How much acreage is needed to hunt on?

[SigLaw]

If I wanted to buy some land to have as my own domain to hunt on, how much do I need? Maybe some deer or wild pigs. Nothing much more than that, some squirrels of course but I assume they do not need much room.

I am looking at land and need to have an idea of the minimum amount I would need to have.

Thanks.

 

[Smoke]

Don't know laws and regs for CA...

In TX an acre will do if you have clear field of fire and the animals actualy come onto your acre.

There is no required # of acres. IT has more to do with traffic patterns of animals, carrying capacity, proximity of neighbors, location, location,location.

Smoke

 

[Ardent]

Depends if the property is rural or country. I have 25 acres here in British Columbia that I squirrel hunt on, and it seems too small. I use only CB's and try to take ground shots. This is however a somewhat rural area. My family owns 15 acres in Alberta just East of the rockies that I coyote hunt on with a .243 and it's no problem. Although the land is considerably smaller, it is surrounded by large parcels of land with few people, like multiple section cattle holdings. All depends where it is, there are no laws here in Canada stating a minimum land size for hunting, it just depends on where it is. There are areas where you couldn't hunt on 300 acres and some where 1 is enough.

Arent

 

[Art Eatman]

It is common in central Texas, west and northwest of Austin, to be able to find deer in significant numbers living on or roaming across small tracts of land. Ten, twenty, forty acres. Areas like this are part of the exurban "five acres, five miles from town" deal.

In the desert area where I live, the mule deer census ranges from one deer per hundred acres to one per three hundred in a drouth period. It is fortunate that there are large areas with absentee landowners who never visit their property.

Many people look for a small, affordable tract located adjacent to public lands (Forest Service or BLM) or next to a large ranch. Deer quickly learn about coming to feeders, as do quail, doves, turkey and wild hogs...

Art

 

[SigLaw]

Thanks guys, land will not necessarily be in CA, could be anywhere. Keep the responses coming.

 

[Atticus]

As they say in the Real Estate business- "location, location, location".

One acre next to a state/ national forest, or a huge farm, can be pretty productive. OTOH, a thousand acres (with fruit trees, crops, and water) is reeeeal nice. I used to have permission to hunt a 1000 acre parcel like the one decsibed above- until a divorce ruined it for me...I mean them.

A buddy of mine has 12 acres that are surrounded by a farm. His property is a crossroads for the deer. All he has to do is walk about 30 yards to his stand to deer hunt, and his 2 acres of woods is simply loaded with rabbits.

I plan on picking up a 40 acre parcel (bordering state forest lands) sometime in the next 5 years or so (Lord, and stock market, willing), and I can't wait.