Duck Hunting Land For Sale: How To Find The Right Property

When you start looking to invest in hunting property, specifically for a duck club, what are some key property features to focus on to create that prime spot for waterfowl? Ducks are creatures of habit AND habitat! American Land Company has put together the following tips and questions to ask when looking for your next waterfowl property.

1. Water. This key ingredient is critical in most areas for a successful duck hunt. Ducks like water. And you must have the ability to provide them with that water or have some permanent water source on your land: ie a river, stream, lake, etc. Most duck clubs get their water by pumping, either through a well or a camelback type pump. If the land for sale you are considering does not yet have the means to get water, then you will need to budget for additional capital expenses such as; drill a well and install a submersible pump; or by purchasing a PTO driven pump and a tractor or power unit to run it. Most likely, either scenario will run into the tens of thousands of dollars.

2.Food. This is another obvious but critical ingredient for large duck hunting clubs. Most waterfowl hotspots already have food, because the land is a working farm (or has well-established food plots) or is a wetland or bog. If this is a working farm, who is going to farm it? If the answer is NOT you, then you will have to talk to several farmers and find a way to rent it out so the farmer can make some money and you can have some food for the ducks. Interview several different farmers, ask for references, and then talk to those landowners to see what their experience has been like with any potential farmer. Make sure you get a signed lease if you are renting the farm to someone! I can tell you from experience that ducks LOVE corn and rice, so if those crops can be successfully grown in your area, then plant them. If the property is a wetland or marsh, then you can contact your local NRCS agent for guidance on how to properly manage your wetland. They are experts at this and are there to help you.

3. Rest. This is a feature that is often overlooked, but it is critical to a good duck hunt. All waterfowl need a time and a place to rest. Take a cue from the waterfowl management practices of the Arkansas Fish and Game Commission and the Missouri Department of Conservation, both of which stop hunting around noon in most of their respective public hunting areas. Yet these public hunting lands continue to offer some of the best duck hunting in the United States year after year, even though they are also some of the most difficult to hunt. Because? Because they have roosting areas, they stop hunting at noon and provide cover. Although this is difficult for many landowners to implement, it is a must if you want to consistently have a good club of ducks.

4. Cover. Waterfowl like to “feel” secure, and cover allows them that security. Examples of good cover are: standing corn or any uncut crop, uncut grass, cattails, willows, trees and shrubs, dikes for wind protection, etc. The cover can be hard and impenetrable, like a thick forest or a reed swamp, or benign, like a dike for a windbreak. But the bottom line here is that if you give the ducks some form of cover, they are much more likely to use your property.

5. Pressure. Is the area heavily hunted? Or from other hunting properties or public hunting areas? Regardless, this can still be a trap 22 if the area gets a lot of hunting pressure. On the one hand, if there is a lot of hunting, there is a reason: there are many birds that use that area. That means this area is “IN THE AIR PATH”. That’s good! But on the other hand, that also means you’ll be dealing with pressured birds, which makes for challenging hunts. As for me, I prefer the area to be full of hunting clubs, because I know the ducks will be there come fall, and I can manage my property to make sure the birds use my spot.

6. Size. This is really up to you to decide, but obviously the bigger your property, the more difficult and expensive it will be to maintain. Think about who will do most of the legwork and how much help you can count on. I can assure you that properly maintaining and managing any hunting property, but especially a waterfowl hunting club, is a LOT OF EXTRA WORK! So don’t bite off more than you can handle.

7. Capital Improvements. Are there dykes already built? They are in good condition? What about the pipes and doors? Does the property come with equipment such as tractors, pumps, boats, ATVs? What about the blinds? All of these should be considered when purchasing a potential duck hunting property. Remember, this is a labor intensive investment.

8. Utilities and accommodation. Does the property have electricity? What about the water, either from a rural water supply or from a well? If it’s from a well, could you consider doing a water quality test on it? Does the property have a place for lodging or to put a camper? How far away are the nearest hotels? Once again, these are important considerations. The last thing you want to do is drive an hour to a motel after working all day in the heat and water with snakes and mosquitoes. If accommodation is not present on the property, perhaps there is an old farmhouse nearby that you can rent? Or maybe there is a farmer nearby with water and electricity that will allow you to hook up an RV?

One thing to keep in mind is the “build it and they will come” theory. I’m not saying it’s not possible with ducks, because it is, I’ve done it. But, if you’re going to go down that route, make sure the property in question is on a migratory route and has some sort of access to water. Those 2 ingredients are a must!

Another possibility is to enter into a hunting lease before you buy. See if you can lease the land in question for a season with an option to buy? Even if you have to pay a premium price for the lease, that’s a lot cheaper than finding out you’ve invested in a duck hunting club that the ducks won’t flock to! Don’t be afraid to ask: local restaurants, farmer cooperatives, tractor dealers, sporting goods stores, all of these places can be a great source of local knowledge.

If you’ve gone through your checklist and all goes well, then it’s time to pull the trigger (pun intended). Developing and maintaining your own duck hunting property is a very satisfying endeavor. It is also a lot of work and it takes a lot of money. But then, as my dad likes to say…”we’re making memories”!