The majority of the buyers in my market are typically looking for properties with two characteristics: timberland for an investment and hunting for recreation. However, there aren’t many properties that ideally fit both characteristics. Sometimes I scratch my head, wondering why there aren’t more people willing to play the role of a developer and convert timber tracts into recreational retreats for profit. While it’s rare for an established hunting retreat to hit the open market, the properties that do, usually justify their price premium and get purchased quickly.

Timber real estate investment trusts (REITs) and investors are realizing that recreational value on many properties is now exceeding the timber value, which in turn justifies selling the property for a substantial profit. While there are many different ways to add recreational value to a property, I’ve decided to focus on one particular property, as it’s a great example. The main goal behind the property is continuing to operate a pine plantation for investment purposes, however, have the means to hunt, fish, and enjoy the property recreationally year-round. Here are some ways this property was able to achieve this goal:

1. Created Food Plots

While it does take some time and money to prepare a food plot, the end result will benefit wildlife and keep them on your property.  This requires cutting timber, removing the stumps, liming and fertilizing the soil, and figuring out what and when to plant. The majority of these food plots are on the edges of hardwoods. This one, in particular, has been low fenced to keep the hogs out.

2. Built A Dove Field

Having a great dove field is a great way to host guests, family, and friends for entertainment. It’s a fun social event you can put on several times a year. This dove field has all the makings for being successful including a fake power line and trees for the birds to roost, water to drink, sand/gravel, and approximately 12 acres to plant.

3. Created A Duck Impoundment

Since this property sits along the eastern flyway, this duck impoundment is ideal to attract passing ducks. This impoundment is planted in June and the water level is manually controlled through a flashboard riser. The owners are able to enjoy it from early teal season in September, all the way to the end of the season in February.

4. Created Quail Habitat

This required thinning the trees back to 35-50 trees per acre. A skid steer with a grinder ate up a lot of the long-abandoned understory before Garlon (Triclopyr) was sprayed to prevent hardwood growth. These fields were burned using prescriptive fire in late February. Continuing to burn every one or two years will keep this stand clean and provide great habitat for all wildlife.

5. Building A Fishing Pond

This pond was started almost a year ago. The owners were able to reach a mutual agreement with a local contractor and the Department of Transportation. The agreement allows the two parties to have free rights to the dirt in order to finish converting a nearby roadway from two lanes into four. Once completed the landowners will have a 17.5 acre stocked pond to enjoy year-round fishing.

6. Starting A Garden

Establishing a garden requires a lot of work. However, it is very enjoyable to be able to eat what you have grown. This garden contains a mixture of fruit trees including blueberries, blackberries, peaches, limes, nectarines, oranges, apples, pears, and grapes. It also has a seasonal section that is currently planted in corn, squash, cucumbers, peppers, okra, bush beans, cantaloupes and watermelons.

While there are certainly several other recreational aspects to add to a property, I thought this property did a great job of highlighting many of them and a great example of maintaining a timber investment and year-round recreational enjoyment.

Interested in becoming an expert in recreational land transactions? Check out the RLI's Recreational Land Real Estate LANDU course.

This post is part of the 2018 Future Leaders Committee content generation initiative. The initiative is directed at further establishing RLI as “The Voice of Land” in the land real estate industry for land professionals and landowners.

About the Author: Tommy Stroud Jr., ALC, is a broker with National Land Realty.  Tommy has served on the REALTORS© Land Institute Future Leaders Committee since 2016. He holds the esteemed Accredited Land Consultant Designation (ALC) and has an active real estate license in the states of Georgia, Florida, and South Carolina. Tommy lives in St. Simons Island, GA, with his wife and two children.