Land: A Place to Lay Your Head

Previous: A New Start
 

It's mid summer and there's no way to build a cabin before hunting season.  Our general rule is to stop all major changes to the land at least two months before hunting season so the deer will establish a pattern.    I believe the improvements will be worth it in the long term, but I they will most likely have a new pattern this year.  

On a typical trip, we stay in a hotel and go out to the property to work from morning to dark. We did this because being in town was convenient and comforts of the hotel.   We need to reduce the cost from  the hotel and gas not to mention losing time due to the extra driving.    We only stay in the camper when we are there to hunt and neither of us are excited about spending another night in the old camper.

Travel Trailer (RV)

We decided to buy a used RV to put where we cleared trees for the cabin.  Technically it's a "travel trailer" but RV just sounds better.   RV are self contained living quarters and can provide all the comforts including showers and toilets.   We searched around Facebook and ended up buying a used one from a local dealership after dealing with a few shady individuals on Facebook.    The first Facebook seller we talked to wanted a deposit because we it was the weekend and the bank was closed.   He called the next day and told us that he could no longer sell it to us.     It took a full day of chasing him around the city to get out deposit back.

We spent a couple weeks replacing roof vents and the external lights.     We cleaned it up and stocked it.  We didn't have any issues on the highway except we lost the furnace cover.    The truck's transmission didn't like pulling it up the mountain and over heated.     It was a huge relief to get it to the well pad where we would spend a couple of nights until the road and site could be finished.

The Last Mile

Initially, we thought we could transport the concrete from the truck to the build site via a dump trailer.   However, pulling the RV down to the location proved that would not work.   The road is only about 10 feet wide which is about the same as the trailer.   One of us had to drive the truck while the other guided to avoid major obstacles.  We will need to widen the road to at least 12 Feet and the turns to 16ft. The truck alone has a turn radius of 50FT so we will have to clear more area at the site to allow for the truck/trailer to maneuver.    If we transport concrete down to the site then we must be able to move as quickly as possible.

The RV was damaged while moving it due to narrow roads and debris in the road.  I was unable to avoid major pot holes on the oil/gas road and our road was barely wider than the RV.     The grey water tank is leaking somewhere and one of the stairs was destroyed.   We will have to fix these on one of the next trips.   

We place cinder blocks as stairs as a temporary solution.   I don't know where the grey tank is leaking from.    I think it may have been damaged coming down the oil/gas road when I hit a large pot hole.   It's possible it was just worn out and the bump pushed it over the edge.  It was slightly leaking when we had it at our house.  I will have to check it and get replacement parts for the last trip before hunting season.

The bath tub has a crack.   It appears the RV did not have enough support under the tub and flex of the plastic eventually caused it to crack.     The previous owner patched the hole with duct tape.    I believe I can fix it by filling underneath with foam and an epoxy patch.

Moving in

Once the RV was at it's new home we made a trip down to the old camper to pick up all out stuff.   The RV has a lot more space available than the old camper.    We also have a lot of stuff that we won't need any longer.     The portable toilet is a good back up in case the RV breaks.     We probably won't need to use the small 1lbs propane bottles anymore since the RV has two 30 lbs bottles.    For now, the extra stuff will stay in the old camper.   At some point I want to remove the old camper and let that area go back to nature.

What's in the Box

The RV is 30FT long and includes a full kitchen, queen size bed, shower and toilet.  This is a 5 star hotel compared to the nights we stayed in the old camper.    RVs run a duel power system at 12V (Battery and towing vehicle) and 120V system supplied by an external utility plug.   Everything runs off the 12V except for the air conditioner, outlets, and microwave.    The water heater, refrigerator, and furnace will run off 120V if it's available but they can also use propane and the 12V system.

Water

This RV has a 40 gallon fresh water tank with a utility connection.    The grey water has a 40 gallon tank which is where the water from all the drains go except for the toilet.    The black water is also 40 gallons and stores water directly from the toilet. The waste water is easy to dispose of.   Portable tanks are available for draining the tanks and transported to a disposal location.  

The next problem is a fresh water supply.     The onboard tank only holds 40 gallons and conservatively we could keep our usage to 10 gallons per day.     However, we would still need a way to bring water out there until we have a water well drilled.

 

We found a food-grade water totes on Facebook for $150. We filled the tote with water, soap,and bleach then let it soak for a day to clean it out.  These versatile tanks have many options available.    I got an 2" adapter to a garden hose.  It's better to use an adapter with a metal connector since the soft plastic of the other stripped easily.  I attached a water pump for RVs from the tank to the RV.     The RV water pump is a 12V pump that has a pressure cut-off switch built in.    It will run off the RV's battery and keep the pressure from the tank at 45 psi.   The tank can hold a 275 gallons of water but our trucks aren't able to carry that kind of weight.   Water weights about 8.3 lbs per gallon which means we could only hold 175 gallons in a 3/4 ton truck.       In our initial trip we filled the tank to 125 gallons which is probably the max we could do and safely navigate the roads in the area.    We could fill the tank completely using the trailer since a full tank will weight as much as the tractor.    However, this will mean bringing two trucks again.

We spent a week there while moving the RV in and working with the dozer.   After four days we used the 40 gallons and needed to use the tote to refill the tank and provide water for our shower.  I missed an adapter and ended up with two male ends of the hoses.   I manage to connect the two hoses with a generous application of duct tape so we could get by until we could get a proper adapter the next morning.

Electricity

The 12v system runs off a marine battery with 75 amp hours.    I expanded the capacity by wiring another battery in parallel which doubled the Amp hours available to 175ah.    In the summer months we can bring in a generator to keep the battery charged and power the air conditioner.   

However, when we come out for hunting I worry that running a generator will be too noisy although we couldn't hear the generator 200 feet away.    This is probably due to the topography of the land.   The land drops 150 ft in elevation a few hundred feet from the north border.    We couldn't hear the generator at the bottom of the hill.  The deer didn't seem to mind either.    We noticed several in the area even thought the generator was running and we were moving around and talking.

The generator has 4500 running watts with a five gallon tank that ran for 12 hours.   The RV needs a minimum of 3600 watts to power the RV.  (120V X 30 AMP)   It's not cost effective for us to have the electric utility installed due to the minimum cost of $30,000 to run 1.25 miles to the nearest poles.     The only option for us would be to install an inverter on the battery to run the 120v system.    A combination of solar and wind could keep the batteries charged.    The problem is solar/wind is an unreliable power source.     During the week most days had little to no wind with the average temperature around 95F and 65% humidity.   The sun was available half the time due to clouds which means we would have drained the batteries in the first day.

It would be unlikely that the solar/wind would supply enough power during the summer time.   However, during the winter the furnace runs on the 12v system and doesn't draw as much power as the air conditioner. 

Stability

I think we will need to put the RV on more permanent footing.    It normally sits on duel axles with jacks to level and stabilize it.    This wasn't meant to be permanent.   The tires will degrade over time and eventually lose air.    The jacks aren't meant to carry the weight of the RV so a flat tire will cause the RV to shift.    The frame is a H pattern and I think we can raise the RV to place cinder blocks at the corners and middle.   To set a mobile homes they will raise and lower the tongue like a sea-saw to place blocks in the lifted area.    

We already have a lot to do next year

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Land: A New Start

Previous: Staking Our Claim

Next: A Place to Lay Your Head

 

The progress is slow and each trip seems to have a large list of todos.  This created anxiety on each trip when we couldn't get everything done.  The stump grinder was a waste of time and money.  The excavator worked, but we still needed to cut down every tree before digging up the root.  The weather wouldn't cooperate and we are running out of time.     We started considering other ideas because we don't have time to build a cabin before hunting season.   We still needed to fix the road and the price of lumber was going up due to inflation.   

We need to make the end goals more realistic.  While thinking of how to move forward with living arrangements we would start by fixing the road and expand the size of the food plot.    In order to do this we decided to rent a bulldozer.  We rented a D3 from the local Warren Cat.  I felt bad for the delivery drivers since I could only give vague directions using landmarks so they could find our land.     They did an excellent job driving the semi up through those oil/gas roads.   The dozer was put exactly where I requested.

A Road to No Where

The previous owner told us he used to bring his RWD truck down to the camper which suggest the roads were in better shape in the past.  I guess the existing roads were originally about 12 FT wide.   Trees have closed on the road on both sides so that the majority was only 10 FT wide.  The majority of them are thin pines no bigger than 2 inches.  Some spots are more narrow and a couple areas had erosion channels.    The roads haven't been traveled much in the past decades and no one has tried to fix them in at least 15 years judging by the size of the trees.   

Dozers are designed to push in near straight lines.  It will lose traction in sharp turns.   If you have a lot of material on the blade turning becomes impossible with the tracks and you have to turn by adjusting the angle of the blade.   I've never operated a dozer before and couldn't pay someone to do it.    The controls are easy to understand.   The biggest learning curve is adjusting the blade to the changing ground as you go.    You can slow your speed down to a crawl while you learn how to make those changes.  I found the slope assist useful as a novice operator.  It shows what the current pitch of the blade compared to the dozer.     You can set the desired slope and the computer will make the adjustments automatically.

I was able to quickly leveled out the road.    The biggest problem I had was the blade would unearth large rocks which left pits and channels.   Raising the blade to let rocks pass gouged out large hills in front of the blade creating a washboard effect.   The only solution is to back up and try again.    At times, I hit bed rock and had to back fill the area.   Small adjustments of the blade make big changes to the ground.   Feeling the changes made by the blade is delayed because the dozer has to travel to the point of change.    These changes are amplified by the dozer.   If you make a hill by raising the blade too fast then the height will be increased as the dozer begins to climb the hill.     

Aside from basic operations, I learned the best way to make a road is to pitch the blade down on one side to create a channel along the side.  The process is repeated for the other side pushing the extra material to the middle of the road.  The final step is to make passes down the road to level it.    I think this would solve the problem I had with hitting buried rocks since there would be extra material to fill trouble areas.   There so many rocks in the soil it is impossible to get a clean pass.

This method of making roads is a good set up because it creates drain channels on both sides of a level road bed.  The road can be finished with small gravel topped with larger gravel.    This is needed to bring the trucks down safely.    

You can slow erosion by moving large stones into the ditches will slow passing water.   In theory, the road would drain into the ditches and water would pass along the side of the road.  It would also create a road wide enough to accommodate most vehicles.  Roads should have a pitch so the water will not pool on the road.

Unfortunately, we did not have enough time to complete the road and only made one pass leveling the existing road.     I don't think this will be a major issue since only two areas had erosion channels.    We will finish the road next spring.

Food Plot

We went down to the food plot after the work on the road.  We need to make the food plot bigger for the upcoming hunting season.   The dozer was able to push most trees over.   Small pines and hardwoods usually have a shallow root system.  The best way was to raise the blade and push the tree.   Most trees would fall over from the first push.   Back up and lower the blade hooking under the root ball and push out the roots.  

If the tree couldn't be pushed then raise the blade half way and push into the tree while raising the blade.     The medium size trees would pop out quickly.  The large trees could be downed by digging down with the blade on each side of the tree to remove some of it's roots then pushing it over.    It was also good to go slow at this and watch the trees movement.    The tree falling on the dozer probably wouldn't destroy it but replacing broken windows is expensive.   Broken windows or damage to the grill guard is common when clearing land according to the CAT representative.   The fact I returned the dozer without damage is worth a merit badge.

The only tree we couldn't remove was large pines.    Their large roots are too deep to be pushed over as we discovered with the excavator.   The blade cut deep in their soft wood which I think would be unsafe since the tree could snap at that point.   It was suggested the ripper could be used to dig 3 feet down around the large trees then pushing them over.    This would probably work as the removal of the surrounding dirt would make the tree unstable thus easier to push over.   I didn't get a chance to try this method because we were running out of time.  I can't say the idea of pushing over a hundred foot tall 30inch wide tree was appealing.

 

The dozer by far was the easier way to clear land.  I was surprised at the "gas mileage" and only used half a tank in 20 hours.   We were able to increase the size of the food plot by ten fold in a day.   The hard labor came from cutting the trees up so they could be moved by the tractor.  It was easier than before since the tree is on the ground when you start cutting. In fact, removing stumps is more difficult because you lose the weight of the tree as leverage.  It also saved time compared to the excavator because the dozer would remove the roots .   Some of the roots were too big for our tractor and I pushed them to the side with the dozer.  I'm not sure what to do with all these stumps aside from just letting them rot.  I was able to fill and level the area after the trees were gone.    It only took about 8 hours to clear a large area.  The food plot was expanded by at least four times.     Storms are coming and we don't have time to establish a new food plot on the other side of the property.

I was quickly reminded that I should bring extra parts and supplies.    The bar on my chainsaw failed (front bearing) while cutting up the trees but never bought an extra bar.   The bar doesn't fail often, but this one was pinched while trying to fall a large tree that didn't go the way I planned.  We ended up losing half a day while trying to find a compatible bar at the local stores.

The next issue was to figure out what to do about the cabin.

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Land: Making Our Own Path

Previous: Staking Our Claim

Next: A New Beginning

 

The food in the area is scarce during the winter.   The first year we had two corn feeders and the cameras show the deer flocking to the area, but we had the feed interval low to stretch out the corn.   The second year one feeder was destroyed by the pigs and the other motor failed.  The corn feeders brought the deer to our land, but there wasn't enough to hold them there.   We need to make the food plot bigger and expand it to at least an acre or more.   We also wanted to put in a second plot on the other side of the property, but it was late in the season so we settle on making lanes from the plot deeper into the forest.

With four people we managed to clear two lanes about 20 feet long and 6 feet wide in 4 days.   The weather was hot and humid which made the work miserable and exhausting.  The heat index was over 105 every day.    We were so hot we spent the majority of the time drinking water.   It took a long time to fall trees and cut them into pieces the size of firewood so we could move to piles.   This wouldn't work in the future since most of the work would be done by just the two of us.   We realized that some kind of machine would be needed.   

Hauling Ass

The trucks we used as our daily driver were just not suited for hard work.   Our 1/4 ton trucks (5.7L RAM 1500) have served us well and able to pull the Jeep up the mountain to our land even where the slope reaches 20% in some places.     The problem is the trucks struggled on the slopes and the gas mileage was 50% lower than normal.   I was also concerned about the wear on the trucks.

We bought a used 3/4 ton long bed truck (6.7L RAM 2500) with a diesel engine.   We were lucky the truck came with a tool box and 93 gallon transfer tank.   This truck is able to pull the Jeep up the mountain easily and does it while getting 15 MPG.    We only use the truck for trips to the property or long drives.    Diesel trucks are expensive to operate.

Now we have to bring the smaller truck to tow the Jeep when we need the trailer for heavy loads or the tractor.   We feel like we should bring the Jeep at least until the roads are fixed.   

More Toys

 

We started looking at equipment to assist our work.   At first, I planned to use the Jeep to do most of the work.    I thought the wench and chains would be enough to move logs around and we could buy implements designed for UTVs.  Pulling logs around with the Jeep and chain proved difficult because the logs would dig into the ground and were limited where they could be put.     The implements didn't work well either.   Perhaps they would work in a home garden, but it wasn't practical on undeveloped land with rocky soil.    The UTV implements rely on leverage instead of weight to push the chisel down into the ground which means the chisels lift the rear of the Jeep up and just scraps the top of the ground most of the time. 

 

We decided on a Kubota LX2610 with a grapple, box blade, and seedbed roller.     We bought new because of the warranty and financing available at the time.  The tractor we picked is a midsize machine in their compact line running 25 HP.     The draw back of this model is that the PTO runs at 19HP which is not enough to drive many attachments.    The next model L3310 would have been a better choice with more attachments available and the ability to drive them.  The next model jumps in price and cost an additional $100 per month.  The L3310 also has a cab option which is really necessary when working in hot/cold weather.   We considered a skid steer but they are double the price.   It's hard to justify extra expense for something that has limited use.

The tractor is able to lift around 800lbs with the grapple.      My wife and I were able to clear ten times the area with half the people using the tractor.     The time saver was being able to fall trees and cut them into 8 foot logs instead of 12 inch pieces. The tractor can pick up multiple logs at once.   We plan on getting the tires filled which increases the weight of the machine by 800 lbs.   The extra weight is needed to counter lift and makes travel less rough.

The tractor has been worth the price.     If you buy a tractor then go for the biggest one you can afford.    What the tractor can do is only limited by its horsepower and weight.    Too much is always better.    If you are not able to buy a tractor then at least rent one for the land work.  A grease gun and extra grease is also needed.    Even when renting you are expected to lubricate the joints per the manufacturer's recommendation.    They do check.

Vacation Home

Everyone dreams of a weekend get away at a cabin secluded in the woods.  Until this point we had only been there hunting a few weeks of the year.    We tried to make some repairs and improvements to the camper but the years of neglect made it impossible, and the small size makes it uncomfortable even for two people.    The lack of showers and air conditioning makes summer stays impossible. 

Building a permanent cabin would be the best option.  There are many options for foundations but a concrete slab was the best option.    Pier systems will settle and lead to structural issues.   The isolation of the area makes any repairs difficult.    The first problem is getting concrete out to the site no matter what type of foundation is used.   Being able bring bags of concrete are limited by what we can carry out there.     We would need to transport over a ton of cargo in concrete and water just to make a 10X10 3in slab.   The hunting cabins out there are usually utility sheds on cinder blocks.

We met with a concrete company and they said they can deliver to the well pad near us but warned the truck weighs 50,000 lbs when loaded and if the ground is soft the truck would sink.  We would be responsible for the cost of getting the truck out. There's no way for us to guarantee the ground could support that weight.   It wouldn't be possible to pump the concrete because of the distance from the well pad to the build site. Most pumps can only go up to a few hundred feet and it creates additional concrete waste and cost.  I think the best option would be to use a dump trailer to transport the concrete the last quarter mile.  We will be charged by the minute over 45min so the trailer has to carry at least 2 yards so we can make less than 3 trips.   The plan is to fill the trailer from the truck, drive to site, dump, work it, and return in the 45 minutes.  The big truck would be needed to pull the trailer which means there must be enough extra space to maneuver.   First, we will need to clear an area for the cabin and improve the roads.

Search and Destroy

The camper is located is the center of our property which disrupts the entire area when we travel.  We cleared 3,600 squared feet at a new site near the north border.   Cutting down the trees left many stumps around the new cabin site which would prevent building.

The only experience I had for removing tree stumps was a grinder.   They do make grinders for tractors but the low horse power at our PTO means that the attachment can't be used.  We found a company near by that rents self propelled stump grinders.     

Unfortunately, grinding a stump is a slow process.    You can only grid a few inches per pass.  The speed and depth of each pass depends on the size and type of tree.   The big oak trees took forever to grid down.  The grinder also had trouble because the ground is filled with rocks of all shapes and sizes.   If you hit any rocks with the grinder teeth they are instantly dull or broken which means you must dig out the rocks out between passes.    The grinding leaves a lot of the tree in the ground.   The grinder was only able to remove the top 8 inches of the root system.   The left overs may attempt to regrow but I'm concerned it's rotting corpse will make the ground unstable.     I only rented the machine for a day and I was only able to grid 5 trees out of the 20 or so we cut down.  The progress was too slow and incomplete for the cost of the rent.  

Dig it

 

A field of buried, rotting trees would not work for a place where we need a stable foundation.   The next step was to rent an excavator to dig out the remaining stumps.      We rented an excavator and dug out the stumps over two days.  The small stumps could be pulled out in one motion.   I had to dig around the large stumps before pulling them up.     The trees that gave the most issue we pines.   Most trees have a small root ball 1-2 feet deep.  It seems for every 10 feet of height a pine adds a foot of root that is as wide as the trunk.   Pines are natures fence post.    They don't seem to develop this large root until around 30 years.    This means any pine over 18 inches would have to be dug out.

 

We were able to dig out all the remaining trees in two days.  We also removed the stumps we grinded.   We used the tractor to move the stumps to the sides and smooth out areas after the stump was removed.

The excavator was easy to learn to operate.    The main challenge is to synchronize your joystick motions so the arm smoothly scoops then deposits it to the side.     We also started digging a foundation where the cabin would be built.     The area was at a slope so the foundation had to be deep on one side.    This created another problem because the dirt is deposited at some point within the arm's reach.   The alternative is to drive to another spot to dump the load but that would cost extra time.    This will mean you have a pile of dirt that you will have to move again.     Our tractor had difficulty moving these piles due to the clay and rocks.

We aren't making progress like we had hoped.

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Land: Staking our claim

Previous: Dreaming of Personal Hunting Property
Next: Making Our Own Path

 

We settled on a secluded 80 acres tract at the end of a 13 mile oil/gas road on top of the Oklahoma mountains in SE part of the state.  The majority of the property is usable with wet weather creeks and a rolling topography.  The area has a maze of logging roads with most of them overgrown or damaged by erosion.   There's several natural gas wells in the area and the oil companies keep most of the roads in good shape.  The last half mile of road that crosses through a field from a well pad will be our responsibility.

The majority of the trees are pine and post oaks.    The land was logged in 1995 taking every tree over 8 inches except for the pine.  The pine trees quickly filled in gaps and many of the remaining hardwoods were stunted by fast growing pines shading them.  

The biggest issue with a secluded location is you must bring everything you need and include backups in case something runs out or breaks.     The consequences of ignoring this can be annoying or even life threatening.    A good example is our frequent use of a chainsaw which means I need tools to fix problems and extra parts.     If the chain breaks then I can't continue working until I find a store that carries a compatible chain.  This is a big problem because the surrounding small towns have a limited selection.   If the truck breaks down or even a flat tire then I better have food, water, and shelter available until the truck can be repaired. The first rule is always have a plan A and plan B.

Neglected 

 

The last owner had not been to the area for at least a two decades and was still reluctant to sell the land due to protest from his kids.    He left a small food plot and a truck camper built in 1963 that had been there for at least 30 years.    The camper has heavy water damage and bullet holes.    

He told us that he found a marijuana field during the mid 1990's while scouting.     He reported the location to law enforcement and the growers shot up the camper for revenge.  He had fixed most of the broken glass but the appliances were beyond repair.    A hail storm damaged the roof vents which allowed water to leak in during the years of his absence.      The majority of the wood in the roof and over hang was rotting.    A friend of his attempted to make repairs to the camper more than 10 years ago.   He placed supports under the overhand and a tarp to cover the leaking roof vents.   There was evidence of multiple failed attempts to fix the water leaks.   He had replaced most of the interior panels but failed to replace the wooden frame of the camper.   

The window screens were old and would tear with a slight touch which only left one window that could be opened without an army of insects invading.    The interior curtains were in the same state as the fabric and tore like tissue paper.  We filled all the gaps with foam and attempted to replace the roof vents which failed because of structural issues.   We also attempted to replace damaged wood in the frame but this caused more issues since frame was made from 1X1 studs with metal panels nailed to them.  Removing the rotten wood damaged the outside panels and the entire frame was in various states of decay.   We decided repairing the camper would not be possible.   This would also be difficult to complete since we have to bring everything with us and a 40 minute trip to get materials.  We would need to find something else then dispose of the old camper.

Off Roading

We have a 4x4 truck but didn't want to take our only mode of transportation down questionable or non-existent roads. This was due to having a flat from lose rocks on a previous trip where it was our only transportation and forced us to stay over night.

We looked at getting a ATV/UTV, like a Razor, that could be used to get around the property.  Having an additional vehicle would serve as a back up in case something broke down. It's much easier to throw a tire in the back for the 40 minute trip to town rather than hiking while rolling it through the hills.

We bought a used (1991) Jeep Wrangler.  We chose a Jeep because they are easy to work on and cheap to repair.   Jeeps have a strong social following which means there are endless aftermarket options.   (Winch, light bars, etc.)   Our Jeep has high ground clearance with aggressive mud tires.   It's versatile enough to pull a light trailer and drag plows.  It is also street legal with a good size fuel tank and storage space.     It's easy to tow since many people flat tow them behind RVs.    Buy a tow bar and you can tow it anywhere.     (Check local regulations)

I wired permanent tow lights by adding side markers and brake. The straight 6 gas engine provide a lot of power for it's body size.  It has never gotten stuck and has been able to go over any type of terrain.   I'm not saying it would go through an obstacle course but everything we bring out to the property must be practical due to the cost.

NOTE: "Flat tow" simply means the Jeep is not on a trailer and rolls on it's own tires.    This is done by putting the transmission in 5th gear and the transfer case in neutral.    The transmission should be kept in gear to keep the transmission from turning without oil during transportation.   (The oil pump is on the input shaft of the transmission which means the transmission won't be lubricated unless the engine is running.   Towing while the transmission is neutral will wear out the transmission.)   The transfer case is set to neutral so the tires spin freely.  (The transfer case oil pump is on the output shaft so it will lubricate anytime the wheels are turning.)

Home Sweet Home

We have spent several nights in the camper despite its current state.   The thought of the overhang collapsing was constantly in the back of my mine but at this point we have little choice.  We brought freeze dried food and bottled water.  We use a camping toilet with a pop up tent.  We have a propane camping stove and lantern.    During the cold months we use a Mr. Heater which was enough to keep the camper warm and wake up hibernating wasp.  It would run on the low setting for at least 8 hours with a 1 lbs propane bottle.   It's cheaper to get a large propane tank and refill the 1 lbs bottle using an adapter. (Use at your own risk)   You can refill a 20lbs propane bottle $20 while a new 1lbs cost $10.  You need forceps to pull up on the vent to refill the bottle to the top.    If it sticks open then quickly pull it up again and release.   The heater used the most propane going through 15lbs of propane in a week.

I was paranoid about leaving the heater running during the night even though the heater says it is "indoor safe".   Running the heater fills the camper with a smell of burning propane and fogs the windows.  I always have an alarm for CO2 and propane and the alarm never went off while using the heater.  We still turned off the heater  before going to sleep.   Another important lesson is to look at the rating of your sleeping bag to make sure it will handle the temperatures.    A 32F rated sleeping bag is worthless when the temperature drops below freezing and leads to sleepless nights hugging the heater to stay warm.

I would say we were lucky to have the camper since the only alternative at the time was to pitch a tent. We didn't really consider this when we first got started on the land.   None of the other properties we looked at had any kind of shelter.

The Hunt

We set up tree stands at various spots and have pop up blinds for every where else.  We wake up in the early morning and walk to the stand for the hunt often staying all day in the field.  Staying out there was a shock because living in the city makes you forget how beautiful the night sky is.  The area is dead quiet at night with the occasional coyote. 

We set up game cameras where there was any evidence of deer.    The best camera we found for the price is StealthCam.    The cheaper cameras were unreliable and filled the memory cards within a week with thousands of pictures of leaves fluttering in the wind.

We use Energizer Lithium batteries which last eight months or more.   The cameras will reset their date/time when the batteries get weak even though they continue taking pictures.  Every time we go to the property we check the cameras and reposition them if they aren't getting a lot of deer traffic. When checking the cameras, I check a couple of the batteries (out of 8) and replace the memory card replacing with a blank card.  I have a portable viewer but most of the time I review the pictures at home.

Herd

The cameras indicated deer are moving in the area.  It appears there is very little hunting pressure in the area.  Most deer prefer to move along the edges.   This could be the edge between the trees and a grassland or even the edge between rows of different tree species.  The easy path you would take through the woods is often the same choice the deer make unless they are panicked.    They don't like low branches hitting their heads or thorns any more than you.  I have see a couple solitary does travel though the thickest parts of the forest and even come close to us.

 

The ground is hard and tracks aren't visible unless the ground is wet.    Tracking the deer through the woods is difficult.    We saw very little signs of deer even when regular travel is shown on the camera.  In fact, most of our cameras are places by educated guesses.   It random chance to see any deer even though the cameras indicated our presence didn't change their behavior. 

Dinner Time

We realized that the deer were only traveling though our land.   We don't have a reliable food or water sources giving them little reason to stay.    We do have some creeks but they are lower than the surrounding area and deer won't go into places where they can't watch for approaching predators.  This means that any encounter with a deer is by chance alone and backed by over a year of pictures from the game cameras.

 

We tried to provide food with corn feeders but deer would knock them over and wild pigs would destroy them even when strapped to a tree. This means we need to put in food plots since wild pigs don't see to bother with live plots.   The cameras never found the pigs in the planted food plot but they would also come within a week of refilling the corn feeders.   They must really like corn.

The food plot (20FT Squared) was small but we planted it in the second year.   First, we would take soil samples then spray the area with RoundUp.   We added a fertilizer and lime to the ground as indicated by the soil test.   Two weeks later we dragged a cultipacker to flatten the dead plants then put out seeds.     The plot was completely green when we returned for hunting two months later despite several cold snaps.     The food plot is too small as the deer had ate the plants down to where only about an inch of growth could be seen.    It was such a clean cut that the most attentive golf course manager would be proud to play there.   At least the seeds germinated well and were a hit with local wild life.

The following spring the food plots were ignored by the deer leaving the grains and clover to overgrow.   I suspect this is because the forest is filled with food sources during the warm months.   Most of what I've read says this isn't a big problem because providing food year round will lead to many does since does tend to stay in the same general area and push bucks out.

No Trespassing

 

Trespassers will be an issue every where despite posting signs on the major access points.    We have been fortunate that we have had few trespassers and little was stolen.    The only thing we know was stolen was the memory cards of a couple cameras obviously to conceal their identity.  They didn't see all the cameras and we got pictures of the same people moving though our land.    I assume they were exploring or didn't know there was new owners that were active since they haven't been seen since.      We reported them to the local sheriff's department.    The sheriff department was helpful as they take trespassing seriously especially with fields of expensive oil equipment.

If the problem get worse we would consider installing a fence or blocking the road.  Often these roads are the only way to get around the area and blocking a road could prevent people from reaching their land on the other side.  I'm sure these people own property nearby but I have not received responses to any of my attempts at contact them and arrange access.

The last step we can take to contact them is to review the plot book at the county courthouse.   We have been so busy with other task that we haven't taken the time to do this.   We also need to explore the network of logging roads to see what's around us and possible alternative routes out.

Going through Changes

It seemed obvious that we need to make changes to the land to get deer to come and stay on our property.   We read information from many authors include Whitetail Solutions.    (Their site seems to be one of the better ones with lots of free material. )   

We also contacted the local forestry department for recommendations.    Our local department did a complete evaluation indicating the tree species and animals.  Their biggest advice was to hire someone to perform controlled burns to remove debris from the forest floor.   This is definitely something I would not do myself.   They also recommended adding food sources and clearing trails through the heavily wooded areas.

We need to make improvements for our comfort as well.   The camper is uncomfortable to stay in for more than a few days and the deer treat our land as a highway.    Adding some modern comforts would make our hunt more enjoyable and adding a convenience store on the deer highway would encourage them to spend more time on our property which would make a successful hunt more likely.

Most of our neighbors don't seem to use their land for any purpose with the closest hunting cabin being 4 miles north of us.  A large portion of the land to our north is used by a company as a natural stone supply.  Any improvements we make should draw deer from the entire area.

Previous: Dreaming of Personal Hunting Property
Next: Making Our Own Path

Land: Dreaming of Hunting Property

Next: Staking our Claim

Two years ago my wife and I decided to buy land for hunting and recreation.  She wanted to learn how to hunt and I wanted a place of my own.   I didn't have good experiences with leasing, hunting clubs, or public land.   I will explain what we did and lessons learned during our journey.    This is not a cheap hobby to do and will require large investments of time and money.

Location, Location

We found many listings online.  Primarily, we used this site.  We decided early on the land must be secluded with a minimum of 80 acres.  It must also have good roads leading to the property knowing we would need to bring the bigger trucks through to carry supplies and equipment.  We also needed towns nearby for equipment and supplies.

Seclusion is an easy feature since the price per acre goes up quickly the closer you are to a major city or tourist spots nears lakes or parks.    All the properties we looked at were undeveloped (no roads or buildings) and several hours away from our home in the city.

Exploring

Never buy without seeing the property first.    I know this sounds like common sense but we know of many people who paid a premium without visiting the area.  Some of them hold onto the land for decades and never visit it.    One such property had a steep hill on one side and deep creek on the other with no roads or utility access.    The owners swore their retired kids would build a house there one day.

We found many properties that seemed good in pictures but while walking the property we found large parts were unusable or difficult to access.     For example, one property we looked at was a valley between two large hills.     The hills we steep and impossible to drive down and there was no place to even put a tent.   These types of properties can be improved but at a huge cost.  

I think most local agents are willing to take you on a tours.   Our guy, Chuck, loved driving out to remote areas and willing to go down questionable roads.   He was a little too eager as we got stuck in a pool of mud the consistency of peanut butter. 

Be sure to visit the properties several times before signing a contract. It is best if you can visit the area during different seasons or several months apart.    I know the thrill of finding a property only to have someone come in on a cash buy.  We visited a property that seemed perfect at first.      We went out for a second look and discovered the roads were being maintained by a logging company during the first visit.    They had completed their work by our second trip and the roads were left to their natural state which meant they were subject to heavy flooding and erosion. The roads are only passable for the the toughest off-road vehicles most of the time. 

Observe as much as you can.   Keep note of equipment in the area which might indicate logging or other activities.     The existence of permanent equipment for oil/gas production maybe a good thing since the company will maintain basic roads.    We constantly looked for signs of humans in the areas.   Trash, harvested animals, and camp sites could be signs someone has been in the area.     The existence of people in the area could mean theft would be an issue if you leave supplies and equipment on the property.  Pouching was a problem at one as indicated by deer skeletons all over which at least means trespassers could ruin your hunt.

Be Prepared

First, I would recommend learning basic survival and putting together supplies when you go out. You should also have a backup when things go wrong.   This will not be news to experienced hikers or hunters. Things will always go wrong and you should have a backup plan for most scenarios by meeting your basic needs while you hike out or wait for rescue.  Of course, let someone know where you will be and when you plan to be back.   Keep an eye on the weather forecast and take a GPS since getting lost in the woods is easy.  My basic kit is a backpack with water bottles, filter straw, rope, knife, first aid kit, machete, emergency blanket, flint stone, weather radio, duct tape, snacks, and GPS unit.  I carry this even while hunting.  If the location is remote then you probably won't have cell service and you need the minimum supplies to be able to survive a couple of days..

Secondly, you should have at least one change of clothes with several pairs of socks.  This will be the best gear you have when caught in the rain or step in a puddle.  Make sure you have a spare tire with tools and a few pieces of lumber.   (The lumber is for placing the jack on in case you have to change a tire on soft ground. )

During one of our trips, loose rocks broke the bead on the front tire (it came off the rim) and I spent the next two hours trying to change a tire on ground as firm as a wet sponge.  I recommend being prepared to spend the night as well.     

 

On the trip I mentioned, the sudden rain storm flooded a bridge on the only access road.   The water was over a foot high in the center and moving rapidly.  We spent the night in the truck in wet clothes with no blanket till the next morning when the water receded.   It only takes a random rainstorm or flat tire to spell trouble.

Ready to Buy

If you need a loan to buy the land then a big question will be legal easement.  Banks will not loan on undeveloped land without easement.  Easement is legal authority to use a portion of someone's land for a specific purposes.   The easement can be for roads or utilities and is documented with the property deed.    You can approach your neighbors to establish easement, but they may not be willing or hard to contact.   Many of the surrounding properties we looked at are owned by a trust and attempts to contact someone was met with silence.  Most of the contact information is available online through county property tax records.   The court house also has a "plot book" with contact information of the land owners.   

Without easement, the landowner could install a locked gate blocking access to your land even though the road maybe well traveled.   Roads used by oil/gas companies have easement for their purpose and that doesn't transfer to you.   In Oklahoma, landowners can go through the courts to force easement for access (Check your local laws).  This is expensive and time consuming and it's best to keep good relations with your neighbors.

Roughing it

You should decide if things like electricity or water are important to you.     Establishing electric service in an area can be cost prohibitive.     You must obtain easement from every property you need to cross and the land must be cleared so the utility can install polls and wires.   I got a quote from an electric company for $30,000 to install service over a mile that did not including establishing easement or clearing a 20 ft wide path.   The alternative is to use a generator, solar, batteries, or wind.   

Water is an important resource that is difficult to bring in large quantities.    Water weight 8.3lbs per gallon which means a light duty truck (1/4 Ton) can only carry a maximum of 60 gallons.  Realistically, you can't carry the max because you will need to bring other things and a heavy load may not be practical on poor road conditions.   Your needs will depend on what you need while there: drinking, cooking, and showers.

 

Next: Staking our Claim