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arm

arm

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Has anyone purchased a tract with a friend for hunting only? I might have this opportunity soon but am looking for extra advise to make sure its a good partnerships and doesn't end in bad blood. Anyone have tips from experience? My biggest concern is one of us wanting out. Thanks guys

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Not personally, but my dad, uncle and great uncle bought the farm the family had been leasing since the 50s. Bought it in 1991. We will just say my uncle is hard-headed and very difficult to get along with. "My way or the highway" type attitude. For the sake of family, we have kept relations and do all we can to make it work but it is not always pleasant.

Moral of the story...I don't think it's a great idea to buy with someone else. Just from our experience. Others could have better experiences.
 
I was in a partnership on my last place. I would avoid it all costs. We were able to sell and stay great friends through the whole thing but there was nothing but frustration a lot of the time. It's hard to always split everything evenly. For example, last year I didn't do a single thing putting in food plots because our schedules never matched up. There is nothing but frustration that can come from that. It's way easier to buy your own.
 
Dad has always told me buy land on your own or don't buy it at all. Try to pay as much with cash as you can to relieve headaches down the road. I will buy my own place either here or in Colorado when I save up the money.
 
I have looked at it.
I also have 3 friends that did it and it has been kind of interesting to watch. I would say it depends on how good of friends you are and how much you think alike. Lots of things to think about. Like will you both be able to put in the same amount of time and work when it's time to hang stands, plant plots or whatever needs to be done. How will you handle each others friends and family hunting there?
I am thinking I would rather try a lease with a friend to test the waters before buying.
 
^^ This is a huge discussion. Let's just say you are absolutely thrilled to be able to buy a 120 with your buddy. 120 acres may feel huge right???

Well, try putting two of your kids and 3 of his brothers on that place with you during the rut :) Good luck!
 
I own a parcel with friends. Advantage is I would not have been able to buy it without them. Disadvantage is they often hunt wrong winds, park too close to spot...I do all the habitat work and they do none!

Personally I would not do it again. If I did we would split parcel ahead of time. Example-- I own this 80 he owns the other.
 
Good responses here. I would say make sure you have a written agreement spelling out everything. Sucks that it would need to be that way, and may instill a little trust issue or doubt, but could be a huge asset in the end. It could be a great partnership and create an awesome place that neither of you could have alone, but there are also a lot of things that could go "wrong". Ultimately, better be willing to lose the place or have the cash/financing lined up if they need out at any time.
 
It can be done... but, there will be some bumps in the road. If you can survive the bumps and don't get thrown in the ditch, it can turn out to be a good thing. Both gotta be workers. Both gotta be tolerant and respect each others wishes/ideas. And you both have to communicate well with each other!!!
 
I thought the conversation would head this way...and usually if I have a bit of hesitation I shouldn't move forward.

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I have no experience in this at all, but, I've often thought about buying in the future with a friend just because it may be the only way possible for me. Things I have thought about are; definitely get everything in writing in a binding contract, try to evenly split the property into huntable sections for amount of co-owners present and rotate those areas between eachother each year (you hunt that section this year and are responsible for all plots in it, and I'll stay in this section), have an age limit of bucks being harvested (actually send in teeth to be aged and have a penalty for harvesting something too young), have a max amount of deer that can be harvested each year, if big enough have a set-aside sanctuary that no-one enters unless tracking a wounded deer or shed hunting, set a certain # of guests per year (can be family or friend, keep in mind max amount of deer harvested) .... I think following steps like that would mitigate several problems, however, I would still be afraid of a partner backing out. Maybe have in the contract that if they want to back out, they first have to find someone else to take over their portion and new owner has to sign and abide by all previous rules set forth.. Then I guess you would only have to worry about them going through a bankruptcy. I'm sure it sounds a lot easier than it is. Like I said, I have no experience in co-owning anything with a friend.
 
Air assault--good points.

I'm involved in two partnerships and I have sold a few parcels that ended up in partnership.

Make sure you have a partnership agreement drafted by an attorney with rules and regs. Buyout clause, restrictions on who can hunt outside the partnership. Harvest rules. Liability insurance. There is more, but basically have it all spelled out ahead of time!
 
Air assault those are good points but with all those restrictions good luck finding a single person who would want to buy with you.

We bought a piece with some partners and split it up by parcels so we each owned half of it. If you can work together this is a great way to get a good neighbor and a larger piece of ground to hunt. It is going great so far but you have to respect different opinions and be willing to compromise.
 
arm said:
Has anyone purchased a tract with a friend for hunting only? I might have this opportunity soon but am looking for extra advise to make sure its a good partnerships and doesn't end in bad blood. Anyone have tips from experience? My biggest concern is one of us wanting out. Thanks guys

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Click to expand...

Who is the person your buying with?? (best friend, family member, potential business partner)

What are your expectations for the land (something to have fun on/family get away/saying you own a piece of Iowa/etc-----or you trying to buy a farm to grow and shoot strictly trophy deer)

What are you looking to get from this investment? (life long memories, potential to make an income(buying selling land) or strictly for the hunting aspect of big bucks on your wall)
 
This friend is the husband of one of my wife's best friends. They are moving to iowa in a few months. I already own a small piece of land I use just for hunting. Goal here would be to have a bigger piece where would could actually hold deer; bedding and feeding on our piece. I can think of one guiding principal...don't shoot deer under 140/150. I could purchase land this size/quality on my own in a few years but playing with the option of getting it now with split costs

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^^^

Personally if you are close enough to legitimately see it in your short term future I would just wait and make the move when you are able to do it on your own.


In our current situation we have 240ac, it is split between the 40 acres which my inlaws own and the adjoining 200 which we lease. It is hunted/leased by my father inlaw and his son (my brother inlaw) and then myself and my other brother inlaw (who married in just as I did). My father inlaw pays less on the lease to compensate for us all using the 40 and the cabin that he owns and pays taxes on and my one brother inlaw and I pay the rest of the lease. My wife's brother doesn't pay yet as he is younger and until the last few years couldn't really afford to pay in.

We are all pretty close and get along pretty well so our issues are minimal. That being said, the last few years my brother inlaw who pays in with me on the lease hasn't done much in the way of helping with plots, habitat, trail cams etc and I've done the majority of the leg work along with the real work. I happen to love doing it so while its annoying and makes me have to work twice as hard I do it anyways and don't really mind. Would everyone be like that? I don't mind but would others not mind that my wifes brother essentially hunts for free every year? I am at a 3.5 or older in terms of bucks I target but I am the only one at those standards, I am ok with that but would everyone be ok with it?

Like I said, we get along well and our "issues" are usually no more than a few minutes of annoyance but it still shows the potential for trouble. I can honestly say that despite our good working relationship I wouldn't buy land together with any of them. I would gladly buy land and manage it my way and let them hunt it but I would be the sole owner and rule maker ;)
 
Just had a partnership fall apart in my neighborhood. They had no formal agreement for anything, just equal partners. What a mess. They will never speak to each other again. Biggest problems I see are divorce by one of the partners, kids growing up and wanting to hunt, someone retires and needs cash, and as has been said, unequal workload and hunting standards. Do it yourself if you possibly can.
 
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