Last year, my wife and I were able to purchase our dream property, thanks to a very generous land owner and the folks at GreenStone Farm Credit Services.
It was a realization of a lifelong dream of mine and something I’m thankful for every single day. In southern Michigan, purchasing land can be difficult, especially hunting land. There’s not much for sale and plenty of potential buyers. So, to end up owning a chunk of premium hunting ground seemed like a dream for most of my life, and still does to some extent. I’m not sure if I realized it when we signed the papers, but this was the beginning of new adventure for our family.
This particular piece of property is one that I’ve hunted for nearly 15 years and have enjoyed countless experiences on. In recent years my wife and I, along with our two children, have enjoyed spending time there throughout the year doing a wide variety of outdoor activities. That being said, the deer hunter in me is always thinking about fall. I find myself constantly wondering what the next deer season will bring or reflecting on previous seasons. Heading into this year my mind was racing with anticipation of what was to come. For the first time in my life, my primary hunting spot would be my own.
Once the snow was off, I found myself wandering around the property thinking about what improvements I could make to the current habitat to enhance it for wildlife. It was a strange sensation to realize that I no longer needed to dream about what I wanted to do, instead, I could actually do it. In a way, it was also somewhat daunting. The possibilities seem endless when it comes to property enhancements.
As spring progressed into early summer, I started to cross off some of the things I had planned out early in the year. I added a few new blinds, hung a few new tree stands, and planted three new food plots. It seemed like I spent pretty much all of my free time doing something around the property. Although it was a lot work, it hardly felt that way. The more work I did, the more I thought about the future. I would think about things like planting trees and what they might look like down the road, what they might look like when my kids were older. With or without any changes I might make, the property is beautiful and I find myself constantly in awe of what we own.
Here today, I’m anxious to see what this deer season holds. After a lifetime of dreaming of what could be, it’s time to enjoy what is. More than anything, I’m thankful to have a piece of property to call my own and I can’t wait to enjoy it with friends and family this fall!
To view the article in the online 2023 Fall Partners Magazine, click here.
