ASH556
Senior Member
Right out of the gate I'll admit I have had a SWEET ride for the last 15 years. A very close friend's family (like their whole family is basically family) owned 120 acres between Athens and Crawford right on 78. Other than the family who basically didn't hunt (one or two of the grandsons, my age, killed one or two deer each over the entire 15 year span), only one other guy hunted it and he was a little older than me and a great hunting mentor.
We didn't have a pay a lease, we had the place to ourselves. We didn't run cameras, we didn't feed, we did our best to stay off and out of the place for the most part. We hunted terrain, food sources, water, and travel routes. I LOVED learning to hunt that way and became successful with both a gun and a bow.
As of Friday, that place is sold and now off-limits.
For this season, I am blessed that the same family owns 200 acres in Gainesville that I've gotten permission to hunt. This is probably a one season deal as the owner has said that the agricultural tax thing (whatever that is) is up in 2022 and he will sell it then. There are 2 other guys that have been hunting this property for the past couple years. It's a very different kind of property. Athens was hayfields, creek bottom, and some open hardwoods. This Gainesville place is mountains. Ridge after ridge after ridge. Huge elevation changes with 50 ft level across the tops and the drop back down. It's a different world. They also run cameras and corn. There are also hogs. It's just a completely different world. I did go buy a camera and a bag of corn just to try and do something this season. The guys have shown me around and that's a start. Still, they've got established mineral and feeder sites and big enclosed box blinds. Again, I'm hesitant to invest too much for a one season property; especially when it's not my preferred way to hunt (box blinds and feeders).
So with the past and present explained, I need some help determining my future. I'm 37, I have 3 kids: 2 boys 8 and 6 and a 4y/o daughter. They all love the outdoors: camping, hunting, fishing, etc. We live in Braselton in a subdivision with a stocked pond and that feeds our fishing fix. There's church, soccer, ballet, etc. My point here is that going to hunting camp for a week or even every weekend is just not a reality for our lives. What I'd hope to have is something within 1-1.5hr that I can hunt on, potentially shoot some guns on occasionally, and camp on.
Are there lease opportunities within an hour or so of Braselton that I can get into without the whole: Pull a camper down to middle or south ga and do "deer camp."
Or, buy my own land. Looking at current values, I could probably get something in the 10-20 acre range depending on quality of the land, how far out, etc. I like the idea, but that's not a lot of land and I don't know you could ensure that the land would hold deer without walking it down.
Any and all input is greatly appreciated!
We didn't have a pay a lease, we had the place to ourselves. We didn't run cameras, we didn't feed, we did our best to stay off and out of the place for the most part. We hunted terrain, food sources, water, and travel routes. I LOVED learning to hunt that way and became successful with both a gun and a bow.
As of Friday, that place is sold and now off-limits.
For this season, I am blessed that the same family owns 200 acres in Gainesville that I've gotten permission to hunt. This is probably a one season deal as the owner has said that the agricultural tax thing (whatever that is) is up in 2022 and he will sell it then. There are 2 other guys that have been hunting this property for the past couple years. It's a very different kind of property. Athens was hayfields, creek bottom, and some open hardwoods. This Gainesville place is mountains. Ridge after ridge after ridge. Huge elevation changes with 50 ft level across the tops and the drop back down. It's a different world. They also run cameras and corn. There are also hogs. It's just a completely different world. I did go buy a camera and a bag of corn just to try and do something this season. The guys have shown me around and that's a start. Still, they've got established mineral and feeder sites and big enclosed box blinds. Again, I'm hesitant to invest too much for a one season property; especially when it's not my preferred way to hunt (box blinds and feeders).
So with the past and present explained, I need some help determining my future. I'm 37, I have 3 kids: 2 boys 8 and 6 and a 4y/o daughter. They all love the outdoors: camping, hunting, fishing, etc. We live in Braselton in a subdivision with a stocked pond and that feeds our fishing fix. There's church, soccer, ballet, etc. My point here is that going to hunting camp for a week or even every weekend is just not a reality for our lives. What I'd hope to have is something within 1-1.5hr that I can hunt on, potentially shoot some guns on occasionally, and camp on.
Are there lease opportunities within an hour or so of Braselton that I can get into without the whole: Pull a camper down to middle or south ga and do "deer camp."
Or, buy my own land. Looking at current values, I could probably get something in the 10-20 acre range depending on quality of the land, how far out, etc. I like the idea, but that's not a lot of land and I don't know you could ensure that the land would hold deer without walking it down.
Any and all input is greatly appreciated!
