Interesting article. When I travel throughout the state, I often stop and buy small town newspapers. A couple of years ago, I was on a rattlesnake hunt by Meridian. I noticed the rural lands for sale. Good, productive farm land was going for about $1,200 per acre. Rocky, hilly junk that would grow nothing but cedars and deer were in the $3,000+ range. Oh yeah, the closer to Crawford it was, the higher the price. Standing water and size also were determinants.
In the area where I have land, 70 miles NNW of the D/FW area metroplex, there is very little demand for open, flat property. Cattlemen want a place that will grow winter wheat but they want it partially wooded for deer. Land with water holes are more valuable. It costs $ to dig holes to impound water and the larger the pond, the better. Hitting sand is always an expensive risk. Hunters want the wheat as a deer attractant and hunting rights can go for as much as $20 per acre. A picture of a monster buck or 2 can drive the price out of sight.
Last months issue of The American Hunter(NRA) magazine had an article about the average guy being priced out of hunting on leased lands. More people are buying rural property for their own hunting. They also dig water holes for bass. With the increasing value of land, the landowner needs to recoup more to rent the access.
