“Owning your own piece of property is one of the goals of many outdoorsmen and women.  The reasons why people want to own their own property are many.  Having control of and enjoying the benefits of rural land is a great way to enjoy the fruits of an investment.  Owning rural land, whether farmland, timberland, or pastureland, is considered by many as a great alternative investment to stocks and bonds.  Many buy rural land for the benefits of hunting, fishing, hiking, weekend getaway or other outdoor activities as well as the ability to do their own wildlife management  on the property.  Being a good steward of the environment gives many a reason to manage their own property as well as having a hobby farm and growing their own food.  As an investment, land is a finite resource and will always be in high demand.

The vast abundance of timber and farm land in Alabama combined with a mild climate and diverse wildlife habitat is host to some of the highest populations of wildlife in the nation. Wildlife such as whitetail deer, eastern wild turkey, waterfowl, upland birds, small game and excellent fresh water fishing combined with one of the longest hunting seasons and some of the most generous bag limits in the nation translates into a $2.7 billion dollar recreational hunting and fishing industry for  Alabama.

Taking a “rough” unmanaged piece of timberland and fixing it up to create a hunters paradise is also something that is enjoyable to land owners as well as a good investment in resale value.  However, we have seen many properties that are unburned, unmanaged, have roads that are choked by brush, have fields with thick saplings all along the edges and you cannot see through the woods anywhere.  It is easy to see opportunities for improvement here!  One of the biggest values we see that landowners appreciate is the ability to see the woods.  Woods that are choked up with brush and saplings, or are unthinned, are unattractive and unproductive for wildlife.  By burning and clearing or thinning the timber to allow the woods to open up, you can not only increase aesthetic value, you increase land and wildlife value as well.  The idea is to get a “pretty woods” with lots of grass on the ground so you can see off in the distance.  Obviously, this helps hunting as well by not only helping maintain higher wildlife populations but allowing you to see them regularly.

At Bach and DeVos Forestry and Wildlife Services, we not only help landowners in central Alabama manage their asset correctly but also buy and sell recreational land.  We handle timber sales, chemical applications, reforestation, controlled burning, “woods” road construction and clearing work with two large woodland mulchers with 240 hp and 300 hp respectively.”