I'm just wondering ... if you were to buy a small acreage in Texas with primarily deer and hog hunting in mind, where you could put up your own blinds, stands and feeders, and bring your grandkids, what county would you most likely choose?

I have been wrestling with this question for a few months now. I have been watching different pages in THF, and I have commented many times about relocating to the area around Abilene. We thought we had 50 acres near Hawley lined up but that fell through so we are looking again. But if a person wanted to buy 25-50 acres or so to be able to hunt himself, where would be the best place to buy?

What about the counties itself. I'm sure that like everything else, all counties are NOT created equal in their government or management. (We could move to Anson in Jones County and have a weekly barn dance!)

I have seen listings for several different areas from around Sherman and Denison to Brownwood and Coleman. Personally I think that I-35 is too far east and I-30 is too far north for me. I'm not real impressed in getting east or north of Dallas. We'd like south and west of Fort Worth.

From what I can tell online, and in the listings we have seen, we kind of like the area from Abilene to Fort Worth and south through Brownwood to San Angelo. There is a triangle there that we keep looking in to. On Lands of Texas, it is mostly Regions 8 and 9 in that preference.

We are hoping to find a place with a house or double wide that is taped and textured with a barn/shop on a paved road. (There is some thing and Harley's and gravel roads that worries me.) The quality of VA facilities and care is also a big deal since I am a 100% service connected disabled vet and we really want to get away from the crapy El Paso VA.

Bandera or anyhing hill country if it was me and wanting to take kids n grandkids for sure, lots n lots of game and beautifull country.

Look around Brady area and if you can find something around or close to Brady Creek it is better. Lots of nice deer, hogs in a lot of areas, turkey, and around the creek you will get free range axis deer. Nice Live Oak country also.

I think you would be fine with any of those areas.

IMHO, any where west of 35, from say San Antone, to Waco,,,, get about an hour or 2 west of the I-35 corridor!

Brady is a good area. I like the Gillespie/Llano County border area.

Mills County would be a great option also. People are great, we have a wounded warrior program every year in addition to the great hunting. Only drawback is the proximity to the nearest VA's in Waco and Temple approximately 90 miles for either.

I was looking at properties around those areas and it is more expensive. As for the VA location, I'm traveling 60 miles to Las Cruces and 90 miles to El Paso now. 60 miles to Las Cruces is ok, but 9 mile to El Paso is too far. Press "ONE" for English. Press "TWO" to come back after you learn English really applies. Albuquerque is great for major things but then again, it is a 3 hour drive. I believe that eventually I will be a candidate for knee or hip surgery so the long drive would not be to good for my wife. So you find a place closer to the VA.

I'm sure the summers are very hot there too.

You need to get with a agent that is familiar with VA loans. Typically the have different rules as far as lending is concerned when it comes to rual land

Hill Country area is a great place. No true trophy WT but hogs, varmints, predators, and exotics are a plenty. Land can double as pastures and food plots. Anywhere from Blanco, Comal, Kendall, and Kerr counties.

Those are some of the most expensive counties in the hill country. Expect to pay big $. Brady,(McCulloch cty) is cheaper. Brown, Hamilton, Mills, Comanche are all good deer counties and not as expensive.

More and more LF 150+ coming out of the hill country every year.....

There are too many good counties/areas but I will put some of the best deer out of Throckmorton, western Young county and Shackelford against any others..

Brady..Calf Creek area is great..

That's true, but 50 acres out that way is not a lot of land. Lots of open Mesquite country. Deer density is lower too.

Agreed, lower deer densities for sure, especially on smaller property. Would be essential to be close to much larger properties. Still, I will trade quality of deer for quantity of deer. My personal goal but understand others like to fill the freezer too.

You can't beat South Texas. Biggest deer in the State. Hogs, javelina, turkey, predators, badger, maybe nilgai depending where you are.

careful.

I'll take quality over quantity any day too.

I'll take both.. buy 50 acres up against a secluded area of national forest and have a blast

Agree on this if talking natural free range...

Or maybe a little more.

all good ideas being shared good luck to ya

You've got a pretty big chunk NP, close to DCNF if I remember correctly.

Even the 50ac tracts come in handy, especially if it's flood plain, recently clearcut, not replanted, but it doesn't matter bc it's sitting up against a cpl thousand acres of hardwoods....and it's not even valued at $900 an acre