What to do when you lose your land?

I have been hunting on private land in Dodge county for quite some time.  The second day of archery season, I was told that the family would be hunting it from now on and that I was immediately done.  I knew it wasn't going to last forever, but I wish I would have known about it a little earlier.  So, over the course of two weekends, I packed up all my treestands and tripods, and left the property.

I am probably going to take a year off to regroup.  However, I am a little lost as to what to do now.  The property I was on was about 350 acres and I did everything there...archery, gun, turkey, waterfowl, small game, etc.

I started looking into possibly buying property but I don't know if the price of land justifies how little time I will have to spend on it.  

My second thought was leasing so I looked into the site basecamp leasing .com and found out that their top of the line membership was 250 bucks which gets you a 10 day advance notice on leases.  I called one of the reps who was very nice, but explained to me that a large majority of their leasers have this top of the line membership so I would be competing with a large number of hunters also looking for a lease and that the majority of the leases get renewed year after year.  I started looking into how many leases different counties had to offer through this company and the average was about 6 per county.  Some had only 3, some 7, and some counties had zero.  With that few number of total leases available, that doesn't seem like the odds would be in my favor.

My third option would be to hunt public and although I am not against it, I've also never done it before and I have no idea what type of competition I would be up against.  

My final thought is to give up deer hunting altogether, sell all my stands, guns, etc. and get a bird dog and a boat and start upland hunting for pheasants, grouse, and woodcock and fish in the offseason.  I love bird hunting, I love dogs, and I feel like my wife and I could enjoy this together.  She doesn't hunt, but she loves hiking.  

Right now I am living in Janesville, but we are planning on moving north this summer.  I am not sure where yet (fox valley, oshkosh, waupaca area possibly.  We want to get closer to our families and this area would be ideal.

What have some of you guys done when private land was no longer available.  Where did you have the best luck securing leases (craigslist, facebook, hearsay, door to door, private companies)?  Any of you just decide to transition to public land and if so, how did that go?  Anyone here just give up deer hunting altogether?  

This land was my absolute little piece of heaven and I didn't think it would affect me this much but it's all I think about lately, especially as we head into the rut.  Thanks for reading, thanks for any comments, and thanks for any suggestions.

I would like to buy ground with the proper plan in place. A group gets together and buys ground in 3-4 states so we can hunt as a group in every state. Has to be OTC states and non-overlapping openers. 

Every piece of property that I hunted that I didn't own I eventually lost. People die or move away. I finally decided it was time to buy my own. Best choice I ever made. Expensive but a very good investment. I know I could sell and make money on it. I like the thought that when I am gone hopefully my grandkids have the desire to hunt. Only going to get more difficult with every generation. If you have the means find a piece of ground. I may not get the biggest bucks or see the most deer but I can do whatever I want when I want. Somedays I just sit in the tree and enjoy the thought that the property is mine. I find real joy in owning land. It is a 12 month enjoy. Trail cams to mowing lanes to setting up stands. Even wood cutting on my own property is more enjoying.

I ran into the same thing.  Had 2 different properties to hunt and over a 3 year period, the old farmers died and their kids sold it off for the money.  Hard for me to ask permission because it feels like begging.  Seems like a thing of the past anyways unless you know someone or the people hate deer, in which case they let everyone there. Wife and I debated buying hunting land, but can't justify it for a small portion of the year only.  If we buy anything it will be waterfront that we can use all year long, in the northwoods where there already is plenty of land to hunt on.

I started hunting mostly public lands now aside from behind my house where my neighbor lets me mess around. I still shoot deer every year.  Archery is far better than gun season though.  If I hold out for a big buck I might not, but usually I always get chances at does or some smaller bucks.  That's with very little effort of my own.  I'll use satellite views to find areas I'm interested in, then grab my climber and see what it looks like.  Walk around until I find decent sign and climb up a tree.  I rarely sit the same tree, always moving and trying things until I find something that works out.  Then I have that spot for next year, etc.  By now I have enough spots built up that I can't even hunt them all.  Backups for the backups haha.  With public land you just have to figure out how to hunt around people by reducing their impacts to your hunt.

I don't live in Wisconsin. I only come there to steal fish and deers. Grouse someday if I ever self motivate.

Try Horicon marsh,40.000 acres.

Got a new one! I had a pheasant hunt scheduled with a buddy on his in-laws ground for this weekend. It's supposed to be 60 degrees, I would much rather fish than shoot pheasants. He texts me that we have to find public ground because his in-laws all have Covid, lol. Well that ain't happening. No way am I hunting public ground in 60* weather when I can be in the boat.

Nothing "shallow" hookem. Life is short. If circumstances are not to your liking, might be worth making changes and doing something about it.

To the OP, I'd add that it would certainly be worth spending some time knocking on doors and inquiring about archery opportunities.  Doing so is out of the comfort zone of many but with the right attitude I believe private access is still possible here in Central WI. 

I live on some prime deer property. In the last 15 years I believe there has only been 1 person who has knocked on the door and inquired about hunting permission.  I would conclude there aren't as many people out there willing to put in the effort required to gain private property access as one might suspect. 

The same thing happened to me just different reason. So my aunt and uncle own a cabin on 10 acres but hunting was not really good there so we would go to my aunt's sister's 80 acre farm 8 miles away and man it was awesome memories of great hits and the ones that got away we still talk about but then they got a divorce and my uncle got the cabin and 10 acres and my aunt's sister said no more access to the 80 acre farm so we tried public around the are with limited success. It still sucks not being able to go to a spot you know will give you a chance. But since your in my shoes I'd get some buddies to go in with you on a good lease that's the best advice I can give you. And I'm not saying you can't find a good spot on public land in the end I tell all my friends hunting or fishing enjoy it cause it might no last and it's come true more than once. Best of luck hopefully you find a spot.

I'm very sorry about your daughter. It's surprising that your marriage survived that. Statistics show that losing a child is very hard on marriage. My sister died at 13, I was 7. I have seen the destruction that a child's death brings on others and in my own life.

If I were you, I would get a couple pointers and hunt birds from Canada to Arizona quail. Wife on board and no kids, the world is your oyster. Go get em. Ruffed grouse, sharptails, prairie chicken, huns, pheasants, quail, chukar, sage grouse. Maybe, if you are brave, a Himalayan Snowcock. Have fun.

I almost forgot ptarmigan. Some places have a 100 bird daily limit for ptarmigan. Bring your wagon to haul them. 

As for Madforlabs if you dont like my " whining" feel free to block me. As for you I will be glad to do the same .  Also, these shallow comments is the reason there is very little posting on Lake Link the last 5 yrs.  You block me and i will block you . No loss to either one.  As for letting go of land you had for 32 yrs. I think anyone here, can relate it is a hard choice. 

  As for Lovetohuntandfish,,  I am sorry to hear of your daughter.  It is unimaginable and to this day I worry I will loose my son or daughter.  If you have no kids to support and make good money, you should go buy a nice piece of land for you and your wife. Then it is worth whatever you pay for it  as long as it does not hurt your retirement too much.  Good luck in the Fox Valley, it is better up there . I  live north of West Bend but the valley is better. Very good fishing and even hunting  public is ok. 

I've enjoyed reading everyone's comments.  Just a couple of added details.  It's not that I am bored with deer hunting, I just got spoiled with it on this property.  I didn't have to hump in any gear because all my stands were already up.  We all have ATV's so getting around the property was a breeze.  After being on the land as long as I have been, I didn't even use camera's anymore.  I knew the patterns, I knew the best stands to sit during the rut, and we always got or had the opportunity at least to get nice deer.

I don't have any children.  My daughter passed away eleven years ago.  My wife had severe preclampsia which was life threatening.  The doctor told us that if we were to become pregnant, the likelihood of preclampsia showing up again was very high so we decided not to risk it.  Anyways, there is no one to leave our land to if we were to purchase.  

12 years ago my dad offered to take me on my dream hunt.  Anywhere I wanted to go and I chose a South Dakota pheasant opener and it was amazing.  This is why I am considering getting a bird dog.  My wife loves to hike, so she said she would like to tag along for the scenery and exercise.  I love grouse hunting as well...I've just always been along with someone else who had a dog.  

I'm 46 years young but looking at a knee replacement down the road.  I've had 3 surgeries on my left knee and although I am fairly mobile, when I load a pack on my back, the range of motion on the knee gets very limited quickly so I like the idea of small game hunting, dove hunting, pheasant, grouse, etc. partly because of the mobility factor.  

The other option is that years ago, I bought a lifetime membership to our rod and gun club for 250 bucks which lets me shoot trap, there is a rifle and archery range, and there is close to 400 acres of hunting land.  This also might be an option as well.  I also can use my atv on this land.  I've taken a few deer off this land before, but they were all antlerless.  I guess meat is meat and if I am not focusing on deer hunting anymore and putting my efforts into something else, then who cares.

Basically, If I had to choose right this second, I would opt for the bird dog and boat so my wife and I could enjoy these things together.  Keep an eye open on the trading post, there may be some great equipment coming up for sale soon...who knows.

Purchasing land 20+ years ago is likely the best investment I've ever made. My family and I have and continue to enjoy it immensely.  In the meantime it has appreciated in value fourfold,  not that I'm planning to sell. It will provide a tremendous estate settlement  for my kids some day should they decide not to keep it.

I hook, you've been whining about your property issues and northern deer hunting for years. 'Bout time to zip it or do something about it, wouldn't you say?

Mathewsman,,, " At todays prices I don't know".  That there is  the problem. How high can it keep going up?  I have a hunch that if the hunting community keeps giving up deer hunting, I dont see it continuing to rise. If it was cheap like it was 30 yrs ago, then you are ok. Interest rates were 10% when I bought my little piece of land. Now interest is very little , bringing up the price a whole bunch. I think land will come down some . We just need a good market correction, or a downturn. With all the kids now days not wanting to hunt more than 30 minutes in the stand, I am very surprised it is not cheaper than it is now. I am sure land wont go up in 30 yrs like it did the last 30 yrs. Here is why. I was offered $100,000 for my place. I have about $10,000 in it without  taxes and some improvements. That is 10 times in 32 yrs.  If I pay 100 k today, I doubt it will be $1,000,000 in the yr.  2053. If I do sell I will buy something else though.

I own a fair amount of ground in Western Wi and even just over the border in Iowa. Rec. land can be a great investment not only personally but also financially. But at today's prices I don't know. I bought at cheaper prices 5-7 years ago. No idea how it can keep going like it has. But like a previous poster referenced I've made money on CRP, ag leases, hunting leases, and timber cutting. Your "real money" tho only comes when you sell. In the mean time you got taxes, interest payments unless you got cash to buy out right then you have opportunity cost lose. I'd say a cabin is the biggest money taker there's everything from higher taxes to utility fees and of course up keep. My 2cents. 

I have earned logging and farm revenue from my farms so its not always when you sell it