Buying hunting property, can't decide NM/AZ/CO

[IZZY]

I am trying to buy a hunting property, in the tune of 40 acres or more, cant decide which state though...although, I think I have axed AZ out of the list, apparently you still have to draw a tag to hunt even on your own land. Which brings me to the million dollar question...is this true for NM and CO as well? If not, any suggestions on where there is good game and good wooded property will be awesome. Now TX comes to mind right of the bat, but I will like to stay in this area...Anyone know what the hunting scene is like in Nevada and Utah as well? Do they have the same land owner hunting issue I am facing in AZ? Thanks for the help in advance...

 

[hunting1]

If you go NM make sure that the property is registered to recieve tags through NM G&F. It is not a garuntee if you have land. 40-acres is not much, but there are some small ranches that get tags. You have to register to get elk tags,, but I think deer, antelope is easier. If it were me, I would go CO. Personally I wish NM would follow AZ on the whole LO thing. It is grossly abused here!

 

[rye_a]

I was a ranch broker for 5+ years, and I would say that you will get more for your money in New Mexico than you would for similar land/habitat in Colorado. As an example, look at the land prices around Pagosa Springs, CO and Chama, NM (35 miles apart as a crow flies). The prices near Pagosa are MUCH higher even though the land is very similar.

 

[a3dhunter]

In Colorado you have to have 160 acres to apply for landowner vouchers.
40 access gets you nothing.

 

[Hardstalk]

You can scratch nv off the list. We have 240+ acres over half we grow alfalfa in. Submitted for lo tags and were approved hazing permits. Which allows you to shoot elk in the butt with birdshot. If you do happen to kill one you have to call it in and they come get it. They ate 2/3 of our cut this year. After all was said and done the dept. of forestry ended up putting "elk fence" all the way around the property free of charge. 10 foot high welded wire.

 

[JG358]

In Colorado you have to have 160 acres to apply for landowner vouchers.
40 access gets you nothing.

I wouldnt say noithing.... just doesnt get you vouchers

 

[HellsCanyon]

Are you wanting to buy land to hunt that specific land, or do you want to buy land to get approved for LO tags and be able to hunt the whole unit? 40 Acres is tough to hunt on...

Mike

 

[IZZY]

Mike I was thinking of buying land to hunt on, but in a GMU where there is plenty of state, blm and forestry property so I can hunt those as well...I understand 40 acres isn't much which is why am trying to get something around good public land...

 

[IZZY]

btw, what will constitute a good size of property to hunt from...I thought 40 football fields will be good, but I might be wrong...

 

[ckleeves]

40 acres could be ok depending on location but Fwiw a friend of mine parents have 80 acres and honestly it's to small to hunt elk on. Seems big but you can walk the entire property in under an hour.

 

[IZZY]

And thats the issue...This will be my first property...so I want something adjoining public land (BLM,State. National Forestry)....but I want my focus to be on my property so I can throw some game cams up with little worries of them disappearing (although they can still grow legs and walk away)...i want a property to hunt from, set up base camp, and hunt into the public land...I want something close to where I live(4-5 hrs from Tucson)...obviously don't want to pay an arm and a leg for it, and it seems the only thing decent I can find are like 30-80 acres...and apparently I have to get drawn for tags for these...so I am limiting my options to units where the odds of getting tags in the last 5 yrs have been 50% and up....dont' want to shell out 20K for land that just sits there and does nothing you know...i am 33 yrs old right now, plan on retireing in Colorado/New Mexico/Texas in that order, when I do retire, I plan on buyin property in the tune of 120 acres and up, but I figured for now, I will start learning...but perhaps I should just stick to public land hunts and jump in cold turkey when I do retire..

 

[dotman]

And thats the issue...This will be my first property...so I want something adjoining public land (BLM,State. National Forestry)....but I want my focus to be on my property so I can throw some game cams up with little worries of them disappearing (although they can still grow legs and walk away)...i want a property to hunt from, set up base camp, and hunt into the public land...I want something close to where I live(4-5 hrs from Tucson)...obviously don't want to pay an arm and a leg for it, and it seems the only thing decent I can find are like 30-80 acres...and apparently I have to get drawn for tags for these...so I am limiting my options to units where the odds of getting tags in the last 5 yrs have been 50% and up....dont' want to shell out 20K for land that just sits there and does nothing you know...i am 33 yrs old right now, plan on retireing in Colorado/New Mexico/Texas in that order, when I do retire, I plan on buyin property in the tune of 120 acres and up, but I figured for now, I will start learning...but perhaps I should just stick to public land hunts and jump in cold turkey when I do retire..

Not to burst your bubble but where are you finding 30-80 acres of land that is in elk country for $20k? More like 1-3 acres for that price. 20 acres in just an avg area is anywhere from $50 - $250k depending on water and access.

 

[dotman]

And thats the issue...This will be my first property...so I want something adjoining public land (BLM,State. National Forestry)....but I want my focus to be on my property so I can throw some game cams up with little worries of them disappearing (although they can still grow legs and walk away)...i want a property to hunt from, set up base camp, and hunt into the public land...I want something close to where I live(4-5 hrs from Tucson)...obviously don't want to pay an arm and a leg for it, and it seems the only thing decent I can find are like 30-80 acres...and apparently I have to get drawn for tags for these...so I am limiting my options to units where the odds of getting tags in the last 5 yrs have been 50% and up....dont' want to shell out 20K for land that just sits there and does nothing you know...i am 33 yrs old right now, plan on retireing in Colorado/New Mexico/Texas in that order, when I do retire, I plan on buyin property in the tune of 120 acres and up, but I figured for now, I will start learning...but perhaps I should just stick to public land hunts and jump in cold turkey when I do retire..

Not to burst your bubble but where are you finding 30-80 acres of land that is in elk country for $20k? More like 1-3 acres for that price. 20 acres in just an avg area is anywhere from $50 - $250k depending on water and access.

 

[IZZY]

dotman, i wasn't necessarily looking for elk property...was looking for deer property...others have suggested elk property, and that is WAAAYYYYY out of my price range

 

[hobbes]

Are you talking whitetails? I can see 40 acres in the midwest as a hunting property. Unless your on a riverbottom I can't see there being many opportunities for 40 acres to be an effective deer hunting property in the states you have mentioned. I could be wrong.

 

[IZZY]

talking mule deer...I don't know what a good size would be which is another reason that I am asking....i did find an 80 acre peice of land in AZ on GMU 18A, the GMU has about 90% odds of drawing mule deer tag in the last 5 years according to the survey harvest and hunt data edition 2012 put out by az game and fish. Also the northern part of this property is adjoining with state land, and according to the map there is BLM land (about 1000) acres to the west of this property but there is another private property seperating them....

 

[bigeasygator]

Forty acres doesn't seem like much to hunt. I've been thinking about this lately as well and have come to the conclusion that I will likely never be able to afford the kind of land I want to hunt on out West when I retire...and I probably don't need to. I'd think you need around 1,000 acres at a minimum if you really wanted to hunt elk and mule deer and have the property actually hold animals. With the amount of available public land out west and the nature of the animals you hunt, I think it'd be much better to focus on an area and get familiar with the public land you could hunt. For that reason, I'd probably lean towards Colorado, as there are a number of tremendous OTC units and easy draw units that I could pretty much guarantee a tag every year. I'd get familiar with the public land in a unit (doesn't have to be right out my back door) and plan to hunt it every year I could (depending on what other premium tags I drew and hunts I had planned). Crested Butte/Gunnison area comes to mind for me. Anyway, that's how I'd do it, and am hoping to one day plan to. I can see managing 40 acres for whitetail in the midwest, but for elk and mulies I think there are better ways to go and get you what you're looking for!

 

[Tdiesel]

as Stated in Colorado you would need 160 acres to allow you to put in for LO tags otherwise your gonna have to draw just like every one else

 

[IZZY]

Thanks everyone for the advice...based on what am reading, think it's best for me to just buy some quality gear with my money instead of trying to buy land that is subpar, save the rest of the money for a good hunting trip somewhere...I appreciate all the adivce and will be taking it... for now I will keep hunting public land and maybe by the time I retire I will have some decent amount of money saved up for that land afterall...and then again there is always the lottery...hahahaha....thanks again...

 

[dale123]

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