Am I in Heaven?

Just thought I would share this with you because I am so blown away by it.

I was talking with my wife a few days ago about shooting in the back yard and since this is a relatively new house to us, she asked if the back yard was as good as the other house we lived in. I mentioned that it is good but not as good as the other house. 
Then, she says, what if you had a piece of property big enough to shoot on somewhere else? Why don't you take some money out of savings and buy a piece of land somewhere that you can set up a range............. what????? At that point I was struggling to wake up because I know I have to be dreaming. Nope. My wife is actually ok with me buying a piece of property somewhere near, big enough to have a 100 yard range on it! SWEETNESS!!!!!!!!

I know this sounds like bragging and I don't mean for it to sound that way. But am I blessed with an awesome wife or what? I'm going to start looking next week. I have already located several places that fit the bill, but they are almost 20 miles away. I'm hooping for something a little closer. But maybe 5 acres with trees near the lake would be nice :)

Crusher
 
Congrats-I know the feeling you're having right now, as I had a similar reaction when we located our current property which is situated on 8.5 acres of Oak forest and wetlands. Adjoining our property is a vacant 11 acre parcel that is heavily wooded, wetlands, and virtually unbuildable-owned by the previous owner of our home. They have given me permission to use the property 'like it was your own'. That property adjoins a 600 acre public hunting ground plot that has a very, very small parking lot with a solid 1+ mile hike into the grounds (with no motorized vehicle access to it).

Having your own land to shoot on is simply amazing-it's a dream come true. Take your time and do it right-plan for hunting as well as target shooting. And make sure you have access to at least a line of sight (flat) out to 100 acres. My property is filled with kettles and moraines, so getting distances that aren't obstructed by hills greater than 70 yards is actually challenging near my house (it's easier down by the lowland area, but that is boggy wetlands-which are hard to navigate).

Congrats again, enjoy and treat your wife VERY well!

Sean
 
"crusher75060"Thanks Sean. I’ll probably ask a few questions as I get along in the process. If you would t mind, I might pm you somewhere along the way.
No problem at all-feel free. Via PM I can give you my phone number and/or email to text / call / communicate if you would like. The real key is she's giving you a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity (with her not being upset about it!)-so be sure to 'do it right' when you are ready.


Sean
 
Crusher... I have a question for you. Im from Long Island NY. In a few years we will be moving. All options available to go anywhere (WARMER). My wife let me do the same 11 years ago with 6 acres upstate NY. But it is 230 miles away and I have to make small getaways/vacations to shoot. So now we are thinking of where to go after selling everything. She always talks about Texas. But I heard property there is very expensive and hard to get a good plot big enough to hunt and shoot. Is this true?? I want no less than 30 acres.
 
Critta,
Check out some TX rec/leisure realtors. They specialize in raw land for hunting, fishing, camping, etc. with tracts from a handful of acres to tens of thousands. Crusher is right. Land in TX generally cheaper than NY, but there are always buts. Ad valorem taxes can be stiff. No zoning / restrictions cuts both ways, and your neighbor may be free to pursue activities disruptive or offensive to you. Outside major metro weekend commute range, you can easily find raw land @ $1000-$3000/acre. That said, generalizing about land is dangerous.

Hunting in TX is mostly on private property - usually under terms of an annual lease if you do not own a parcel. Some public land exists for hunting and shooting, but be prepared to share with the other 25 million residents.

I disagree it is "...hard to get a good plot big enough to hunt and shoot." $$ solves that. A lot depends on how often you wish to enjoy your property, how far you are willing to drive, what weather suits you, how much hunting success you expect. Crusher is right about hogs' prevalence, but they and many animals have much bigger range than 30 acres so you may only encounter them occasionally. Small game obviously is more available.

I did not intend to insult or discourage your consideration of moving to TX. Actually, I hope my comments are common sense ideas you have already considered. Good luck, and it is definitely warmer here than NY. I shot my HW and caught fish today from my front yard in shirt sleeves.