Van Buren County, Iowa – Land For Sale | Located in western Van Buren county Iowa is a 99.65 acre farm consisting of primetime Iowa whitetail deer hunting. When you first pull up to the gate at the north end of the property you are greeted by a lonely corn crib still intact. This barn was built in 1940. An old homestead being reclaimed by Mother Nature lays next to the corn crib. As you head west you are greeted by a secluded food plot mostly in white clover. This food plot is roughly an acre. A rotation of brassicas and cereal grains such as rye and wheat would be an excellent food source throughout the hunting season.
The farm offers excellent year round whitetail deer habitat. The amount of bedding opportunities is astounding. Food surrounds the farm, but also the farm offers potential and good food sources. During the rut, the farm is a whitetail hunters dream of mature bucks running through the brush chasing does or sparring with bucks.
As you continue west, a trio of old wolf oaks greet you guarding the different trails you can choose from. This farm has (according to the tracker used) 2.5 miles worth of trails. The trails follow along the north property line, along Lick Creek, the bottom farm field, and along the east road edge, but slightly more in the interior. As you walk you will notice the diverse timber stands that offers unique habitats. Some of the timber consists of stands of honey locust with thick multiflora rose as the shrub layer while other parts of the timber is in a mid to late successional stage of young oaks mixed with cedars, mulberries, elm, black walnuts, and honey locust. The oaks are young, but in great multitude. The oaks consist of white, black, red, and shingle. There are several wolf oaks throughout the property. There are some gorgeous wolf oaks over hanging Lick Creek creating a beautiful aesthetic view. At the north east corner of the farm are two bottom fields roughly at 5 acres consisting of reeds canary, shrubs, multiflora rose, and young trees. These spots are in not in production, but could be a killer food plot location or farm production.
Following a trail along Lick Creek takes you to the larger bottomland field. Before entering the bottomland field is another trail running east and west with an old brushy fence row adding as an excellent screen for hunters to access between tree stand locations.
This is roughly 30.5 acres with the CSR being 72.6. The field is mostly brome, alfalfa, and clover. Rental rates at a CSR of 72.6 in Van Buren County could bring between $150-$230 farming rental rates. Throughout the field there are low shallow strips that hold water. One could work these shallow trenches as small potential wetland strips to attract waterfowl. Along the north end of the bottom field is a strip of warm season native prairie as a buffer. Following the edge of the field, you come across a “hedgerow” of older oaks. Through the hedge row is a “field” in the mid-successional habitat stage mostly of oaks and river birch. Another “field” west shows similar mid successional habitat. These mid successional habitat fields offer excellent whitetail deer bedding and if one was interested these stands would offer excellent woodcock or snipe hunting. Heading south of the mid-successional stands you would enter a finger of timber consisting of oaks, elms, mulberries, river birch, and maple. Inside of this finger is what appears to be an ephemeral water channel running through the finger. The south west part of the field could be another food plot since the fingered timber offers excellent bedding and screening for whitetail.
Heading back north along the bottomland field you connect back to the over grown fence row heading east. The trail leads back to the bottomland driveway. There is another trail that you can take north. This trail runs parallel with the road. The trail is hidden by cedar trees. The cedar trees offer excellent screening along the road. The trail continues north and takes you to and old cattle pond. The pond holds a multitude of frogs, but currently not stocked. The pond could have the silt removed and dug deeper to make a nice fish pond. The trail continues and takes you back to the food plot on the top ridge of the farm.