purchasing land that is next to a preserve that allows seasonal hunting?

[Lizrd]

@HungarianHippo

I would be very, very leery of this. …All this componded by the fact that Illinois allows rifle hunting for deer, because rifle bullets will travel a mile or more. Your fields and house would easily be within range of a wayward shot.

I’d a bit less concerned if it’s only shotgun hunting-- the main issue would probably be annoyance due to the noise.But that’s not trivial: since neither of you are hunters and you’re already nervous about the proximity, the noise annoyance could really impact your quality of life there. Those of us who have hunting nearby or on our land tend to be more sanguine about it. (I allow a trusted neighbor to hunt our 17 acre timber, and when I hear a shot I think: “Awesome, hope he gives us the tenderloin this year.” :lol: )

I checked IL hunting regs, and rifle hunting is disallowed in counties with population of 500k or more-- but there are only 5 counties in IL that meet that. And regardless of county, there are distance setback requirements: no hunting within 100yds of a house if shotgun or archery, and 300yds if rifle. So, on the map, mark these 100 & 300yd radii to see how much of the conservation area near you can actually be hunted. (Offer: I’ve got mapping software and this would take like 10 seconds for me to do it. I’d be happy to do that for you if you want to send me a PM with the address). But even if you could exclude parts of that conservation land from hunting, how would you go about enforcing that? You could ask the conservation manager to blaze trees or something to mark the exclusion area, but that’s not much protection.

I think, in your shoes, I’d probably pass.

Thank you for the great information and the good perspective. Interestingly, I live near a lake and there is duck hunting going on all.the.time in the early morning. I do hear the gunshots and it doesn’t fluster me, or make me too sad even though I feel bad for the ducks, but I still do hear it. That of course happens very early AM when it is quiet in the neighborhood.

I am not too sure that this particular conservation area would be heavily hunted since there is a massive open area for hunting less than a 3 miles north of here. It just opened in 2017 and there is ample territory - private farmland and other conservation areas that exist. It is not uncommon to see pickups pulled to the side of a farm field during the season. I think I have probably been blissfully co-existing with hunters my entire life, but haven’t focused on it.

And you are right, enforcement would be limited. My guess is the conservation cops are much more likely to be at the large park (thousands of acres?) nearby.

[Lizrd]

@Simkie

I’ve known several people that have lost dogs or have come very close to losing dogs because they thought trapping wasn’t allowed in their suburbanish area.

Sometimes it’s unlicensed, illegal trapping. Often it’s not, though.

It really is worth looking in to, rather than making assumptions.

Thank you. Wake up call for me, I guess. Just looked and yes, you can trap all kinds of things in IL.
https://www2.illinois.gov/dnr/hunting/Documents/Trapping%20Season%20Dates%2019-20.PNG

[Lizrd]

@js

…, the pasture with the horses and myself were rained on by buck shot during dove season, we were in plain site of the hunters but they didn’t care.

Oh heck no!

[Lizrd]

@Texarkana

How do people buy in the country without sharing property lines with hunters? I’m not even sure you could find such a place around here. Every farm I have ever lived on in three states has had neighboring hunting activity at least part of the year. I hate it, but thankfully not had major issues. Coexisting with other outdoor recreational activities is part of rural life unfortunately.

I really appreciate your perspective and your thoughts on this. While it is not my recreational activity of choice, I get that it can co-exist with what I do enjoy. My guess is if we buy farmland we will have the same challenges, and those will not be so well advertised as this place is. Likely hunters are in every random field and bunch of trees here on the IL-WI line.

[Texarkana]

@Lizrd

I really appreciate your perspective and your thoughts on this. While it is not my recreational activity of choice, I get that it can co-exist with what I do enjoy. My guess is if we buy farmland we will have the same challenges, and those will not be so well advertised as this place is. Likely hunters are in every random field and bunch of trees here on the IL-WI line.

Don’t get me wrong, emphasizing again that I hate it. But unless I want to move to another part of the country, I don’t have the luxury of saying I’d never buy a property with adjacent hunting grounds. Every farmer around here lets people hunt on their land. If you live in an area like mine, I don’t know how you can rule out a property because of the potential for hunters.

[pony_grandma]

20 acres of land, only 1/2 of that wooded is not much to hunt on. And the other land runs narrow and long beside it? Not enough land to hunt on that will contain the bullets. A neighbor of ours was riding double with his younger child, a sunny Friday afternoon, the kids had a teacher training day off. Some teens were doing target practice in their backyard. A stray bullet shot the horse out from under them - hit it in the chest. Around us folks only hunt on hundreds of acres. Not small acreage.

[GoodTimes]

OP it should be easy enough to ask a few neighbours to see if they’ve had issues with hunters. Or if there is much wildlife around.

If hunting is popular where you’re shopping, it may be worth familiarizing yourself with the hunting and trapping regulations. Or take a hunting course if your state offers it.

Don’t let stories of a few bad apples ruin a perfectly good property. We only have 5 acres so SO usually bow hunts on small tracts of public land. I doubt most of the neighbours have ever even noticed, other than seeing his truck parked early in the morning.

[B_and_B]

Connecticut here…lots of very small acreages and surprisingly relaxed hunting laws. I hunt, my partner hunts.
A couple of things, this property wouldn’t bother me. But. I would want high visibility perimeter fencing: dead white electric tape is awesome for this, by the way, and signage according to the legal state posting because in some states land is open for hunting if not posted.
I always wear blaze orange during hunting season even on my own property. However I also wear it walking down a public road at all times. But in my opinion idiot drivers are more likely to kill me than idiot hunters (side topic).
Dogs: that perimeter fencing needs to keep them in, or you need to keep them on a solid recall if off-leash, unsupervised. This is as much because loose dogs off the property are a hard no-go as far as I am concerned. It has nothing to do with hunting, everything to do with dogs stay on one’s own property, period.

[Lizrd]

@GoodTimes

OP it should be easy enough to ask a few neighbours to see if they’ve had issues with hunters. Or if there is much wildlife around.

If hunting is popular where you’re shopping, it may be worth familiarizing yourself with the hunting and trapping regulations. Or take a hunting course if your state offers it.

Don’t let stories of a few bad apples ruin a perfectly good property. We only have 5 acres so SO usually bow hunts on small tracts of public land. I doubt most of the neighbours have ever even noticed, other than seeing his truck parked early in the morning.

Thank you - more great suggestions. On one side it is a conservation area, the other side is a mansion, and the back and across the street are corn fields. It is an interesting tract of land for that reason. When we walked the cleared path on this property we saw plenty of deer tracks and we know coyotes are out there. This is just a mile from our current subdivision so I feel as if I have a good sense for the density of wildlife around us.

After reading this thread, and contemplating bordering with this nature preserve, I wonder if perhaps a more aggravating issue might be the people who come out Saturday and Sunday from dawn to dusk walking their suburban dogs, on and off leash, along the 1 mile hiking loop. Hunting will have regulated times and months but hiking, etc will be more persistent. All good things to think about. Really, any time you buy property you are committing to neighbors and a “feel” for that parcel. Right now we have four great neighbors all on small enough lots we can stand at our back doors and hear the others. We manage just fine with that~!

[Lizrd]

@B and B

Dogs: that perimeter fencing needs to keep them in, or you need to keep them on a solid recall if off-leash, unsupervised. This is as much because loose dogs off the property are a hard no-go as far as I am concerned. It has nothing to do with hunting, everything to do with dogs stay on one’s own property, period.

Without doubt you and I are on the same page here. While other families’ dogs might “get loose” in a neighborhood there is no tolerance for that in farm country. Our dogs are constantly supervised, would always be in our fenced play yard, and if with us, properly secured. Building the fence would happen essentially on closing day. One current dog is quite aged and can’t move very fast. I’d secure him for his own safety. Our girl has a moderate prey drive and would need to be leashed at all times. Just the thought of her bolting through the barbed wire that is currently set up is a “no” for me. Securing dogs is our top priority. No kids so they are our pride and joy. I’m also thinking that one day, we may not have these exact two dogs and younger dogs would need even more monitoring. That part is non-negotiable and SO is on the exact same page. This particular property has plenty of cleared land around the house/back yard that would be more than enough to fence in securely and at a good distance from the bordering preserve.

[B_and_B]

@Lizrd

After reading this thread, and contemplating bordering with this nature preserve, I wonder if perhaps a more aggravating issue might be the people who come out Saturday and Sunday from dawn to dusk walking their suburban dogs, on and off leash, along the 1 mile hiking loop. Hunting will have regulated times and months but hiking, etc will be more persistent. All good things to think about. Really, any time you buy property you are committing to neighbors and a “feel” for that parcel. Right now we have four great neighbors all on small enough lots we can stand at our back doors and hear the others. We manage just fine with that~!

I hate to say it…but, honestly that would be more of my concern from the description of the area. Loose dogs and people feeding the ‘horsies’. Plan for fencing, as it sounds like you are. My property is bisected by a town road, one of the last dirt roads in the area. It is a lovely walking road, and I am glad people enjoy it, however…I sometimes feel I ought to get a property tax break for maintaining a publicly enjoyed landscape!

[wildlifer]

Agreed that random people who think they can turn their dogs loose wherever they want would be way more concerning to me - that I would definitely want to fence out with high voltage!

It also can be advantageous to have someone you know hunt your property if that is something acceptable to you. Hunters tend to be territorial about their spots & they can serve as your eyes in the woods if it is someone you build a relationship with. My neighbor does this with a bow hunter on his property.

NC also had a rule where you can enroll private property in the “permit hunt” program, in which no one can hunt on that land without written permission & it is then also checked by officers. It is permissible to issue permission to zero people. I think we got rid of that program after a new rule that no one can hunt on any private property without proof of written permission, but I don’t keep super close track of all that since I don’t hunt.

[Color_of_Light]

@Lizrd

Would you feel safe sharing a property line with public lands that can be used for hunting?

No way would I ever! A neighbor has a bullet in their barn from their neighbor target shooting their, the neighbors, property. That bullet happened with just 1-2 people shooting 0-2 times a week 8 months out of the year. Not in a million years would I ever buy a property next to one that is used for hunting.

[MsM]

One property owner I know has a small acreage with horses that abuts a State Forest with hunting. In addition to the usual signs on the property line, she went into the State Forest and posted signs that said something like “Caution: Livestock and House X Feet Ahead” (BTW she did not say horses since that might encourage visitors) in bright orange letters. She did put bright blankets on the horses as well. Dog was not inclined to roam and stuck close to home.

Hikers were not an issue, nor were their dogs, but she did not have a hiking path close by. You should be able to get a good idea on the use by walkers/hikers now as the weather is good and probably more people are walking than usual since more are home and that is a social distance activity!

Property where I board has a neighbor with some land who seems to host target practice parties. The horses dont even flinch after the first shot now!

[SonnysMom]

@cloudyandcallie

Do not buy there. They will shoot your horses and dogs and cats and YOU. I’ve known hunters in GA and SC all my life.

Then you knew some craptastic hunters. I am not a hunter. My DH is not a hunter. I live in PA so maybe things are different here. I have been friends with a number of people that are hunters. They would not shoot horses, dogs, cats or people.
Yes there are a few assholes out there. As a teenager I was shot at by a poacher in a park closed to hunting and there is no Sunday hunting in PA. I was wearing red not orange but still almost got shot. At least with a property that you know there is legal hunting it is easier to protect yourself and livestock. Poachers are a whole 'nother ballgame and can happen anywhere.

You cannot control the property around you. I do not keep my horses at home. I live on a cul-de-sac. There are 8 properties on the cul-de-sac all are 2 acre lots. Parallel to the cul-de-sac is a 20 acre former horse farm. Behind the cul-de-sac is a tree farm that used to be a corn field.
When we first moved in nobody hunted any of those properties. About 10 years ago the corn farm became a nursery tree farm and the farmer lost a lot of saplings to deer. He let somebody start hunting back there. That hunter pushed the 150 yards from my house law but was not shooting towards our property.

In the last 2 years the 20 acre former horse farm now lets a few hunters over there.

If you don’t own it you can’t control it. Large tracts of open land may not have hunters now but might in the future or they may become a development. Developments have their own issues.

I would be inclined to speak to the the people that run the preserve and see how they control those that hunt there. Is it a free for all? Or do they restrict who can hunt there? Being next to a preserve that allows hunting is not an automatic No for me.

My horses have been at a few farms where the neighbors either hunt or allow hunters. We just paid attention to opening buck hunting weekend and kept them in the barn that weekend. Opening weekend tends to be the worst and brings out the weekend warrior not the serious hunters. Those are the ones I worry most about. Opening buck hunting is the only weekend I would really have concern about in my area whether the farm was next to a preserve or next to a large tract of open land.

[EVneo]

If it were me, I’d pass. Yes, there are tons of examples of barn owners and hunters co-existing. To me though, there’s a huge difference between a neighbor hunting on their own private land versus public land. Our neighbor doesn’t hunt on his land, but will send my husband a quick text when he’s going to shoot off his guns. That’s the neighborly thing to do. If it was private land, your neighbor would hopefully be aware that you have horses and dogs, and not be a dick. I’ve had two friends who have had their horses shot by hunters - one lives next to game commission land, the other was a cousin of the neighbor. Neither were trespassing when they took their shots. I know there are well-intended, educated hunters out there (I married into a family of them) but there’s also a lot of stupid and carelessness out there.

[SonnysMom]

Funny thing. I am in my home office working from home due to Covid-19 and I can hear somebody shooting on the former horse farm. I have noticed a lot more target shooting during the stay at home orders in my county. There are at least 2 people shooting locally where I have not had them shooting before the shut down.

[Lizrd]

And for closure, we went and looked inside the house today and it wasn’t what we are looking for. Kind of a funny 70’s layout that would be hard to reconfigure. The property is so majestic, with gorgeous oak trees and a lovely prairie area. We just can’t get past what we didn’t like. The “bones” weren’t even anything to work with.

We will keep looking! We are learning more about what we like and don’t like and the right property will be out there. It’s funny - we have learned that the house is the last thing on the list. The land has to be great. The outbuildings need to meet our needs… and then the house has to be do-able. I am sure everyone on here can relate!

Thanks again for all of the wonderful advice, stories, suggestions and thought provoking conversation. I enjoy hearing everyone’s perspectives. I am sure once we do close on something I will have even MORE questions to ask in this area of the forum.

[IronwoodFarm]

Another vote on co-existing IF you can live with it. I suggest you talk to your game warden on advice about living next to a hunting preserve.

I allowd deer hunting on my farm. I have 135 acres and my layout allows for it. All hunters are known to me, let me know when they want to hunt, and are respectful/careful. The deer are rough on my fences. Do not believe if someone tells you deer leap well. Some do, but some miss. I have had to replace 3 boards on my ring. I also routinely have to tighten and repair my exterior (smooth wire) and interior (HorseGuard tape) thanks to deer activity. I stand a stallion and have boarders. Fencing is an important issue for me. I am very appreciative the hunting keeps the deer down to a dull roar. The deer are really pretty brazen and destructive.

I do not wear blaze orange in my fields in the fall but I do when going into my woods.

I do not hunt myself; I don’t even own a gun. However, I am perfectly fine with hunters and the local community appreciates that I allow hunting.

[sahqueen]

I border a stocked pheasant hunting preserve…so a little different in that it is owned and used by members and guests only and they hunt with shotguns and not rifles for the birds, although members can hunt with rifles other species in season. Have been here about 12 years and no real problems…horses don’t care about the noise, they for the most part respect the distance rule from the house per our state laws, etc. If it was open to public hunting I could see where there might be potential issues, but wouldn’t be an absolute deal breaker for me.