Whitetail Properties and Iowa Land Company

[DarkMark]

Hi guys I was talking with a neighbor this morning and we were talking about how the hunting has changed since he was a kid. You used to be able to go knock on a door and usually get permission to hunt. Shooting a doe was great but if you got a buck, you would have all the attention. Now days, everything hunting related is so sensitive and there are so many emotions/ feelings between friends, family and neighbors. It seems if you shoot a buck, you will get attention, along with someone upset about the deer. He told me Whitetail Properties and Iowa Land Company sell land, and also lease ground to sell hunts. Iowa Land Co has a Farm leased beside his with a few trees and they bring in out of state hunters. He said it’s not good hunting ground but people must enjoy it to pay thousands to hunt a few days. He said Skinners (Iowa Land Co) told them they have 4,000 acres leased for hunting and to sell hunts. We were wondering how the neighbors feel about them bringing in so many people and to have that much ground. My neighbor gave up deer hunting a few years back when he lost the ground he hunted. He’s upset because these companies, and others, do it as a business to make money and they are driving the little guys out. What’s everyone’s thought on this?

 

[Hardwood11]

I would not consider it a positive

 

[Zipper]

Farmers need all the help they can get with high production costs and low prices for their crops. If they can earn some extra money through hunting God Bless them.

 

[Sligh1]

Farmers need all the help they can get with high production costs and low prices for their crops. If they can earn some extra money through hunting God Bless them.

I’ll stay outta this one as I know a lot of these folks (not the poster but some of the real estate side of things). Recusing myself from comment but make sure this stays factual and decent.

Zipper- I don’t think the question was “is leasing wrong”. Yes- some farmers need $ & it’s their right to do it. This is different discussion- I think main issue or point is of mixing real estate with outfitting. Just clarifying and playing “referee” here.

Since this is in my neck of the woods- I’m going to recuse myself from comment. Good or bad. I’m recusing. Just keep it factual and decent.

 

[Mike311]

It’s like the farmer next door renting more and more ground to increase his income, innocent enough-we’d all like more income, then eventually he is known negatively as the corporate farmer who just drives up rent prices. Then the retired farmers and widows start to contact him to rent their ground because he pays top dollar which in turn allows him to start purchasing ground also. He’s not a bad guy he’s just taking advantage of the opportunities brought forth. Same as the land owners desire for top dollar rent. It would be nice if land owners rented to young up and coming small farmers at a lower rent to help them get started as would letting a kid/young person hunt just a small portion of a large block of timber. But the former is the way of the world, right, wrong or indifferent.

 

[Rathburn Flat Bottom]

Maybe some clarity here?>>>>
Am I understanding the issue right?>>>>>
....... There's been past examples like this and I'm curious if this is similar?>>>>>

Are they leasing and outfitting hunts next to their clients or targeting hunter's land that manage for mature deer? If that's the case, oh my, that can't go well. It's happened in past, I've seen it before and never did it go well. Leasting and outfitting next to certain folks and I am reading above like they do not own their own land? I'd be irate if it happened to me, buying land through them and they then lease and outfit on my border. Ouch. Am I understanding this correctly?

 

[westpointhunter]

You are understanding this correctly !

 

[Bowtech84]

Hunting has gone down hill a lot in the last ten years in my area. We don't have a leasing problem here because there's nothing worth leasing. Those $10+ bushel corn years were pretty rough on hunting around here. Most timbers and fence rows were dozed for farming and they won't be back in two lifetimes.

I'm very passionate about deer hunting but often find myself wondering if it's even worth it and I'm even blessed enough to hunt one of the best farms in the area. It's turned into more of a headache than anything.

I truly believe hunting is in a bad spot and it's only going to get worse. I have two kids and I plan to steer them more toward fishing and camping. If they want to hunt great but honestly it wouldn't bother me one bit if they chose not to.

I also think a lot about the argument of keeping regulations the same so Iowa stays Iowa. What if Iowa brought the gun season into the rut?

Would it level the "quality" hunting with surrounding states? Sure bigger bucks would be harder to come by but would the leasing go right with it? Most that lease are after the big ones.

Take away most of the big ones and there goes the leases. In turn that opens up ground for the weekend hunter. That would also present more opportunities for kids to get into the sport. Clearly there are more weekend hunters than recreational land owners and leases.

What if the "weekend warriors" all got together and started petitioning for longer seasons, guns during the rut, more antlerless tags, rifles, ect.......... Would that flip the state of Iowa hunting?

I believe so. Rec ground would bottom out and leasing would be reduced. Weekend warriors and kids would still be happy shooting 120" bucks and access would be easier. It's getting to the point that weekend hunters have nothing to lose.

This is an option for them to get something back. it's probably not going to be a very popular option on this site lol but it's something that could happen.

 

[MarkF]

Hunting has gone down hill a lot in the last ten years in my area. We don't have a leasing problem here because there's nothing worth leasing. Those $10+ bushel corn years were pretty rough on hunting around here. Most timbers and fence rows were dozed for farming and they won't be back in two lifetimes.

I'm very passionate about deer hunting but often find myself wondering if it's even worth it and I'm even blessed enough to hunt one of the best farms in the area. It's turned into more of a headache than anything.

I truly believe hunting is in a bad spot and it's only going to get worse. I have two kids and I plan to steer them more toward fishing and camping. If they want to hunt great but honestly it wouldn't bother me one bit if they chose not to.

I also think a lot about the argument of keeping regulations the same so Iowa stays Iowa. What if Iowa brought the gun season into the rut?

Would it level the "quality" hunting with surrounding states? Sure bigger bucks would be harder to come by but would the leasing go right with it? Most that lease are after the big ones.

Take away most of the big ones and there goes the leases. In turn that opens up ground for the weekend hunter. That would also present more opportunities for kids to get into the sport. Clearly there are more weekend hunters than recreational land owners and leases.

What if the "weekend warriors" all got together and started petitioning for longer seasons, guns during the rut, more antlerless tags, rifles, ect.......... Would that flip the state of Iowa hunting?

I believe so. Rec ground would bottom out and leasing would be reduced. Weekend warriors and kids would still be happy shooting 120" bucks and access would be easier. It's getting to the point that weekend hunters have nothing to lose.

This is an option for them to get something back. it's probably not going to be a very popular option on this site lol but it's something that could happen.

I believe this would have the exact opposite effect, guys would start buying and leasing up everything and give less access. A couple like minded guys putting enough land together and the state regs have virtually no effect on them. Iowa is the last great whitetail state and guys are willing to spend a fortune to keep it that way, myself included.

 

[Al Stockwell]

My 2 cents...I think leasing is coming to Iowa sooner than later. Not a fan of it, but I get the desire to make the extra money. What I hate to see is the outfitter who leases up large chunks of ground at higher than normal lease rates and thereby locks out guys who don't want to lease and/or guys that are fine with leasing, but not at the high rates. So far I have not been affected by it, but I can see it happening, friend has a friend that has leased about 20k acres around the Des Moines area and brings in clients from out of state and charges a pretty penny to do so. So, next year he is looking for more land and is willing to pay top dollar for it...it's gonna snowball from there.

 

[IowaBowHunter1983]

^ it's already here. Has been for a while.

 

[mplane72]

Hunting has gone down hill a lot in the last ten years in my area. We don't have a leasing problem here because there's nothing worth leasing. Those $10+ bushel corn years were pretty rough on hunting around here. Most timbers and fence rows were dozed for farming and they won't be back in two lifetimes.

I'm very passionate about deer hunting but often find myself wondering if it's even worth it and I'm even blessed enough to hunt one of the best farms in the area. It's turned into more of a headache than anything.

I truly believe hunting is in a bad spot and it's only going to get worse. I have two kids and I plan to steer them more toward fishing and camping. If they want to hunt great but honestly it wouldn't bother me one bit if they chose not to.

I also think a lot about the argument of keeping regulations the same so Iowa stays Iowa. What if Iowa brought the gun season into the rut?

Would it level the "quality" hunting with surrounding states? Sure bigger bucks would be harder to come by but would the leasing go right with it? Most that lease are after the big ones.

Take away most of the big ones and there goes the leases. In turn that opens up ground for the weekend hunter. That would also present more opportunities for kids to get into the sport. Clearly there are more weekend hunters than recreational land owners and leases.

What if the "weekend warriors" all got together and started petitioning for longer seasons, guns during the rut, more antlerless tags, rifles, ect.......... Would that flip the state of Iowa hunting?

I believe so. Rec ground would bottom out and leasing would be reduced. Weekend warriors and kids would still be happy shooting 120" bucks and access would be easier. It's getting to the point that weekend hunters have nothing to lose.

This is an option for them to get something back. it's probably not going to be a very popular option on this site lol but it's something that could happen.

Guns in the rut?!?!?! Blasphemy!!!

I agree with MarkF. I hunt by permission and public. I feel pretty fortunate with my situation but doing what you're suggesting would probably either push me to buy and control my own or give up deer hunting.

 

[Bowtech84]

I believe this would have the exact opposite effect, guys would start buying and leasing up everything and give less access. A couple like minded guys putting enough land together and the state regs have virtually no effect on them. Iowa is the last great whitetail state and guys are willing to spend a fortune to keep it that way, myself included.

Even if you were to buy up every peice of recreational ground Iowa has to offer how would that effect the weekend hunters? They would be in the same position they are in now. They have nothing to lose. The big buck craze is going to be the demise of Iowa hunting. It's going to take numbers to keep things the way they are and every kid or adult that loses access is another lost. Eventually it's going to catch up. As much as rec ground owners and big leases feel secluded in their own little peice of heaven it will ultimately end up effecting them. Bring a rifle rut season to Iowa or even a shotgun/muzzleloader rut season to Iowa and Iowa deer hunting big buck craze would be over.

 

[MarkF]

Even if you were to buy up every peice of recreational ground Iowa has to offer how would that effect the weekend hunters? They would be in the same position they are in now. They have nothing to lose. The big buck craze is going to be the demise of Iowa hunting. It's going to take numbers to keep things the way they are and every kid or adult that loses access is another lost. Eventually it's going to catch up. As much as rec ground owners and big leases feel secluded in their own little peice of heaven it will ultimately end up effecting them. Bring a rifle rut season to Iowa or even a shotgun/muzzleloader rut season to Iowa and Iowa deer hunting big buck craze would be over.

If you had enough land and didn’t allow people to hunt it, it wouldn’t matter if there was a bazooka season during the rut because nobody would have access to kill anything. People would buy and lease everything they could to protect the hunting. It already happens, look at certain areas of Decatur county, doesn’t matter what the state does those management areas are always gonna have big deer.

 

[Bowtech84]

If you had enough land and didn’t allow people to hunt it, it wouldn’t matter if there was a bazooka season during the rut because nobody would have access to kill anything. People would buy and lease everything they could to protect the hunting. It already happens, look at certain areas of Decatur county, doesn’t matter what the state does those management areas are always gonna have big deer.

Then what makes Iowa different than surrounding states? Why not allow gun season during the rut? What's everyone so afraid of? Let's just open it up. Hell even allow non resident tags every year (that ones for you hardwood lol). Most rec ground owners are adamant about keeping the regs the way they are? Now we are saying the regs won't even effect them?

 

[Hardwood11]

Then what makes Iowa different than surrounding states? Why not allow gun season during the rut? What's everyone so afraid of? Let's just open it up. Hell even allow non resident tags every year (that ones for you hardwood lol). Most rec ground owners are adamant about keeping the regs the way they are? Now we are saying the regs won't even effect them?

LOL...I would even take every other year.

 

[MarkF]

Not saying it won’t effect them, what I’m saying is theyll do everything they can to protect what they have. Ultimately it will effect the weekend warrior the worst, even less access and the ground they can hunt probably won’t be worth a damn because of horrible regulations that would destroy quality deer hunting. Meanwhile guys that buy rec land in a big management area will still have great deer hunting, it will just cost them more. I believe it would actually drive up land prices not cause them to come down, as there would be even more interest in controlling what’s happening where you hunt.

 

[Ried#3]

I hunt in a pretty underrated county. I don’t know of anyone who puts their bucks out there for the world to see. Record book or otherwise. I think that’s pretty wise.

 

[Bowtech84]

Not saying it won’t effect them, what I’m saying is theyll do everything they can to protect what they have. Ultimately it will effect the weekend warrior the worst, even less access and the ground they can hunt probably won’t be worth a damn because of horrible regulations that would destroy quality deer hunting. Meanwhile guys that buy rec land in a big management area will still have great deer hunting, it will just cost them more. I believe it would actually drive up land prices not cause them to come down, as there would be even more interest in controlling what’s happening where you hunt.

Does this already take place in Nebraska, Missouri, Illinois, Indiana, Ohio ect.....? I guess idk what makes Iowa such a great place to hunt other than the regulations that separate them from the states listed? I get what you are saying but agriculture will always be king in Iowa and idk if you could get enough ground in one location to not see a drastic drop in the quality of hunting. If they brought gun season into the rut Iowa would be just like the neighboring states. Just moving shotgun seasons up a couple weeks would ruin it. The orange army would like it but what about the bow hunters (which I believe most rec land owners are)? Start shotgun season around the second week of November and the bowhunters are done for those 3 weeks. I believe that alone would have a great impact on rec ground.

 

[MuddyHntr]

Look at Wisconsin, yes they have some great deer but it could be a whole let better. The simple thing that could make Wisconsin better? Do what Iowa does plain and simple. Lease prices are becoming out of control I've seen 50 acres of decent ground go for $2500. Land prices are on the rise in the better area of the state for deer hunting. Social media pages geared towards Wisconsin deer hunting are advertisement to the better counties. In just 3 years I've noticed an increase in prices across the board. What Iowa has is something special and if at all possible do everything in your power to keep it that way.