Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Elk Hunting Western Hunting Land

Every few years I get fixated on the idea of buying hunting land out west. I am closing in on 50 and I may be running out of time. I think I have my wife on board with the idea, though, as long as it isn't ridiculously expensive. I am interested in elk but also just about every other game species available (especially deer, antelope, and game birds). I am looking for advice from people more knowledgeable than me.

I have sort of focused on Wyoming and Colorado. I initially liked the idea of Montana but I understand tags are had to come by. I saw that Colorado and Wyoming have non-resident landowner tags available if you have 160+ contiguous acres. In Montana it is 640 acres for elk and 320 for other species. With my budget, I would be lucky to afford 160 acres.

For people familiar with Wyoming, what area has the best variety of game available while also being somewhat affordable? I have found plots for around $1,000 per acre but they seem to be in the flatland/prairie area and I think for elk and such, the mountains are probably the place to be. For example, would a property like this provide reasonable hunting opportunities for elk or moose if I was able to get a tag? https://www.zillow.com/homedetails/Sycamore-Dr-Rock-River-WY-82083/2057195692_zpid/

My understanding is that I could get some landowner tags for that unit but would not be restricted to using the tags on the property. If that's the case, it could be a launching point or camping area but I could hunt public land in the same unit and if the game is not on the land I could potentially head to higher ground in the mountainous public land. Is this accurate?

It seems like buying land in the mountainous areas is more expensive for some reason.

Or something like this: https://www.zillow.com/homedetails/45-Undance-Gln-Medicine-Bow-WY-82329/2067660383_zpid/

It seems too good to be true and maybe that's because there is not game or no access. If it is cheap simply because of no access to utilities, I don't came about that.

The best thing you can do is first get a hold of a real estate agent in that area and pick his brain about various game species you would like to hunt and then once you select few areas make the trip yourself and scout the area and talk to locals. Wyoming has great amount of antelope all over the state but mostly around Gillette, elk on the other hand will move through the property in their migration. You might want to look at properties that border state and federal lands so you can access them from your homestead. As far as landowner preference tags, you might as well make a call to WY game and fish, they usually answer calls quickly and they will let you know, you might as well pick their brain about the area you are looking to buy at.

I've thought, think, and will think about hunting ground too. maybe more of an issue than money is the time. Do you have time to go there? Idk your location, travel could be a big obstacle. You mentioned deer, antelope, elk, birds. You are going to need time for all that. My main reservation is that I just don't care to eat wild stuff enough to put that many resources into it. I shoot a few pheasants , maybe a deer or not, I'm good. I'd rather catch fish and eat fish. Good luck in your search.

The reason is everyone wants to be in the mountains, just like lake/beach front property. Colorado is full by the way and busting at the seems as it is. You won't find any land here for $1000/acre. Maybe $3-4k/acre for some treeless, cell-phone less, utility-less plot in the middle of nowhere. And you'll be surrounded by meth heads and other criminals if you go that route. It's a genuine problem here with the cheaper land.

If it was me, I wouldn't be looking for enough land for a land owner tag, I'd be looking for a 5-15 acre parcel that abuts public land and you could use it as a gateway to the public land or rent it to others for the same purpose. If you could access land locked public land, it would be priceless in terms of your hunting use and the potential for renting/leasing.

That land may hold antelope but no elk.
Your land must have enough animal use days to get a LO tag too, they don't just give them to LO with acreage.
Thera re no moose LO tags either.

In Wyoming a GW has come out to your property and validate that you have at least 2000 days of animal use, taht means the umber of animals multiplied by the days on your property.

As a resident, if you move here for a year, you could buy OTC deer and elk tags for general areas to hunt. All antelope are a draw unless you get a LO tag, or 2 max.
If an area has more LO than tags available then they have to draw also, and that happens in a few areas.

Land prices are not cheap here and if you find cheap land it will be very iffy and water is a big concern. We have spots that folks have to haul water for home use, buy their water from a town.
Utilities could also be an issue on vacant land, not power everywhere here.

Remember you must live here at least 180 days for be a resident and must establish residency for 1 year before you qualify as a resident.

Read this:

Section 9. Landowner Licenses. Landowner licenses shall only be issued to those
landowners who own land which provides habitat for antelope, deer, elk or wild turkeys and
meets the requirements as set forth in this section. Any lands purchased or subdivided for the
primary purpose of obtaining landowner licenses shall not be eligible for landowner licenses.
The Wyoming Game and Fish Commission authorizes the issuance of landowner licenses in
order to provide the opportunity for a landowner applicant or member of the landowner
applicant’s immediate family to hunt antelope, deer, elk or wild turkey on the landowner’s
property in the case where licenses for a hunt area have been limited in number and only
available through a competitive drawing.

(a) In order to qualify for a license issued under this section, the deeded land
qualifying the landowner applicant shall be located in the hunt area for which applied, shall
consist of a minimum of one hundred sixty (160) contiguous acres and shall be utilized by the
type of big game or wild turkeys for which the applicant applied to the extent the land provides
food, cover and water. The landowner applicant shall demonstrate that the species of wildlife for
which the license application has been made utilized the described land for a minimum of two
thousand (2,000) days of use during the twelve (12) month period immediately preceding the
date of application. In no case shall more than two (2) big game licenses per species or more
than two (2) spring wild turkey or no more than two (2) fall wild turkey licenses be issued for a
parcel of deeded land meeting the above qualifications in a calendar year.

The complete regulation is found here, go to 44-23 Section 9 :https://wgfd.wyo.gov/Regulations/Regulation-PDFs/REGULATIONS_CH44-(1)

Here is a thought, but it may not be right for you. Invest your money. Talk to a top notch financial planner. Take your profit and buy points or go with ranches that provide tags in their package. You can hunt where you want, when you want each year and for what you want.

Unless you have money like Ted Turner, it may be the best option, especially for a NR. Kind of like chartering a boat instead of buying one.

Thanks, guys. I am not a rich guy so I wouldn’t be able to come up with any crazy amounts of cash. Also, I don’t think you can normally get a loan for undeveloped land. So maybe it’s not something I can do but I’m not going to quit on the idea, at least not in the long term. Plus, I have 2 kids whose tuition is going to be a drain for the next decade.

I think the suggestion of a smaller plot with access to public land is probably the best option. I enjoy learning the land I hunt and don’t have any interest in hunting with a guide so I don’t think planning trips through an outfitter would really appeal to me. If I am going to be looking at smaller plots with a no frills cabin (or building one on undeveloped land) I think Montana and possibly Wyoming might be my best options. I still fear that I could end up with land but not be able to draw a tag consistently. I guess that is something I can deal with in time. Even if I don’t get drawn for big game, I could hint birds or something.

Time is an issue too. I would probably only be able to get out there for a couple weeks each fall until I get closer to retirement. I am hoping to retire in another 10-15 years but that may be optimistic.

Maybe it’s a pipe dream but I am going to keep looking into it. I could come up with some money up front (not much more than $100k though). We have investments but not a ton of liquid assets. I do own a bare-bones cabin on 130 acres in the Northeast. I could always sell that to get some more funds. I’m not sure I’m ready to get rid of that property yet. It’s undeveloped land and not worth big money either (maybe $200-$250k). It’s a good deer hunting area and I hunt on it.

I think I will keep an eye out for something cheap. If I can find something cheap, maybe I’ll bite then get something better when I get closer to retirement or have more free time. I wish I was born rich but wasn’t.

My other consideration is to start doing some DIY hunts out there to get a feel for it. I’ve done them other places and I have the gear. There may even be airbnb options.

Thanks and please keep the ideas coming. I may post other links to properties if I find some inexpensive options.

I bought land several years ago, before the Covid insanity drove prices sky high. Bought 59 acres in a large county that has one stop light in a western state. Land is bordered by a chunk of about 12,000 acres of BLM land that is landlocked by private (there are some public access points but few people seem to use it). There are elk, mule deer, coyotes, mountain lions, black bear, turkeys, and other small game that use the area including my parcel. Elk tags are over the counter. (BIG bulls roam the canyon, but there aren't a lot of them - probably less than 10 at any given time. For some reason it's a bull area, we never see cows, not even on game cameras). Deer tags by drawing but not hard to get. My son and I have hunted deer and elk there (on our property and the adjacent BLM) for 5 or 6 years in a row and we've never seen another hunter. Water lines from a water association were put in before I bought it, electricity is about 1/2 mile away. Also has an existing septic tank and drain field. Bought all this for $74k. Have an RV on it now but eventually plan to put a cabin on it. So glad I bought it when I did. OP good luck on your search.

If you have to put 2 kids through college, quit thinking about land and make sure you can keep your house. It's crazy what college costs, it's always some other darn thing they need. I told my college daughter yesterday to go get shirts and sweatshirts for her Mom and sister and charge it to our account. It's so expensive, $200 won't even be noticeable.

I have thought about having land out west as well….fun and affordable to dream and look! It’s just that next step that intimidates me….

The idea of owning land to hunt on is a very "Eastern" concept (as in Eastern/Midwestern US). Here, you don't need to own it, you just need a place to hang your hat to go explore all the public land that's available. Anything in the 200K range is generally going to be a windy, barren postage stamp (like the pieces you listed - get those, you'd better love wind). Better to put that money into something more lucrative that will fund your exploration. Buying a mediocre piece of property will tie you to it, limiting your exploration of the rest of the state. I'd put the money into a nice, used camper van. Put in for tags in a variety of Western states, then you won't be limited by owning a piece of property. Here in my part of Montana, the "right" 20 acres adjacent to public land can be in excess of $1,000,000.00.

This! I had the thought/dream of owning some land "out west". After living there for a number of years I came to the conclusion it's a better use, for me, of the money to purchase/maintain something to just go on trips there. And I wouldn't be tied to a single location or state regarding tags and opportunities.

To the OP, I'd suggest investing in a comfortable, portable camping set up. For basecamps I prefer canvas tents over campers as it's less complicated for me to transport it to where I want to be. Then I'd suggest looking into the myriad of opportunities in various states and their draw systems.

If the land you buy has a residence on it, you'll spend a goodly portion of your time there fixing/maintaining it. Something that can be avoided with a camping setup...

Pointers advice is the best I have seen here. You can go on a modestly priced outfitted hunt every year for the rest of your hunting lifetime for far less than the cost of owning land. DIY hunts are also possible with a good bit of planning and preparation.

Keep in mind that regulations and adjacent land use can and certainly will change over time. This can disrupt your situation if you’re tied to one piece of land.

Same here in SD, Brad. Actual values have reached levels unheard of, and unlikely to retreat far, in my opinion. As always you've given good advice. I don't want a camper but the advice to be mobile and flexible is sound.

OP: "Cheap" land is cheap for a reason. Because no one else wants it. Buying and keeping property will require you to make multlple actual physical trips to acquire it, and multiple actual physical trips to maintain and hold it. Zillow isn't going to get this done for you. You'll have to pick an area, familiarize yourself with it, contact the right agent, build a relationship, wait for an opportunity, and be ready to move when the right parcel comes up. And you're not buying a widget, no parcel is perfect.

The costs of acquisition are real; so are the costs of holding. Property taxes, weed and pest control, fencing, the list goes on and on. No one holds on to land for nothing, not even the feds. It's costly to maintain.

I don't say any of this to fault you for dreaming of this. Many did and do, and I hope many do in the future. But I do say it to caution you to know what you're getting into. I read your posts and was left with the sense that you needed caution. From my standpoint and experience, what you're seeking exists, in much the same way lottery winners exist. I wish you good luck, you'll need alot of it.

The problem for non-residents who want land in Idaho isn't the land. It's the tags. Non-resident tags are very hard to get. Because of the high demand, the IDFG has had to cap the number of non-res deer and elk OTC tags and it's a real fiasco getting them. Non-res can also apply for the draw hunts, but the odds are pretty low on the better hunts and there's no point system.
To get a resident tag, you have to physically live in Idaho for 6 months and you can't have resident licenses in 2 states. If you try to fudge it, you risk losing your license in both states for up to 5 years.

Okay, I'm convinced. I know a guy who retired and moved to Montana and I think that's awesome. The problem is, he did it in his 70s after 2 knee replacements and a problem hip. I know I could afford a really nice property at that point in my life (I have resources, just not liquid at the moment) but will likely not have my health/strength/mobility. I guess the best option for me is planning trips.

I do have pretty much all the gear I need for trips. I have taken DIY hunting trips other places, including elk hunting in Colorado a few years ago. I have a couple wall tents with wood stoves, etc. The biggest obstacle for me is that I go solo. I end up having to do all of it myself: driving thousands of miles, setting up and breaking down camp, hauling meat, etc. Having a home base where I could keep an ATV and other gear would seems appealing (like the camp I currently have 6 hours from home). I guess what I really need is some friends with similar interests. My hunting buddies generally like to just hunt deer locally in small woodlots.

I'm going to start planning a trip for 2024. Maybe that will feed my appetite for a little while. I'll see if I can find someone else who is interested. I guess I could use an outfitter but I enjoy the independence and don't want to hunt with a guide. Maybe a drop camp or another DIY is the way to go. Thanks for all of the good advice.

Buy a few acres near abundant blm and otc tags. Take a camper and a generator. Bring 100 gallons of water. Fill your propane tanks and hunt for 10 days at a time. If you already have a fifth wheel or whatever, you can get this done for 20k and under. The tag part is the hardest part. If you need electrical and water get ready to shell it out.

pm sent Theeck

A couple options:
You can rent a storage unit long term for a fraction of what a little land would cost and it would be much more secure than leaving your property unattended for 6 months at a time. If you decided that the other end of the state is better for your hunting trips, you can pack up our gear and rent elsewhere. Around here, a 10x20 unit costs about $1200/year. You'd pay that much just in taxes on land.

Or, you could buy a rat trap house with a large garage close to a town to do the same thing. But then you have taxes and insurance to pay and not get the security of a storage unit.

In some areas, squatters could be a problem. You can't just shove a shotgun barrel up a squatter's butt and tell him to git. Many, if not all, states have laws that prevent you from evicting them without long court battles.

I kinda think I would just camp on BLM before I'd buy a few acres next to it for the privilege of doing the same thing. Am I missing something?

I feel bad for you saying how you can't find someone to go hunting with them. Never really had that problem but I can see how it would exhaust a guy. Creating hunting partners isn't easy, thank goodness for nephews and junior partners!

I wouldn't need electric. The cabin I own here has no electric or running water either. I actually kind of like it that way. I have a deep cycle battery and a solar panel for charging phones, etc. I crap in the woods. None of that is a big deal to me. I enjoy roughing it.

I live about 2 miles from the border of Philadelphia. The number of hunters I know here is pretty low. The people who I know that hunt generally like to hunt from a tree stand in small woodlots (frequently a few acres in the suburbs). The approach is productive but doesn't appeal to me as much. I do have friends who hunt (I'm not a prick or anything) but they are less intense about it.

We have a family cabin that I hunt from which backs up to several thousand acres of public land. It's about 90 minutes from home and that is my primary hunting spot. I got the itch about 20 years ago and bought 130 acres out of state about 6 hours north. I had a small, no-frills cabin built on it and have had a great time there. But now, I am eager to chase new species in new areas.

I think the answer is trips as most people suggested. Maybe the answer is some kind of club. Solo trips are fine but the idea of all of the prep and research, then cross-country driving alone, then all of the camp set up seems onerous. I can do it as I have many times before but my energy level isn't what it was in my 20s.

Thanks for the suggestions.

Unless you're going to win the lotto or have s-ton of money, you're better off to buy a home on a small chunk of land, or even in town and become a resident. You have millions of acres of public land to hunt.

In MN or WI we have millions of acres of public land but you can also hunt on 40-200 acres and have resident deer. You don't really have that out west. Hell, many places out there you can see 600 acres from one spot. Many areas in MN and WI you can't see 100 yards.

600 acres? That's less than 1 square mile. Where I've got my elk the last 3 years, you can stand on any low hill and see 100 square miles. Granted, you won't make much money as a logger in this area. There's no market for sagebrush.

Wow, that's understandable. I suspect that guided trips with mixed groups is a possibility for you? Eyeopening post there, thank you.

I can't really explain why but a guided hunt just doesn't appeal to me. I guess I would feel like the guide did the real hunting and I was just the shooter. (no offense to people who like this approach).

I am going to start planning an elk trip for 2024. I'll see if I can find someone else to go. I think the minimum number of people for a drop camp is 4 (occasionally 2). If I can't find anyone else interested, I will just go solo as I did to Colorado. I guess the first step is choosing a state. I am leaning toward Montana or Wyoming but really don't have a strong preference yet. I will start researching. I may have to post on here for advice. My last trip (unsuccessful but fun) was for archery. I have a nice 30-06 that I will probably use on my next trip. Thanks

Hope the OP realizes that 160 acres is a chunk only 1/2 mile square, i.e. 880 yds. No way most critters would stay long term on that small of a parcel.

I'm well aware. I was interested in hunting public land but the 160 allows access to some tags that might otherwise be unavailable.

Sell your other recreational land, do a 1031 exchange and find a little piece out west by public land and enjoy.

Especially western animals - elk and mule deer. They're much more mobile than whitetails. An elk or mule deer thinks nothing of bedding 2 or 3 miles from the nearest water.

160 acres is 1/4 square mile
320 is a 1/2
640 acres is a square mile.

His point is that with the right amount of land and the animals use days he could get a LO tag and it is valid in the entire area, not just his little piece of land. The draw is easier.


With property in the right spot he could have a nice base for travelling around the state or hunting nearby. Property taxes on rural, undeveloped land are cheap in some counties.

Right. Thanks.

Good luck with your quest, keep looking around & learning. We’ve hunted in Colorado for 20+ years in a handful of units & talked about the chance of buying near landlocked public but never saw a reasonable option.

One of our extended group is looking at moving to the hunting area & retirement mostly leaving our rural Southern CA area now that his daughter relocated to CO an hour away. His plan is live in town with more room than he needs accommodating guests at least during hunting season. Like folks here indicated a base camp will allow him to scout at least 2 neighboring states & many units in CO with over the counter bull tags. He’s got almost 30 points & can scout the premium units too.

Without having to coordinate with a wife or care for parents he has more flexibility than most of us- expensive flexibility to be single again unfortunately.

160 acres out west is but a postage stamp. If there's deer or antelope they're not going to hold on a small area outside of maybe some whitetails in some cover.

I've not live in Colorado and am not familiar much with it but have lived in Wyoming and Montana. Be aware that some places in those states have wind. Not talking about a storm that comes thru but true sustained winds.

Perhaps you should just go out west and look and explore. This is much less expensive and you won't have to pay property tax nor have insurance and liabilities. Go take a look and take some fishing trips or maybe some public hunting.

In Idaho, land owners must have at least 640 acres of qualified habitat to get a tag. They allot a certain number of tags and they have a special drawing among the landowners for them. The odds are normally much better than in the regular draws. The tags can be given to someone else but they can't be sold.
If there are any tags left over after this draw, they'll have a 2d drawing and landowners with at least 320 acres can apply.

Is that a new reg in Idaho?
It at least used to be legal to sell them, I am pretty sure.

I don't know if it's new but this is in the regs, big and bold:

Huh...could be. Good to know.
I know a few vets that (at least used to) trade veterinary work on cattle/horses for landowner deer tags. I am guessing that would be considered 'marketing'. I know another that would sell his, but maybe that is all past tense now..

If you have to ask how much, you can't afford it. You need at least a section to get LOP. Dream on.

But the IDFG also has to prove you sold it. That proof could be very hard to get.

I always ask how much and then make up my mind if I'm wiling to spend that much or is it worth it to me. Nothing wrong with asking how much my friend, I worked hard for my money.

I think the tags are given for "free", but you pay for "access" in many cases...

That’s exactly my point.

I was contacted just yesterday about buying a piece of property adjacent to where I elk hunt. It’s only 130 acres but it’s the right 130 acres. Has a steady population of both elk and mule deer. To the point where that property has a small number of landowner tags for both.

130 acres priced at six million dollars. Dear Lord…

Lots of folks have no idea what the right piece of property can hold , even 100 acres.
6 mil, holy cow !!!

Some 35 acre parcels up here that could and do hold elk at certain times of the year, split up ranches that allow hunting on community parts of the property with your lot. It's a zoo next door though on one of them.

OK, how about this one?

Keep your money and dole it out occasionally on outfitted hunts in good territory . For what 100 acres anywhere would cost you, you could hunt Chama or Sonora a couple dozen times....

130 acres For 6 million is rip off.
Seen much better deals!!
Here is what I’m talking about
https://www.land.com/property/7570-acres-in-Wheeler-County-Oregon/17632877/

This is how I run.

Except in 15 years you won't have any equity. If you bought land, not only would you have your initial investment, you'd likely have doubled it, if not tripled it. AND you'd still have been able to hunt. You don't need 100's of acres just 5 or 10 that abuts USFS or BLM. Use the balance to put up a small cabin and hunting there becomes extremely convenient.

Did you jump on it?