108.58 +/- Acres of Timber, Tillable, & Proven Whitetail Ground

Property Description

The Des Moines River corridor in Southeastern Iowa produces a particular kind of deer country. Deep timber. Isolated agriculture. Low hunting pressure over large areas. Van Buren County sits squarely in that belt, and this 108.58 acre farm near Stockport in Union Township, known as the “Bone Feather Farm”, is exactly the kind of ground that makes hunters drive past other farms to get here. Farms in neighborhoods that consistently produce deer of this caliber do not come to the market often.

A deer over 200 inches has come off this property. Trail cameras have documented another in the same class. The landowner has kept hunting pressure low, and it shows in the history. This is not a listing built around what a property could become with the right management. The program is already running.

The Hunting Program
38 acres of mature hardwood timber anchors the north and south of this farm. That timber does not just hold deer. It creates a sanctuary that the surrounding agricultural ground works off of. Broom sedge and native grass pockets provide the kind of thermal bedding cover that keeps mature bucks on the property through the season, not just in it temporarily.

The layout handles multiple wind directions. When the wind shifts, the hunt does not have to end. Established travel corridors funnel deer between the bedding and the food without exposing a hunter prematurely. That kind of setup takes years to develop naturally. On this farm, it is already in place. All box blinds and deer stands convey with the sale.

A branch of Little Lick Creek runs west to east across the southern portion of the property. Two year-round ponds, one positioned on the north end and one on the south, give deer consistent water access across the full length of the farm. A large landowner to the north practices QDMA principles, which extends the low-pressure buffer well beyond the property line.

A 13 acre addition of 100 percent tillable ground was recently incorporated into the farm, connecting the north and south tracts into a single contiguous unit. That connection created a new internal funnel between the two halves that was not there before. The current tenant has 25 acres planted in beans and leaves a portion standing through late season, adding high-calorie food at exactly the time mature bucks are moving.

Turkey & Upland
The timber edges and creek bottom on this farm support a strong resident turkey population with ideal roosting and strutting habitat in close proximity, which keeps birds on the property rather than drifting to neighboring ground in the spring. The native grasses and cover strips throughout the farm provide quality nesting habitat for both turkey and pheasant, giving each species the ground cover and structure they need to reproduce and stay. This farm produces well after deer season closes.

Tillable Ground & Income
The 69.61 FSA crop acres carry a CSR2 of 41.6. The current tenant applies hog manure annually, building long-term organic matter and soil productivity. Current cash rent in the area runs $185 to $200 per acre. The tillable ground funds the holding cost while the hunting program runs independently. These two functions coexist on this farm without competing.

Building Site & Utilities
The northwest corner of the farm carries a natural building site with a terrain position that keeps construction separate from the hunting ground. Electric is on the road, with rural water on site. Fiber optic is available nearby. A hunting cabin, a permanent home, or a weekend retreat are all viable. The site is positioned so that whatever gets built there does not compromise the program on the rest of the farm.