This illustration might look more like big-buck heaven instead of a big-buck haven, but it certainly is possible to create your own slice of "heaven" with a little planning and effort. Painting of "Nature's Plan" by Michael Sieve. For information, contact www.wildwings.com

One obvious solution is to take steps to create your own big-buck haven. Believe it or not, with a little work it is entirely possible to turn low-production agricultural land into a hunting paradise.

Mark Beck is a unique real estate agent and land consultant who specializes in converting poor quality agricultural land into the ultimate recreational paradise for hunters. He's had plenty of experience in creating trophy buck sanctuaries that routinely produce true wallhangers across the Midwest. Typically, Mark will purchase a marginally producing piece of property and incorporate several key steps to bring the land to its fullest potential as a whitetail retreat. Then, he'll sell the land to buyers interested in hunting mature trophy bucks.

Whether you own or lease 100 to 1,000 acres, Mark's formula for converting these properties into big-buck havens will also work for you. Here are some of his tips for success.

BEFORE YOU BUY
Compare the purchase of a hunting property with that of buying a house. Long before you begin shopping for your dream home, you should have a very specific idea about certain requirements, such as the number of bedrooms you want. The same thought process should apply for purchasing hunting land. The property should offer certain features before it can fulfill your desire for growing big bucks. Before you buy, consider some of the following basics.

Economics: This should be your first consideration. Your decision on how much acreage to buy and where to buy will be determined by what you can afford. As you work through numbers with your banker or accountant, it may become evident that you might need to bring in partners to afford the amount of land you desire. This brings another dynamic into the equation, but it may be something that you'll want to consider.

Buy or lease: Leasing instead of purchasing the property will dramatically affect future decision-making. Without a long-term lease, it may be difficult to implement land management practices to create a big-buck haven. Since many of the steps require several years of work and considerable cost, try to secure hunting rights to the property for at least 10 years. (If 10 years scares the landowner, try something creative like a five-year lease with a five-year option to renew.) Make sure the landowner knows you want to implement changes on the land to enhance the deer hunting, and make sure that he or she fully agrees with the plan. It's best to get the agreement in writing.

Establishing goals: Your primary goal to create a big-buck haven may be influenced by secondary priorities. Do you also want to hunt waterfowl or upland game? If so, your decision on what to buy will be affected and a multi-species land plan will be needed.

Using maps and photos: Topographic maps and aerial photos are important tools that will help you make a decision. You can answer many questions by looking at maps, not to mention the amount of foot time saved. Ideally, you would like to walk every inch of a piece of property before buying it, but this may not be feasible. Maps and aerial photos can help you pinpoint features to investigate on foot. In short, they'll help you use your time more efficiently.

Note various features: While investigating the property, always be aware of key features like water sources, flooding history, soil quality, erosion potential, habitat carrying capacity and diversity of the flora and fauna.

Location: Where you locate is another important consideration. What are the neighbors doing? What public land is nearby and how is it managed?

"A 10- or 20-acre piece, in the right location, could produce a lot of wildlife," Mark noted. "I also advise beginning your search near big river systems or in floodplains. In other words, I like to look for property that qualifies for government assistance programs."

DEVELOPING A LAND PLAN
Management requires planning. Once you've purchased your property, it's time to put some serious thought into its management. For that you'll need a good plan. A typical floor plan for a house provides basic information for important things like the dimensions of each room, the number and location of wall sockets and the number of doors and windows in the house. If you think of your land plan as if it were a floor plan, it should provide you with such basic information as the size and location of timber, all open spaces, waterways, ponds, wetlands, food plots and any other prominent features.

If you are going to focus only on hunting big bucks, this makes your plan more precise and less costly. If your goal includes managing for multi-species, this will add another level of consideration to your planning as already mentioned. Keep in mind that deer always benefit from various plantings and habitat manipulation required for other species, such as turkeys, quail or waterfowl, so don't limit your goals.

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