avoid some of the pitfalls of the land buying experience. Here are a few of the more “expensive” land buying mistakes: Buying More Than You Can Afford I have seen folks buy 200 acres they couldn’t afford, because they could borrow the money, when they should have paid cash for 20 acres they could afford. If you are buying property for … [Read more...]

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Protect Your Forest From Wildfires

December 21, 2010 By Leave a Comment
Meriwether 90

Damage from wildfires can be devastating to both your forests and wildlife.  A single fire can destroy years of investment in trees, and as we have seen throughout the country, it can happen to just about anyone.  Our friends at the Alabama Forestry Commission have five suggestions to keep your forests as safe as possible. 1.  Install Firebreaks - Construct and maintain firebreaks around the perimeter of your forest to help keep fire from entering your property.  Interior firebreaks can help contain wildfire in isolated areas.  … [Read more...]

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A Place of Your Own Part Eight: Buying Land is a Team Sport

December 15, 2010 By 1 Comment
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Let’s face it. Land can be complicated. There are components of land ownership, and there are characteristics of land that are not intuitively obvious. The truth is that you can study and research all you want, and you still won’t know all that you need to know. If you are serious about owning land, there are times that you are going to need professional help. You may know what a survey is and what a boundary line looks like, but I’m willing to bet that most of you are not qualified to verify a boundary line encroachment. You know … [Read more...]

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Birdwatching: Dealing with Pests and Predators

December 10, 2010 By Leave a Comment
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We found a great article compiled by the Cornell University Lab of Ornithology on how to deal with the various intruders you can have on your property, particularly with regard to bird feeders and birdwatching.  From bears and raccoons to Canadian geese and aggressive hummingbirds, this article provides a thorough overview of the things to do and not to do with regard to wildlife, vegetation on your property.  There is a lot of great information in this article whether you are a birdwatcher or not. European Starlings The European Starling … [Read more...]

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A Place of Your Own Part Seven: Access

December 8, 2010 By Leave a Comment
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What is the access like? This is one of the first questions I ask when evaluating land to buy, and it’s one of the first questions you should ask, as well. Here’s why. For most people, obstacles to access present a problem. I guess it really makes sense. If you are looking to buy land, you want to be able to get to it, get on it, and get around it. Here are some things to consider. Easy access via state highway or interstate can make for a convenient drive, but too much of a good thing is not necessarily a good thing. Too much … [Read more...]

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Planning for a Timber Cruise

December 7, 2010 By 1 Comment
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There are many reasons for conducting a timber cruise on your property.  While it is an expense that may not have any immediate return on investment, it is in the best interest of landowners to know the value of their timber whether they are preparing to sell their property, determining net worth, considering a timber harvest, or simply making decisions on how to best manage their timber. Before conducting a timber cruise, landowners need to make sure that the professional involved in the timber cruise has all of the information he or she … [Read more...]

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Land as an Investment

December 1, 2010 By Leave a Comment
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I deal with clients all of the time that want to own land but do not view themselves as a land investor, and I think that is a mistake. Land is a capital asset. In most cases, it’s expensive, and for most people, a land investment will be the single most expensive investment they make in their lifetime except maybe for their home. Truth be told, your land purchase could be more expensive than your home. If you are a land buyer, whether you are a timber man, hunter, outdoor enthusiast, or stock market refugee, you are INVESTING. You … [Read more...]

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A Place of Your Own Part Five: The Land Search

November 24, 2010 By Leave a Comment
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A land investor friend of mine once told me, “The deal of the century comes along about once a week! With a little work, you’ll have more land to chose from than you can shake a stick at.” He was right. Finding land for sale is easy, provided you are willing to be creative and put forth a little effort. By all means use the internet, but remember that technology is no substitute for basic blocking and tackling. Looking for “land for sale” is only part of the process, but you’re also looking for land that can be purchased but … [Read more...]

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Roadside Management for Wildlife

November 22, 2010 By Leave a Comment
Talbot County, GA

As more acres are converted into pine plantations, roadside management becomes more important for wildlife. Roadsides if managed properly can provide habitat for various wildlife species. Development of these areas is relatively inexpensive and requires very little maintenance. During the first few years of pine growth, an abundance of grasses and weeds provide seeds, insects, and browse (depending on past land use, site quality and preparation). Deer, turkey, quail, rabbits, songbirds, and small mammals commonly use these areas for food, … [Read more...]

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Me, Shoot a Doe?

November 19, 2010 By 4 Comments
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Many hunters and deer managers in our area have accepted the necessity of doe harvest to effectively manage toward the common deer management goal of increasing buck body and antler size. Some, however, still object to this practice. I have found the "no doe harvest" mindset to derive from two arguments. Let's examine each from a biological perspective. Argument No. 1. Don't shoot does, because they produce buck fawns! Fallacies in the argument: 1. Buck:doe ratio of fawns is 1:1. Assuming a 75% fawn crop for the herd, there is about a 37% … [Read more...]

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