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Outdoor Corner: Bush Land: Going, Going Go......!

One of the perks of owning bush land... natural habitat.

This bush has a narrow strip of perrenial on one side and a steep creek on the other making in extremely appealing to wildlife of all types.

Large tracts of bush are necessary for moose while deer survive and thrive in small tracts. This land consists of 160 acres of farmland bordered by 320 acres of bush.

Gene Plihal
for Smoky River Express

I guess I heard, more often than before this fall, from anguished hunters, “There’s no place to hunt.” While the millions of acres of crown land in the green zone seemingly belie this statement, in actual fact, quality places to hunt on private land have diminished. Indeed local realtor, Garth Rondeau indicated to me recently that he had “Five inquiries in a short time for hunting land.” Good quality bush land with ample game is hard to find and is now becoming a pricey proposition. A small piece of land, 62 acres near the Reno railroad tracks, was purchased by four people, based in part out of Rocky Mountain Hose, for $33,000. The land was partly logged with stumps remaining, has no services, and had limited access. These four avid hunters/outdoorsmen set up their own camp and considered the whole deal a real bargain. And, it probably is! Another local hunting group purchased 320 acres in the same vicinity with no price disclosed on the land.

An 80 acre piece of bush near McLennan is listed for $60,000 and a ten acre piece in the same area is listed for $35,000. A full quarter section is for sale near Joussard (No, not on the lake shore) for $200,000. The only real bargain recently was a piece near Kathleen of 160 acres which was pure bush with hardly no trails sold to the Alberta Conservation Association for $55,000.

So, why is this happening and how can an outdoorsman get a piece of is own action for recreating, hunting, wildlife photography or just plain conservation?

The first part of the question can be answered very easily. With farm land selling for $1,000 plus per acre, a lot of bush land is being bulldozed. Hundreds of acres in the Reno area went up in flames this fall. Farmers can hardly be blamed given the present circumstances with cat work not available because of the slow down in the oil patch and bargain prices for clearing ($200 an acre quote by some farmers). Add on another $200 for post clearing work and you still have only $400 invested for NEW land. Even at $500 an acre for the purchase of this land, $900 per acre total may still be a reasonable price for land that has never been fertilized, tilled, sprayed or impacted by agriculture in any way. Some 40 bushel per acre canola crops were reported in the Reno area this year, of all years, and, last year, two farmers reportedly brought land in the area and realized gross income of 130 per cent of the purchase price in the same year! While these reports and figures have not been confirmed, it begins to explain why this area has turned its image from a frost magnet to a region where some of the bigger, if not the biggest, farmers in the North are investing. And where does this leave the future of bush land?

This trend of more clearing and purchase of bush land by individuals seeking to set up their own hunting camps has forced other hunters into remaining limited areas. This has frustrated some land owners with bush land intact forcing many to post their land. One neighbour recently complained that he had put up no trespassing signs and had to guard the entry to keep people from ignoring the signs and driving on the property anyway.

So what is the answer? Buy your own piece of bush. One investment specialist from Pennsylvania whom I guided this fall said people are putting money into land and gold because it is a solid investment. So, how does one go about investing in bush land to make sure they have the kind of land that they want and that will serve their needs?

For starters, if you are looking for hunting land, DO NOT buy a piece of bush that is isolated from other bush. The game and wildlife you have on that piece will be largely limited to those that were there or the occasional wandering moose or deer. Try to buy land adjacent to large tracts of land that are unlikely to be developed beyond logging and the occasional well site.

Based on my experience, purchase bush land with ample water either on it or coursing through it. Wildlife needs water and water is a magnet for moose, deer, and migratory birds. Small lakes or creeks fit the bill. Water courses, ideally, should be on the perimeter of the property, and in the case of deep creeks with high banks, serve as natural barriers against trespassers and other unwanted traffic.

Strips of farm land accompanying the bush make it attractive as well. Preferably the farm land on these bush quarters is seeded to alfalfa or timothy or some other perennial and is allowed to grow back after an early harvest of the first crop. These strips of farm land within the bush must be invisible from public roads since this will give wildlife the security and freedom from harassment they desire. These strips of farmland provide wildlife with critical food supplies in preparation of stressful water months.

Most importantly, purchase bush land which is fairly accessible to you. A brother of a relative of mine from Edmonton told me some time ago, “If a quarter of bush comes up, let me know. I am interested.” Though I think his interest was spurred mainly by investment considerations rather than actual use, I got the impression he intended to visit it every so often to recreate. Two hundred seventy miles to enjoy your bush? I think not.

The bottom line is this: If you are an avid outdoorsman, investment in bush land is a must, in my opinion. I grew tired of travelling to various hunting sites and bush quarters only to see them piled and burned the following years. That is why some years ago I made the decision to purchase bush quarters, much to the amusement of some at the time, who saw these investments as a waste of money. My only regret is that I didn’t go in on a larger scale when bush quarters were selling for $10,000 or less.

You will no longer be able to purchase bush quarters with good timber from the crown. Though they still put up land for sale, Land Management Officials told me, “The timber will be harvested and sold before a sale takes place.” Finding bush land that is held privately and for sale with spruce and/or pine on it is a bonus. Varied plant and tree species ensures that varied bird and wildlife will be there.

So, if you find a piece of bush with good location, good water supplies, varied land use with a sprinkling of farm land, buy it if you can. I have invested in farm land and bush land and as a conservationist at heart, I take more pride, though fewer profits, from my bush land that my farm land. The real bottom line is “What fulfills you as an outdoorsman?” Killing wildlife on my own land hasn’t fulfilled me, but seeing it there on a daily basis has. And on most occasions when I’m on it, I don’t carry a gun. And, if you purchase bush land, at the very least, you’ll no longer have to say, “There’s no place to hunt.”

My reason for encouraging people to buy bush is not driven by my self fulfilment on a financial level. My bush land is not for sale during my lifetime and hopefully will not be thereafter. Mark Twain once said that he never met a man that spent his whole life chasing things that wasn’t sorely disappointed in the end. “Things” like cars, atv’s, furnishings, and so on seem to require constant repair and attention and cause humans unending stress in their efforts to purchase and pay for them. Bush land offers serenity, peace of mind, and a panorama of wildlife which “Things” can’t provide. Try buying some; you’ll see what I mean!