Nah, not a big spread, just 40 acres in the midst of a national forest so most of the land is state or federal or owned by paper mills (they grow aspen mostly and basically do nothing with the land though sometimes lease it for hunting). Never bothered with raising animals for meat, that's what hunting season is for. Bear, deer, fish, small game. Far better than beef, which seems tasteless to me. My first solid food was literally venison, been eating it ever since. Been thinking I might do some chickens next year, we'll see. Garden for veggies, fruit trees, berry bushes, forage mushrooms, experimenting with growing some as well.
Emergency services? Why? No, never worried me, only issues are occasional trespassers that run like hell when they see you walking towards them with a rifle. Mostly cause they walked right past the obvious no trespassing signs and know they bloody well shouldn't be there. Mostly the emergencies are the usual country things like people stuck in ditches (tow straps, chains, and winches fix that) and blow downs with storms (carry a chainsaw for those).
As to how? Save your money, buy land where the cost of living is cheap and people are few and far between as the two tend to go hand in hand. This place was bought quite a while ago and the cost was obscenely low, ~$150/acre. Most stuff worth having costs at least 10x that now.
Thanks. Wow, $150 an acre. I wonder if there is anyplace in the country where you could buy land that cheap these days. I doubt it. Yeah, I know plenty of people who would think 10 x that - $1500.00 an acres was insanely cheap. I often think I would like that lifestyle, but then I wonder if I actually would. I'm not a people person, but could I really live that solitary an existence? I don't know. Maybe I could. Maybe I'd love it. Never had the chance to find out.
Why do you think people trespass? Are they looking to rob you or what?
Poachers mostly, they don't care about any laws. You DO NOT confront them unarmed, EVER. Also, since they are actively breaking the law not only by trespassing but poaching as well, they don't want anyone to know who they are, hence they run like hell. One quick call to the TIP (Turn In Poachers) Hotline can land them in a whole world of hurt. Double trouble if it is federal land they are doing it on. Lot of seasonal places out this way as well so most that do trespass are the ones new to this area. Never had to chase the same one off twice.
As to robbers? Yes, they are around but they tend to target the seasonal places in the down-season. Spring for the hunting cabins, winter for the summer cabins/lake homes. They virtually never hit a place that has signs of regular occupancy, they don't want to get shot. And out here, no one would think twice about hearing a shot at night ... just a poacher, right? Hell, easier to disappear a body and car than deal with the laziest cops in existence and a corrupt city council. Course, I think it is actually covered by the county mounties here, hell never bothered to find out, never had to, don't plan to.
Very occasionally you get a genuinely confused person that is lost and can't find their way out to the road and they are just happy to see someone and get directions.
Northern Minnesota. Lived in a few places after HS, couldn't stand any of them so I moved back, lol. Happens a lot out this way. People spend their time just waiting to flee the area while growing up, then missing the heck out of it when they land elsewhere. Many come back, though most take a while to figure it out.
Lol about the genuinely confused person just happy to see someone. :D
Thanks for chatting. It's interesting. I have more questions but don't want to drive you crazy. If you're up for it, I'll leave them here for you to answer whenever. I have to get to bed so I won't see if you answer them tonight.
Just wondering if you live alone, all alone or if you have a wife and kids. And if you're retired or work from home. Sounds like the nearest job would be a long drive. Heading to bed. 'Night, fren.
Bachelor life for me. Gave up looking for a wife over 20 years ago. Was literally nothing but women saying, "I don't want anything serious, just sex, it doesn't mean anything." Well, I don't do that, so waved the bat crap crazies on to the next poor SOB. Last I heard, each of those women had married and divorced multiple times and had multiple kids by various guys. Felt crazy turning them down but looking back, it was dodging bullets.
Work from home and have a few on-call things I do at times. Pays the property taxes and electric bill. Expenses are very low for me since I'm single. Don't go out much at all. The "lock-down" just meant that instead of wasting time in town I did more fishing and hunting (such a hardship /s).
Growing up I used to think it was horrible to have to drive 5 miles to work. Heck, now it's that far just to get to a paved road, then that again to the nearest dinky town with no worthwhile shops. 20 miles to the nearest big box, almost 40 to the nearest "computer shop". 100 miles if you need an apple product fixed (haven't used their stuff in 30 years). Yeah, things are a bit of a drive for the odd jobs I do (and the supplies for it), but pays well enough.
Nah, not a big spread, just 40 acres in the midst of a national forest so most of the land is state or federal or owned by paper mills (they grow aspen mostly and basically do nothing with the land though sometimes lease it for hunting). Never bothered with raising animals for meat, that's what hunting season is for. Bear, deer, fish, small game. Far better than beef, which seems tasteless to me. My first solid food was literally venison, been eating it ever since. Been thinking I might do some chickens next year, we'll see. Garden for veggies, fruit trees, berry bushes, forage mushrooms, experimenting with growing some as well.
Emergency services? Why? No, never worried me, only issues are occasional trespassers that run like hell when they see you walking towards them with a rifle. Mostly cause they walked right past the obvious no trespassing signs and know they bloody well shouldn't be there. Mostly the emergencies are the usual country things like people stuck in ditches (tow straps, chains, and winches fix that) and blow downs with storms (carry a chainsaw for those).
As to how? Save your money, buy land where the cost of living is cheap and people are few and far between as the two tend to go hand in hand. This place was bought quite a while ago and the cost was obscenely low, ~$150/acre. Most stuff worth having costs at least 10x that now.
Thanks. Wow, $150 an acre. I wonder if there is anyplace in the country where you could buy land that cheap these days. I doubt it. Yeah, I know plenty of people who would think 10 x that - $1500.00 an acres was insanely cheap. I often think I would like that lifestyle, but then I wonder if I actually would. I'm not a people person, but could I really live that solitary an existence? I don't know. Maybe I could. Maybe I'd love it. Never had the chance to find out.
Why do you think people trespass? Are they looking to rob you or what?
Poachers mostly, they don't care about any laws. You DO NOT confront them unarmed, EVER. Also, since they are actively breaking the law not only by trespassing but poaching as well, they don't want anyone to know who they are, hence they run like hell. One quick call to the TIP (Turn In Poachers) Hotline can land them in a whole world of hurt. Double trouble if it is federal land they are doing it on. Lot of seasonal places out this way as well so most that do trespass are the ones new to this area. Never had to chase the same one off twice.
As to robbers? Yes, they are around but they tend to target the seasonal places in the down-season. Spring for the hunting cabins, winter for the summer cabins/lake homes. They virtually never hit a place that has signs of regular occupancy, they don't want to get shot. And out here, no one would think twice about hearing a shot at night ... just a poacher, right? Hell, easier to disappear a body and car than deal with the laziest cops in existence and a corrupt city council. Course, I think it is actually covered by the county mounties here, hell never bothered to find out, never had to, don't plan to.
Very occasionally you get a genuinely confused person that is lost and can't find their way out to the road and they are just happy to see someone and get directions.
While I admire this life, I personally am unprepared for it. What area do you own land?
Northern Minnesota. Lived in a few places after HS, couldn't stand any of them so I moved back, lol. Happens a lot out this way. People spend their time just waiting to flee the area while growing up, then missing the heck out of it when they land elsewhere. Many come back, though most take a while to figure it out.
Lol about the genuinely confused person just happy to see someone. :D
Thanks for chatting. It's interesting. I have more questions but don't want to drive you crazy. If you're up for it, I'll leave them here for you to answer whenever. I have to get to bed so I won't see if you answer them tonight.
Just wondering if you live alone, all alone or if you have a wife and kids. And if you're retired or work from home. Sounds like the nearest job would be a long drive. Heading to bed. 'Night, fren.
Bachelor life for me. Gave up looking for a wife over 20 years ago. Was literally nothing but women saying, "I don't want anything serious, just sex, it doesn't mean anything." Well, I don't do that, so waved the bat crap crazies on to the next poor SOB. Last I heard, each of those women had married and divorced multiple times and had multiple kids by various guys. Felt crazy turning them down but looking back, it was dodging bullets.
Work from home and have a few on-call things I do at times. Pays the property taxes and electric bill. Expenses are very low for me since I'm single. Don't go out much at all. The "lock-down" just meant that instead of wasting time in town I did more fishing and hunting (such a hardship /s).
Growing up I used to think it was horrible to have to drive 5 miles to work. Heck, now it's that far just to get to a paved road, then that again to the nearest dinky town with no worthwhile shops. 20 miles to the nearest big box, almost 40 to the nearest "computer shop". 100 miles if you need an apple product fixed (haven't used their stuff in 30 years). Yeah, things are a bit of a drive for the odd jobs I do (and the supplies for it), but pays well enough.