Here in Kansas, the vast majority of rural landowners are using their property for raising cattle or growing crops for revenue. This is what their land is best suited for, as well as being their “bread and butter” and also their way of life when it comes down to it. Whether they have a cozy eighty- acre piece just outside of town, or a sprawling twenty- five hundred acre spread a million miles from nowhere, this is the land God decided they should have, and now they have to decide how best to tend to it.
The annual number of cattle in the Sunflower State is in the neighborhood of six million. The human population is currently just shy of 2.9 million. This means there are twice as many of our bovine buddies, then our actual human buddies. This also means, we have an incredible amount of land that is used for grazing and growing these cattle. From the cool season fescue pastures in the east, to the native tall-grasses prairies in the Flint Hills, to the short grass pastures on the high plains farther out west, it’s all used to feed one of our state’s top commodities.
Every ranch manager has their own way of managing their pastures. It varies from area to area, season to season or situation to situation. But at the end of the day, it usually comes down to one thing…the bottom line! This means being able to hopefully turn a profit. Whether you are trying to get ahead in life, or just simply trying to pay the taxes, it all has to pencil out.
In today’s climate that is easier said than done. With the rising costs of virtually everything imaginable, the property owner has a lot to weigh out, and sometimes get creative on how best to pay the bills. One possible option is doubling down on the usage of his property. This means using it for cattle grazing, but also recognizing another source of revenue he can capitalize on at the same time. One that will have no effect on his current cattle operation at all. One that could even potentially generate more income than he gets from renting out the grazing rights. This could be leasing out the hunting rights.
Every property is different. We know that the priority is grass that feed the cattle. And I’ve heard more than once “Cattle don’t eat trees”. So why not take a second look at the woods down in that deep draw, that brushy patch across the creek, or those rugged coulees over the ridge and imagine how those acres could be more “productive”? Kansas has an estimated deer population of 650,000. How many of those deer are on your place? Whether you love them, hate them, or somewhere in between, the deer are another commodity that is often overlooked.
Base Camp Leasing has been helping landowners manage the hunting rights on their property for over twenty years. We have a very responsible, respected, and controlled program that will ensure the entire process is handled in a very efficient and effective manner. Whether it be the professional contracts, or the $5 Million Dollars of liability insurance, you can be rest assured it will all be taken care of. We will limit the number of hunters on your property, you will know who they are, and you can be involved with them as much as you like, or not at all…that is up to you. Every situation is different. It is not uncommon for our hunters to become good friends with our landowners, and even help them out with projects from time to time. Some landowners just like having an extra set of eyes to keep watch over the place. At the end of the day, you have to be comfortable with the whole situation, and that is what we strive to accomplish…and to also get you that additional income.
So, if you are the young couple with the eighty acres just outside of town, or the fourth-generation rancher with the twenty- five hundred acre spread out in the middle of Gods country, this may be a good option for you, as it has been for many other folks just like you!
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