Outdoors columnist Dan Geddings: The new land

The land is as old as time itself, and the only thing that is new is our connection to it. We can own rights to the land, but it truly belongs to no one and to everyone.

Land ownership changes over the course of time, and people have different ideas about how to use the land. Some folks will leave the land idle, some will continue to farm or grow timber, and some will look to develop the land. All those things are valid uses.

Some landowners will lease hunting and fishing rights to an individual or to a club. Some leases will run for decades, some not so long. It is, of course, up to the individual landowner. A good club will usually keep a lease for as long as the landowner makes it available. A club with problems may find itself losing land over time.

Hunting clubs must have land to operate and usually the more the better. Some hunting clubs will buy the land, and some will have members that own land. But most will have to lease property. Hunting clubs will do almost anything, within reason, to hold onto the land. Price can be a factor, and public relations can come into play.

Sometimes when a property changes hands, a new landowner may want to change lease holders. There may be no overbearing reason. It can be a gut-wrenching blow to a hunting club that is holding the lease but may be a great opportunity for another club. A case in point is the Lowcountry club I've been a member of for a decade. We recently lost a big section of land when the property was sold. The land has been clear cut, and a portion near the highway is being developed. There is nothing we can do about it, but still, it hurts. I don't know who may be hunting there now.

Sometimes we may be in a position to gain a property. To us, it is the "new land." We may or may not know how or why it came to us. What matters is that we manage it wisely and establish a good relationship with the new owner. Most forest properties are clear cut when they are sold. It gives the seller or the buyer a cash fund to retire debt or the means to reforest and improve the road network.

It will take a long time for the woodlands to recover, and it will offer a different habitat for wildlife. Deer especially like a clear cut, and rabbits and quail and some songbirds. Most forestry companies will do site prep and replant a monoculture of pine trees. Some landowners will let the land regenerate, with more diversity. Hunt clubs can adapt to either scenario.

One of the best things about a new property is exploring the land. Is it swampy or dry? Are there roads and trails? What is the age of the timber? Are there food plots or areas that can be converted into food plots? Is there a permanent water source? What will the landowner let you do? I once had an absentee landowner tell me over the phone to do anything I wanted to do. He had never seen the property.

We should never assume that we can do whatever we like with a leased property. It belongs to someone else. Ask the landowner. If he doesn't want a certain activity, then don't do it. Don't let him find out from someone else if you're overstepping your bounds.

A new property may stay with us for a long time, or it may change hands. We all know that the one constant in life is that things change. We are here to make things better. We can make the land better, and even if we can't keep it through no fault of our own, someone else can enjoy it. It will be their new land.

Reach Dan Geddings at cdgeddings@gmail.com.