Sell Your Hunting Land Note in Texas: What Buyers Look For

Texas is the undisputed capital of hunting land in the United States, with more than 140 million acres of privately owned land that supports some of the finest white-tailed deer, dove, quail, turkey, feral hog, and exotic game hunting anywhere in the country. If you hold a promissory note secured by hunting land in Texas, you own a financial asset backed by a unique type of collateral that operates according to its own set of valuation rules and market dynamics. The decision to sell your hunting land note in Texas can unlock immediate cash from an asset that may take years or even decades to pay out fully, and understanding what note buyers look for when evaluating hunting land collateral will help you maximize the value of your transaction.

Hunting land notes are different from suburban residential lot notes or commercial property notes in several important ways. The value of hunting land is driven not just by location and acreage but by the quality of the wildlife habitat, the species present, the availability of water, the terrain and vegetation, the property's management history, and the demand from hunters and outdoor enthusiasts who are willing to pay a premium for quality hunting experiences. These factors create a specialized market that rewards sellers who can clearly articulate the value of their collateral and note buyers who have the expertise to evaluate it accurately.

Whether your note is secured by a South Texas brush country deer lease, a Hill Country ranch with exotic game, an East Texas piney woods tract with excellent dove and turkey habitat, or a West Texas property with mule deer and pronghorn, this guide will walk you through everything you need to know about selling your hunting land note in Texas and what buyers look for when evaluating this distinctive type of collateral.

What Makes Hunting Land Unique as Note Collateral

Hunting land occupies a specialized niche in the Texas real estate market, and the factors that drive its value are different from those that drive the value of residential, commercial, or agricultural land. Understanding these unique characteristics will help you present your note in the strongest possible light and work effectively with buyers who understand the hunting land market.

Wildlife Quality and Habitat

The primary driver of hunting land value in Texas is the quality of the wildlife and the habitat that supports it. A property with a history of producing trophy-class white-tailed deer, for example, can be worth significantly more per acre than a similar-sized property without that track record. The presence of diverse wildlife species — deer, turkey, dove, quail, feral hog, and exotic game — adds to the property's appeal and value. Note buyers evaluating hunting land will consider the quality and diversity of the wildlife, the property's game management history, and the overall condition of the habitat. Properties that have been managed under a wildlife management plan and that carry a wildlife management agricultural valuation for tax purposes demonstrate a commitment to habitat quality that buyers find reassuring. If you have game camera data, harvest records, or wildlife management plans for the property, providing this documentation to the buyer can meaningfully enhance the valuation.

Water Features and Terrain

Water is perhaps the most critical resource for both wildlife and property value. Properties with natural water sources — creeks, springs, rivers, or stock tanks — are significantly more valuable than those that rely solely on rainfall or supplemental water. Year-round water attracts and holds wildlife on the property, which is essential for quality hunting. The terrain of the property also matters — a mix of open areas, brush cover, and wooded sections creates the diverse habitat structure that supports multiple wildlife species and provides the varied hunting experiences that sportsmen value. Note buyers will consider the property's water resources and terrain when assessing collateral value, and properties with reliable water and diverse topography will be valued more favorably than flat, dry tracts without natural water features.

Location and Hunting Region

The specific region of Texas where your property is located has a major impact on its value as hunting land. South Texas, often called the "Golden Triangle" for deer hunting, is the most prestigious and highest-valued hunting land market in the state, with properties regularly commanding $3,000 to $10,000 or more per acre. The Hill Country is highly valued for its scenic beauty and combination of deer, turkey, and exotic game hunting. The Blackland Prairie and Post Oak regions offer excellent dove and quail hunting. East Texas provides quality deer and turkey hunting in a piney woods setting. West Texas offers vast acreage for mule deer, pronghorn, and quail in a rugged, open landscape. The region where your property is located establishes a baseline per-acre value that serves as the starting point for the note buyer's collateral assessment.

Access, Infrastructure, and Improvements

The practical aspects of accessing and using the property for hunting also affect its value. A property with good road access, maintained interior roads, established food plots, deer blinds and stands, a well or water system, fencing (particularly high-fenced properties), a hunting cabin or lodge, and other improvements is worth more than a raw, unimproved tract. These improvements demonstrate that the property has been actively used and managed for hunting, and they make it more marketable to future buyers if the note ever needs to be foreclosed upon. Note buyers will consider the property's improvements when assessing how easily and at what price it could be sold in a worst-case scenario.

How to Sell Your Hunting Land Note in Texas

Selling a hunting land note follows the same general process as selling any Texas land note, but the specialized nature of the collateral means that some aspects of the transaction require additional attention and expertise.

Compile Comprehensive Documentation

For a hunting land note, documentation goes beyond the standard promissory note, deed of trust, and payment history. You should also provide any available wildlife management plans, harvest records, game camera surveys, property maps showing food plots and water features, information about fencing (particularly if the property is high-fenced), and documentation of improvements like cabins, blinds, and roads. Any documentation of the property's agricultural valuation for tax purposes — whether for livestock, wildlife management, or timber — is also relevant because it affects the carrying cost of the property and its attractiveness to potential buyers. For the standard note documents, review this checklist on documents needed to sell a land note in Texas.

Work with a Buyer Who Understands Hunting Land

Not all note buyers are equipped to evaluate hunting land collateral accurately. The specialized nature of the market — with its focus on wildlife quality, habitat condition, and recreational value rather than conventional development potential — requires a buyer who understands how hunting land is valued and who can assess the collateral with the expertise it deserves. A buyer who is unfamiliar with hunting land may undervalue the property by applying suburban or agricultural valuation methods that don't capture the recreational premium, or they may simply decline to make an offer due to unfamiliarity with the asset class. Longhorn Note Buyers has been purchasing land notes across Texas since 2007, including notes secured by hunting land in every major hunting region of the state, and we have the experience to evaluate your hunting land note fairly and accurately.

Due Diligence for Hunting Land Notes

The due diligence process for hunting land notes includes the standard title search and payment verification, along with a property valuation that takes into account the land's hunting-specific attributes. The buyer may use comparable sales of hunting properties in the same region, broker price opinions from land brokers who specialize in ranch and recreational properties, or a combination of approaches to determine the current market value. This valuation process can take somewhat longer than for a suburban residential lot because the comparable sales data for hunting land is less abundant and the properties are more heterogeneous — no two hunting tracts are identical, which makes precise valuation more challenging. Expect the due diligence phase to take one to three weeks depending on the property's location and characteristics.

Closing the Transaction

Once due diligence is complete, closing proceeds in the standard manner. Assignment documents are prepared, signed, and recorded with the appropriate county clerk, and the buyer wires the purchase price. The total timeline from initial contact to funding is typically two to five weeks for hunting land notes, with the variability reflecting the additional time that may be needed for specialized property valuations. For a broader view of note-selling timelines, see this article on the timeline for selling a land note in Texas.

What Note Buyers Look For in Hunting Land Collateral

Note buyers evaluating hunting land notes apply the same fundamental analysis as they would for any note — interest rate, payment history, LTV ratio — but they also assess the hunting-specific attributes that drive the property's value and marketability.

Proven Wildlife Production

A property with a documented history of producing quality game is significantly more valuable than one without such a record. Game camera photos, harvest records showing the quality and age structure of deer taken, wildlife surveys, and any participation in regional wildlife management programs all provide evidence that the property supports healthy, huntable wildlife populations. Note buyers view this documentation as analogous to income records for a commercial property — it demonstrates that the asset is productive and generates the kind of value that justifies the price being paid for it. If you have this type of documentation, it can meaningfully improve the buyer's assessment of the collateral.

High Fence vs. Low Fence

In the Texas hunting land market, the distinction between high-fenced and low-fenced properties is significant. High-fenced properties — those enclosed by game-proof fencing, typically eight feet or higher — allow the landowner to manage wildlife populations more intensively, controlling genetics, population density, and harvest rates. High-fenced properties with quality deer management programs can command substantial premiums over low-fenced properties because they offer a more controlled and often more productive hunting experience. For note buyers, a high-fenced property represents enhanced collateral value because the wildlife management infrastructure adds to the property's marketability and the premium that buyers are willing to pay. However, high fencing also represents a significant capital investment that needs to be maintained, and the buyer will consider the condition of the fencing as part of their assessment.

Water Availability and Quality

Water is the lifeblood of a hunting property, and note buyers will pay close attention to the water resources available on your property. Properties with live creeks, springs, rivers, or large stock tanks with reliable water levels are the most valuable. Wells with good production can supplement natural water sources. Properties that rely solely on rainfall or that have limited water resources will face a larger discount because water scarcity limits both wildlife populations and the property's long-term sustainability as a hunting destination. If your property has a reliable water supply, make sure to document it thoroughly — including well production rates, creek flow data, or photos of stock tanks and springs — when presenting the note to potential buyers.

Regional Market Position

The hunting land market in Texas is regional, and the value of your property is heavily influenced by the norms and expectations of its specific region. South Texas brush country properties trade at the highest per-acre prices due to the region's reputation for trophy white-tailed deer. Hill Country properties command premiums for their scenic beauty and combination of game species. East Texas properties offer quality hunting at lower price points. West Texas properties provide vast acreage at modest per-acre costs. The note buyer will assess your property within the context of its regional market, comparing it to other hunting land sales in the same area to determine a fair collateral value. Providing the buyer with information about recent comparable sales in your region can help ensure that the valuation is accurate and fair.

Hunting Land Note Discounts — What to Expect

The discount on hunting land notes tends to be somewhat larger than for suburban residential notes, reflecting the more specialized nature of the collateral and the smaller pool of potential buyers in a foreclosure scenario.

Typical Discount Ranges

For performing hunting land notes in Texas, discounts typically range from 15% to 35% of the remaining balance. Notes backed by premium South Texas or Hill Country hunting properties with strong payment histories and favorable terms will receive offers at the lower end of that range. Notes backed by properties in less prestigious hunting regions, with less developed infrastructure, or with thinner payment histories will face larger discounts. The higher end of the discount range reflects the additional risk and effort associated with marketing and selling hunting land in a foreclosure scenario, which is a more specialized process than selling a suburban residential lot.

Factors That Reduce the Discount

Several factors can help reduce the discount on your hunting land note. A strong borrower payment history is the most important — it demonstrates that the note is performing well regardless of the property type. Complete documentation of the property's hunting attributes, wildlife management programs, and improvements helps the buyer assess the collateral with confidence. A favorable loan-to-value ratio provides the buyer with adequate protection. Working with a direct buyer rather than a broker eliminates intermediary costs. And providing comparable sales data from the property's specific region helps ensure that the valuation is based on accurate market information rather than generic estimates. For a broader look at how discounts work, read this article about discounts when selling a land note in Texas.

Regional Considerations for Texas Hunting Land Notes

The region where your hunting property is located has a significant impact on the note's value and the buyer's evaluation approach. Here is a brief overview of the major hunting land regions in Texas and their relevance to note sales.

South Texas Brush Country

South Texas is the crown jewel of the Texas hunting land market, famous worldwide for producing trophy-class white-tailed deer. Properties in the "Golden Triangle" — roughly bounded by San Antonio, Laredo, and Corpus Christi — trade at the highest per-acre prices of any hunting land in the state. The dense brush country provides excellent cover for deer, and the region's mild winters and nutritious browse support antler growth that is unmatched in most other parts of the country. Notes backed by South Texas hunting properties benefit from the prestige and premium values associated with the region, and experienced note buyers recognize the strength of this sub-market. However, the remote nature of many South Texas properties and the specialized buyer pool mean that the liquidation timeline in a foreclosure could be longer than for a suburban property, which is reflected in the discount.

Hill Country

The Texas Hill Country offers a unique combination of scenic beauty, diverse wildlife, and lifestyle appeal that makes it one of the most desirable hunting land markets in the state. Properties here support white-tailed deer, axis deer, blackbuck antelope, turkey, and a variety of other game species. The Hill Country's proximity to San Antonio and Austin adds a component of recreational and lifestyle demand that extends beyond pure hunting value, and many Hill Country properties serve as family ranches, weekend retreats, and investment properties as well as hunting destinations. Notes backed by Hill Country hunting property benefit from this broad demand base and the premium values that the region commands.

East Texas Piney Woods

East Texas offers quality hunting for white-tailed deer, turkey, dove, and feral hog in a piney woods setting that provides a very different experience from South Texas or the Hill Country. Property values in East Texas are generally lower per acre, which means that hunting land notes in this region tend to have smaller balances. The timber value of East Texas properties can add an additional economic dimension that enhances the collateral's total value. Notes backed by East Texas hunting land are sellable at moderate discounts, particularly if the property has been well-managed for both timber and wildlife.

West Texas and the Panhandle

West Texas offers vast, rugged landscapes for hunting mule deer, pronghorn, quail, and dove, with per-acre prices that are among the lowest in the state due to the semi-arid conditions and remote locations. The large acreages typical of West Texas hunting properties mean that even modest per-acre values can translate into substantial total property values. Notes backed by West Texas hunting land may face larger discounts due to the limited buyer pool and the challenges associated with marketing remote, arid-climate properties, but the vast acreage and the unique hunting opportunities they offer ensure that there are always buyers interested in quality West Texas land.

Ready to Sell Your Note?

If you're ready to sell your hunting land note in Texas, Longhorn Note Buyers has the experience and the statewide perspective to evaluate your note with the expertise it deserves. We've purchased more than $46 million in Texas land notes since 2007, including notes backed by hunting properties across every major region of the state, and our 100% close rate means that every offer we make is a genuine commitment to purchase. Our founder, Nick McFadin, has been buying notes since 1983 and understands the Texas hunting land market at a level that few other buyers can match.

We are a direct buyer — not a broker — which means we purchase with our own capital and there are no middlemen, no hidden fees, and no surprises between your quote and closing. Whether your note is secured by a trophy South Texas deer ranch, a Hill Country exotic game property, an East Texas timber and hunting tract, or a West Texas quail operation, we can evaluate it fairly and provide a competitive cash offer within 24 hours.

Call us today at (210) 828-3573 or visit longhornnotebuyers.com to request your free, no-obligation quote. Selling your hunting land note in Texas is a smart way to convert a specialized asset into immediate cash, and we're here to make the process as simple and rewarding as possible.

Frequently Asked Questions About Selling a Hunting Land Note in Texas

Does a high fence increase my note's value?

A high fence generally increases the value of hunting land collateral because it demonstrates a commitment to intensive wildlife management and allows for the control of deer genetics and population density that produces trophy-class animals. High-fenced properties command significant premiums in the Texas hunting land market, particularly in South Texas and the Hill Country where the deer management culture is strongest. Note buyers will consider the presence and condition of a high fence as a positive factor in their collateral assessment. However, the fence itself represents a maintenance obligation, and if the fencing is in poor condition or has breaches that compromise its effectiveness, the premium may be reduced.

How do note buyers value hunting land compared to agricultural land?

Hunting land and agricultural land are valued using different frameworks because they serve different purposes and appeal to different buyer pools. Agricultural land is valued primarily based on its productive capacity — soil quality, irrigation access, crop yields, and the income it generates from farming or ranching. Hunting land is valued based on its recreational value — wildlife quality, habitat condition, water features, terrain diversity, and the hunting experience it offers. In many parts of Texas, hunting land trades at a significant premium to agricultural land because the demand from recreational buyers is strong and growing. Note buyers will use hunting land comparable sales rather than agricultural sales to value your collateral, and working with a buyer who understands this distinction is essential for getting a fair assessment.

What if my property has both hunting and agricultural value?

Many Texas hunting properties also have agricultural value — they may support cattle grazing, hay production, or other agricultural activities in addition to wildlife. This dual use can actually enhance the property's value because it provides multiple income streams and appeals to a broader buyer pool. Note buyers will consider the total value of the property, including its agricultural productivity and any agricultural tax exemptions, when assessing the collateral. If your property generates income from both hunting leases and agricultural activities, providing documentation of both income streams gives the buyer a more complete picture of the collateral's economic value.

Can I sell a note on a hunting lease property?

If your property is being used as a hunting lease — meaning the borrower or another party is leasing hunting rights to third-party hunters — this can be a positive factor for the note because it demonstrates that the property generates income beyond the borrower's own use. However, the note buyer's primary focus will still be on the terms of the note, the borrower's payment history, and the underlying property value rather than on the hunting lease income itself. If you have information about the hunting lease terms and income, providing it to the buyer gives them useful context about the property's economic productivity and can support a more favorable assessment.

How long does it take to sell a hunting land note?

The typical timeline for selling a hunting land note is two to five weeks from initial contact to funding. The preliminary offer is usually provided within 24 hours. The due diligence phase may take one to three weeks, reflecting the additional time needed to value specialized hunting land using comparable sales from the same region and potentially obtaining a broker price opinion from a land broker familiar with the area. Closing is completed within a few business days after due diligence. Properties with thorough documentation of their hunting attributes and clear title histories tend to close at the faster end of the range.