Max distance you would drive on a regular basis?

Looking at purchasing a small amount of land 52 miles away. Mapquest it would take 1hr and 5 minutes to the gate. I know right now, and early on in the season I would be very excited and eager about driving out there, however I wonder if that drive would get old and I would start making up "excuses" on why not to go.

I have driven longer distances for a day hunt, but of course like everyone else I would love to just walk outback and start hunting. So has anyone have bought/leased out some land an hour away only to slowly stop going as much and regret that decision over a longer period of time.

I drive 140 miles one way pretty much every weekend to get to my place. it's about 1 hour and 45 minutes depending on traffic getting out of town.

I doubt your gonna find a property much closer than an hour away that you want to buy. Especially if near a larger city. I drive 4 hours once every six weeks to go to our place, granted i didnt have a choice of where the peoperty is(family owned). I would imagine most will agree that an hour drive to go hunt on a regular basis or getaway would be awesome and no big deal at all. Most of us probably drive more than 2 hours to our lease/property

It's almost 7 hours from my driveway to the lease cabin. Lamco 1500 lb feeder was a no brainer and has already paid for itself.

An hour is my limit right now with work, kids, sports...I have a place 20mins away, a place 35mins away and a place an hour away and I find that the further one definitely gets less attention.

We used to lease a place that was about an hour away. I had no problem with it, it was a nice drive, we would go for a morning hunt only load truck night before and drive up that morning early all the time same for afternoons etc. Always better if you can string a couple hunts together.

What is the purpose of the property? Strictly hunting or? I wouldn't want to make the drive in the middle of the week to go check cows etc.

Have driven 3 hours one way to our place in the Hill Country, usually going every weekend of the season. One hour now is just a warm up. Sometimes I drive down and hunt after work now.

It's 1 hr in the morning and an hr in the evening just to get to work. I wish I could find a place to hunt within an hour from work.

It would be strictly for hunting. It's only 20 acres (gotta start somewhere right). My only concern is my wife and my two toddlers I have at the house. I would hate to leave my wife with them on most weekends just so I can go hunt. However, the positive thinking in me is in 5-6 years the boys will start going with me.

I'm slightly less than 2 hours to my hunting grounds. I will leave at 3:30 AM for a hunt and be back by lunch several times throughout the season. As for taking the kids, I started taking my son when he was almost 4. First year I took him twice. Last year he went 6 or 7 times with me and was opening gates for me last Spring. A charged IPAD, crackers, and juice boxes have now taken over all the space in my hunting bag. Wouldn't trade it for the world!

I drive 115 miles (one way) to work....was 2.5 miles from work til they closed our yard.

I drive 150 miles every 3-4 weeks to my uncles ranch in Adamsville to help him with feeders, chores, etc.

My situation is a bit different from yours, but to me an hour away is the minimum. I want to feel like I've gone somewhere when I get home, and you're far enough away that no one's gonna' bother you unless it's a sure'nuff emergency. Of course I'm single now and kids are all grown so like I said, diferent situations.

It's not a far drive for me, especially if I own the land. I really enjoy spending time improving and enjoying land that I own.

I would probably not buy 20 acres to hunt though, unless it was really nice land I enjoyed beyond the hunting aspect of it. It is very difficult to find property that small that has consistently good big game hunting. There are some out there, but they are few and far between. If you found one only an hour away you better buy it quick before someone like me buys it knowing how rare it is.

Driving is not a real big issue to me. So distance would be nothing to worry about. I drive 7 hrs to West Texas to hunt mule deer. I have driven 13 hrs to Western Kansas to hunt for 4 yrs. I drove 325 miles door to door to hunt for 3 season in the lower Panhandle and hunted every weekend.
I would think twice about buying a smaller place though and would consider leasing instead. More acres for more enjoyment. Is the acreage you are looking at in a subdivision?

my last two leases were 55 minutes to an hour ... I would drive out in the morning and hunt till ~9:00, head home (10:00) work around the house until 2:00-2:30, back in the stand 3:00-3:30 ... home by 7:30 ... would do that every Friday/Sat and only Sunday afternoon (church in the morning, but did make it out a few times and back home for church but that was pushing it). That was if I had something pressing at home during the day or my wife needed me to help her do something, kids event, etc.

I have my own small place that is 40 minutes away, do the same thing or take my SIL out, put him in a stand, back home before daylight, then back to pick him up mid morning, 10ish ...

To quote Arnold: "Bad idea." Work your a$$ off, save (first for the toddlers' college!), then buy something bigger when they're older and they can go with you. Try public hunting around you for now. Or maybe a cheap lease close by.

I drive 3.5 hours one way once a month until season opens. Then it is every other weekend.

2 hours is my limit. Any further and it would be too much of a chore to get there and we wouldn't use it as much.

Been driving 4hrs one way every weekend during deer season for 20+ years love the hill country.

I drive 120 miles one way almost every weekend and I never think....Oh, that's too far........Never!!!1

I have two places I'm lucky enough to hunt. One is an hour east from my house, the other is an hour west. The drive time has never stopped me from going hunting.

I drive 2 hours now and don't even think about it. Would drive further if necessary. I see a lease as a vacation meant to enjoy. Don't know that I would drive over 5 hours though

I had a guy at work who had a lease somewhere aound El Paso. We're in Waco. Sure he'd take a really nice buck every few years but dang...halfway to San Diego would be a stretch!

I drive 280 miles one way just to help a friend at his lease and hunt hogs. No telling how far id drive for the right deer.

LOL on an hour drive. I drive 5 hrs to my property one way & Never get tired of going there. Usually go at least 3 times a month.

An hour would be a blessing. Just far enough to not feel like home but still close enough to keep momma off your back... I like it!

Almost 2 hours and go out every week during season and about twice a month in the off season. Yhis will be the 15th year going to the same lease so I am use to it. The drive home always seems to take more time.
No I don't think I would buy 20 acres.

An hour drive is just driving across town (metromess). I've had leases 10 hrs, 7 hr, 3 hrs and now 4.5 hrs 1 way and still go as much as can (1000-1500# feeders blessing).

However, I would not buy 20 acres just for hunting. Lease it and continue to save and lease larger property as kids age.

Bingo

I drive 2:40 to my place at least every other weekend. I own it and plan to retire there, so a little different, but for time in my happy place, I don't dread the drive to, just hate the drive home - mainly because I hate leaving.

I drive an hour to our place 3-4 times a week during deer season. That's the beauty of an hour drive. You can go any day you want. You don't have to plan a trip.

For years we drove to Batesville every weekend during hunting season. 300 miles from our house to the lease. It gets to be an ordeal. Hunted Sunday evening once in all the years. Finally gave it up.

My lease is 300 miles away. I go less then I'd like but it's nice to get away. If it was an hour away I wouldn't sleep there and having a camp is a big part of the hunt. We cook and eat together. There is no stress cause when I leave home Friday I'm not expected back till Sunday evening.
I have land 8 miles from my doorstep. I never had a hunt there that wasn't interruped with family matters. I guess it's nice to have both but the lease is more relaxing. It's nice that Coopers in Llano is along the way as a bonus.

20 acres is pretty small. As posted above, if it was only for hunting I wouldn't buy it. However, the right 20 acres could be pretty nice for casual hunting, ATV riding, and exploring with the kids. Being an hour away the kids would have no problem with the ride. Are there any improvements to the land?

I drive 280 miles to our place. During the season it will probably be 5-6 trips. Archery opener, mixed archery and MLD weekend with a friend, rifle opener, the whole week of Thanksgiving, and one other weekend at a minimum. I find myself having to make three-day weekends of it to really feel like I'm getting my money's worth. Fortunately my job offers me a good amount of vacation days each year.

I'd think anything less than an hour travel time to a hunting place is a pretty good deal. unless you live very rural or are just very fortunate its pretty tough to find anything worth hunting on a lot closer than that. we've hunted on places that were 15min from home, to about an hour, to now its 3.5hrs or so depending on stops.

we try to go no less then once a month and a lot more frequently during hunting season. my brother and I have wives and small kids too. We have a relatively nice camp to stay in so we just take them with us. its still not as simple as it sounds all the time, but it can be done. an hours drive doesn't seem far.

My max drive is about 285, although I've broken 300 a couple of times thanks to downhill landing areas or cart path bounces. Oh wait...

Nah man, I think most guys on here would love the opportunity to hunt within an hour of home. I can get from my office chair to my favorite tower blind is less than an hour now, but I didn't mind it at all when I used to work and live 2 plus hours away. Traveling from Atlanta to South Texas for a period of 3 years was a little much...

From '96-'08 I drove between 7.5 and 8.5 hours to get to my ranches. Almost every weekend. Loved it. I bought far away so I could afford more. I bought just west of high prices and waited on high prices to turn the ranch and buy more. Do your homework and buy a good deal and you'll make money when you sell. Regardless of how big it is.

I would drive 10 hours to get away from the Drakes

I can remember when San Saba and Cherokee was fun before the Dell Babies rolled in..

Next stop... Mexico

I like this reply. If the price is right buy it. I drive 350 miles a day selling parts, and still drive 150 both ways to hunt during deer season, and I don't care that much about deer hunting. I just like to go. I'm the cook and whiskey sampler. I let they youngsters kill my deer for me.

One hour is nothing. I would love to own a small ranch/farm, 100-200 acres, within two hours of DFW and in fact hope to within the next 3-5 years. I'm willing to drive that far every day to work and back for 2-5 years or until I retire in order to live on and retire on my own land.

140 miles to my place. The trip gets old but am retired so time really isn't an issue. Try to go about once or twice a week. The area is sparsely populated and fairly remote so not much of a problem with theft, trespassers or poachers.

i too like the idea that when I go hunting I've actually gone somewhere. As cool as it would be to live on the place I hunted and as convenient as it was when I used to hunt 15min from home. Its also pretty cool to have a destination where you actually went to a wild place and hunted. When I hunted 15min form home we hunted on a relatives place that was 200ac surrounded by subdivision. hunting was great, but we were shooting subdivision deer. we saw deer with dog collars on and all sorts. It was great, I'd do it again without a doubt. But there's a reason folks travel to Montana and Wyoming and such to hunt. its just a different experience to have hunted in a remote wild environment than it is to have shot a deer off the back porch or one that just finished eating the neighbors roses.

12 hours, if the hunting was good enough. I do it 10-12 times a year to the Navajo Reservation.
Adios,
Gary

I drive 320 each way once a month year round and about 3 times a month from Oct-Feb, work permitting. I work 4 days on 4 days off though. Haven't been to the ranch since April because I've only been getting 1 or 2 days off and it's not worth it to me to drive that far just to turn around the next day. The other place is about an hour and 15 minutes drive from home but I go there less often. Go figure.

Or by what you can now, college notwithstanding, and trade up when the kids get older.

If owned 2 hrs would and the max. I hunt 2 hrs away now and I find that the later the season gets the farther apparently my trips.

5.5 hrs to the farm and I love every moment of it...........nice to own land in Texas !

Purchased our own place in the pan handle 5 years ago. Couldn't afford much acreage in south Texas so North Texas was the place to scout Hunting Family members in Colorado Springs CO. and Goodland KS. I knew I would be retiring in a couple years so the drive became less of a consideration. Retired now for 3 years drive from Corpus to Dickens 8 hours ( 500 miles) about every 2 months. We stay at our cabin for a min of 1 week each time we drive up but we Stay full time from October through January 15th. This decision has made the difference in my retirement. I haven't looked back 1 day. Always have things to do. Built my cabin, installed 2 miles of fence maintain 4 food plots etc . In my spare time I force myself to fish the Laguna Madre. God I am Blessed!!!!!!!

Sounds awesome...congrats!

Every week I either travel 260 miles or 380 one way during hunting season. The Kansas drive is borderline as I get tired and if I want to sit in the stand after the drive it is a challenge. Especially with a young dog I take care of.

If the price is right, buy the 20 acres. Close to home, has deer. No brainer. Land isn't getting any cheaper.

Will have to meet up sometimes Bird Dog ??

Luckily lease is within 2 hours so that is about my max for now to go on a regular basis. Been that way for 10 years. I still go on hunts all year 3+ hours every few months. When I had very little ones at home I would leave late night before or go early in morning but rather not drive at night now after getting hit by a deer. Now they are with me most of the time. One hour is nothing unless it was all traffic and lights the whole way.

As most said, I would get bored on 20 acres depending on the area. Where my lease is you need several hundred acres to enjoy it. What county is this?

I drive 9 hours ona regular basis to both my hunting areas. I hunt south Tx and Oklahoma. Thankfully the south Tx one i have a great land owner that is always filling feeders for me and taking care of the place. Just have to plan when im going to spend a few days verses one day hunts. The Oklahoma place i hunt is waterfowl and with a buddy there so luckily i dont have anything to keep up there either. Its getting harder and harder but the idea of monster bucks and 100+ days of waterfowl keep me going, Not to mention the friends ive made in both areas are some of the most world class people there is.

I drive just under 2 hours to get to where I hunt on my buddies land in Centerville Texas. I crash at his place so the ride is no problem for me. It's also infested with deer and hogs which makes it worth it.

Depends on what I am hunting:

Whitetail - up to 1 hour
Black Bear - up to 2 hours
Upland - up to 1 hour
Waterfowl - up to 1 hour
Moose - up to 5 hours
Elk - up to 5 hours

I've gone as far as 5 hours one direction, but I'm happiest with 3 or under.

Used to be about five hours. The older I get, the shorter my patience. I still make that drive, just not as often.

13 hour drive from Phoenix, AZ to my ranch in Montell, TX!

Family hunted a lease for 27 years a little west of Bracketville off HW 90. Usually took us 7-8 hours from Houston. We always had the old Ford Chateau Super Wagon loaded down with 8 to 10 of us inside pulling a trailer and usually a f150 following us. Being young back then, i wish it was 10 to 12 hours. Van topped out at 65mph, but the family time was what made the trip fly. Lulung was our Bermuda Triangle many of times.

Now, we own near Sonora. Its about a 6 hour drive, 400 miles. Wouldnt trade it for the world. October thru end of season anywhere from 5 to 7 trips, Spring Break and 1 or 2 times during summer.

My wife understood i was a hunter before we married. I go when i want. My 3 boys absolutely love it. Still get to hunt with great uncles, otherwise my boys wouldnt even know them.

SNABU

GAS/DIESEL prices are my limiting factor//not time or miles..Yea prices are great right now..BUT!!!!on average we make about 40 trips to lease a year...and that 3-6h drive thats over the last 30y...now its 80miles and if I can find lease closer it will be...

We do a lot of work in the off season on the place that requires a truck/trailer at times. During the season it is mostly hunting. Get all feed topped off before season and it will only need 1 more filling in late season. I try to drive our car as much as possible. we have everything we need down there and an ice chest fits in the trunk. Our main roads are easily passable in a car and once your to the camp you can use the tractor to get game etc. Most of our blinds you can drive our car too also.

I'd love to have a place within a 2 hour drive of home, make it easier on the wife with the little one.

my place is about 2 and 1/2 hours away 5000 acres although half is under water. I like the longer drive. Get to do some thinking and dreaming about what I'm going to see.

Closest ranch is 1 hour. Furthest is 11 hours. Its only time and $

My current lease is 2.5 hours. Previous lease was 4.5 hours. In fact most of my leases have been between 2 and 4 hours. It forces you to maximize your time at the lease. 3 and 4 day weekends when time allows and really focus on the rut, pre and post ruts and the weather. The downside is that you can't run to the lease for a few hours on a Saturday afternoon. Pretty much has to be an overnight trip. That's good thing IMHO.

The drive isnt a problem to me. Over the last 10 years I've had 4.5 hr to Mason, 2 hr to Dublin, 1 hr to Palo Pinto and now a 3 hr to Brownwood. Driving makes no difference when I get there