We might have an opportunity to lease a mixture of pasture land for next year. The land is about 1000 acres with an estimated 75 % broken up pasture and balance mixed timber and fence row strips, etc. Cows are being sold. Land is in Lowndes Co.

I’m guessing deer population will be overall lower per acre due to land type?

What are things I should be considering / looking for and watching out for?

We always leased timberland and wanted to ask for advice from any of you that hunt this type of land.

Should hunt-able land vs non be considered in the lease price?

What lease rate per acre should be expected?

Thanks

1000 acres in Lowndes county?

I sure have missed you Gut Shot. I would like to see my old friend again. Shall we meet in Lowndes? I'll bring the beer and big plans.



In all seriousness, I hope it works out for ya but I can't help with pricing much.

If it has timber surrounding it, goldmine. My favorite kind of land. What’s going to be done to land once cattle are gone?

Sounds like a place I have hunted on the river near the management area.

Posted this in another thread: We have a 160 acre pasture surrounded by mature timber and pine plantations. The pasture is broken up by blocks of pines with active hay fields and over grown sections with sage. We placed a few green fields in strategic locations. It is the best deer hunting environment I have ever hunted.

Factors to consider: What is the surrounding property comprised of, timber or more open ground? What are long term plans for property, are they planting in pines, letting it go, putting it in Hay production or will it be maintained? Can you plant food plots?

Old pastures can be awesome places to hunt. If there is a little bit of cover it will hold more deer than you would expect. I also hunt a 400 acre active cattle pasture where the cows have access to everything from fence row to fence row and it’s hard to hold deer on the property.

My understanding the owner has decided he’s getting too old to run cattle himself. What is he going to do with the land going forward is part of what we have to determine. I believe he’s just looking for ways to cover his expense, since the cattle income will stop.

First off, Id keep my mouth shut. Someone’s already trying to figure out who’s land it is. Satellite imagery will tell you a lot about neighboring properties.

Lots of potential for a place like that

TURKEY’S come to my mind….😃

He he could turn it into CRP land he can make some money that way. Then you could cut lanes in it and hunt it that way

Pasture and grazing ground that has cattle removed can go through a rather quick population explosion due to increased browse and deer filling a void they previously chose not to occupy. That’s not to say they don’t use cattle ground, but when the cattle are removed it opens up so much for deer. Old fallow pastures provide cover/bedding and will eventually start to regenerate with native vegetation. You’re actually set up pretty nice to have great hunting and management options for the future. If the landowner will give you some flexibility on discing and burning those old pastures it could be a paradise.

It’s all what Mbrock said.. depends on what his goals are for the pastures, or what he will or won’t allow you to do… plenty of options for a deer or turkey gold mine…

Get it…….. if allowed plant in Alfalfa cut bale it. All animals love it.

1,000 acres of any ground in Lowndes county is going to be good. Good luck.

Some of the best land i ever hunted was a mix if pasture n hardwoods in marengo county

Sounds like the perfect opportunity! Have him go CRP!!!! I would rather have crp than corn or soybean fields! Food and dense cover! Can’t ask for more!!!

If it is the property I think you are talking about it should be some great hunting.

When our pasture went from cows to hay production, we see more deer there than in the wood lots / 2 yr old clearcuts we have elsewhere. Big fan of pastures. you have to leave them a little "dirty" ( grown up) for bucks to use them.

Unless we are talking about 100+ acre fields with no cover I think you will have plenty of deer, especially if there is any clover mixed in with the grass in those fields.

I hunted some old cow pastures in Sandy Ridge about 10 years ago and it was some of the best bow hunting I've had. It was easy to pattern the deer. My biggest gripe about it was the land was prairie mud.