Hunter Schoonover-Missouri Land Specialist

10/15/2026

3 Things to Know About Easements When Buying Rural Land

Before purchasing a farm or hunting property in Missouri, make sure you understand any easements affecting the land.

1. Legal access matters. Just because a road or farm lane exists doesn’t mean you automatically have the legal right to use it. Verify your access before closing.

2. Other parties may have rights to use your property. Utility lines, pipelines, drainage systems, and neighboring landowners’ access can all involve easements that affect how you use your land.

3. Review the paperwork. Have the title documents reviewed and determine whether a survey is needed to identify easements and potential restrictions.

Easements aren’t necessarily a bad thing, but understanding them before you buy can help prevent surprises down the road.

When buying rural land, what’s on the property is important, but understanding the legal rights attached to it is just as important.

Hunter Schoonover | Premier Land & Auction Group

📱 660.373.9682
📧 [email protected]

10/14/2026

3 Key Factors to Consider When Buying a Hunting Property

1. Property Layout

- Access routes: Can you reach your hunting spots without spooking deer?
- Wind direction: Does the layout allow you to hunt different winds throughout the season?
- Road access: Is there reliable legal access to the property?

A well laid out 40 acre farm can hunt better than a poorly laid out 100 acre farm.

2. Habitat, Food, & Water

- Bedding cover: Thick brush, native grasses, and timber that provide security for deer.
- Food sources: Crop fields, potential food plot locations, acorns, and other natural browse.
- Water sources: Creeks, ponds, or potential for adding a water hole.
- Timber quality: Hardwoods, oak varieties, and opportunities for timber stand improvement.
- Wildlife diversity: Diverse landscape/habitat that promotes diverse wildlife.

In northern Missouri, a farm with a good combination of crop fields, thick cover, water sources, and mature timber can offer excellent wildlife habitat.

3. Neighboring Properties

- Neighboring land use: Are nearby properties managed for wildlife, crop ground, or pasture?
- Timber and cover connections: Do deer have corridors to travel between bedding areas and food sources across property lines?
- Hunting pressure: How much pressure do neighboring hunters put on the deer herd?
- Future changes: Could nearby timber be cleared, land be developed, or habitat be altered?

Remember, you're not just buying the acreage, you're buying into the surrounding landscape and how wildlife uses it.

My advice as a Missouri Land Specialist: Don't judge a hunting farm by acreage alone. The best hunting farms combine good access, quality habitat, and a favorable surrounding landscape.

Hunter Schoonover | Premier Land & Auction Group

📱 660.373.9682
📧 [email protected]

10/13/2026

One of the biggest things we provide our sellers is peace of mind.

From the day you decide to sell until the day you close, we take care of the details.

Preparing the listing. Local, regional and nationwide marketing. Fielding buyer questions. Providing advice along the way. Coordinating the paperwork. Working with the title company and everyone involved to keep the transaction moving toward closing.

There will always be decisions for the seller to make.

Our job is to make those decisions easier and handle everything else we can.

That’s what full-service should look like.

Premier Land & Auction Group,
Real Broker, LLC
https://premierlandsales.com/

10/08/2026

BUYING OR SELLING MISSOURI CROP GROUND? TEST THE SOIL.

When you’re looking at a Missouri farm, it’s easy to focus on price per acre, tillable acres, soil types, and yield history. But there’s another piece of information that can tell you a lot about the farm’s condition….a soil test.

Missouri soils can vary significantly from one farm to the next and even from one field to another. A soil map may tell you what type of soil you’re buying, but a soil test can tell you what condition that soil is currently in.

A good soil test can show things such as:

• pH – Is the soil too acidic or in a good range for the crops being grown?
• Phosphorus (P) – Important for root development and plant growth.
• Potassium (K) – Important for plant health, water regulation, and yield potential.
• Organic matter – An important indicator of soil health and nutrient-holding capacity.
• Other nutrients – Depending on the testing program, additional nutrients can be evaluated.

This matters because management history follows the soil.

A field that has been well managed over the years may be in excellent condition. Another field with similar soil types and productivity potential may have depleted nutrient levels because of years of inadequate management.

That doesn’t necessarily make one farm a bad investment, but it can mean additional money will need to be invested after you buy it.

For example, if a field has a low pH, you may need a lime application. If phosphorus or potassium levels are low, fertilizer costs can add up quickly across hundreds of acres.

For buyers: Soil testing can help you understand what you’re actually buying and what additional inputs may be needed.

For sellers: Recent soil tests can help demonstrate that your farm has been well maintained and give potential buyers more information about the condition of the ground.

When evaluating Missouri crop ground, don’t just ask:

“How many acres is it?”

Ask:

“What condition are those acres in?”

A farm’s value isn’t just what’s on the surface, it’s also what’s underneath.

Hunter Schoonover | Premier Land & Auction Group

📱 660.373.9682
📧 [email protected]

10/06/2026

ARGUABLE THE MOST IMPORTANT FACTOR IN BUYING A HUNTING PROPERTY…………ACCESS

When evaluating a hunting property, it’s easy to focus on the number of acres, timber, food plots, ponds, and deer sign.

But one of the most important things to look at is how you actually access the property.

Good hunting access can make a huge difference in how effectively you can hunt a farm without unnecessarily disturbing the deer.

Here are a few things I would look at:

• Legal access: Does the property have direct road frontage, or is access dependent on an easement or crossing someone else’s property? Make sure you understand exactly what rights come with the property.

• Multiple access points: Having more than one way into a farm can be extremely valuable. It gives you options depending on wind direction, weather, crop conditions, and where deer are bedding.

• Access to different parts of the property: A farm might have 100 acres of great habitat, but if you can only comfortably reach one portion of it, you may not be able to take full advantage of the property.

• Roads and trails: Established farm roads, ATV trails, timber roads, and field lanes can make accessing stands and retrieving game much easier. Pay attention to where those routes go and whether they remain usable in wet conditions.

• Entry and exit routes: You don’t want to walk through bedding areas every time you hunt. Ideally, you can get to your stand without unnecessarily crossing the areas you’re trying to hunt.

• Neighboring properties: Look at what surrounds the farm. A property can have great habitat, but limited access or heavy hunting pressure on neighboring ground can affect how deer use your property.

• Wind: Good access should allow you to approach stands with the wind working in your favor. Sometimes the best stand isn’t the one with the most deer sign—it’s the one you can reach without blowing deer out.

• Deer retrieval: Think about what happens after the shot, too. Can you realistically get a harvested deer out of the property without creating unnecessary disturbance or needing access through a neighbor’s land?

When buying a hunting farm, don’t just ask:

“Where are the deer?”

Ask:

“How am I going to hunt them?”

Access is one of those things that may not show up in the acreage number or the property description, but it can have a major impact on the actual hunting value of a farm.

If you’re looking at purchasing hunting or recreational land in Missouri, I’d be happy to help you evaluate the property from both a land and hunting perspective.

Hunter Schoonover | Premier Land & Auction Group

📱660.373.9682
📧 [email protected]

10/01/2026

UNDER CONTRACT

This 5± acre property in Carroll County, Missouri is officially under contract!

A great waterfowl hunting property located just across the Missouri River from Grand Pass Conservation Area!

Another property matched with the perfect buyer!

If you’re thinking about buying or selling Missouri land, it would be my pleasure to help you. Give me a call today!

Hunter Schoonover | Premier Land & Auction Group
📞 660-373-9682
📧 [email protected]

09/29/2026

White Oaks vs Red Oaks

White Oak

- Rounded leaf lobes
- Acorn cap looks knobby/scaly
- Acorns mature in one year
- Bark generally lighter gray and flaky/scaly
- Acorns are generally less bitter (this makes them more desirable by deer and other wildlife)

Red Oak

- Pointed leaf lobes with little bristle tips
- Acorn cap generally has thin, smoother scales
- Acorns take two years to mature
- Bark is generally darker and has deeper grooves
- Acorns tend to be more bitter because of higher tannin content (This makes them the second choice for all wildlife)

The way I identify them?

I look at the leaves.

Rounded lobes = white oak
Pointed tip lobes = red oak

For a Missouri hunting property, I’d pay attention to which individual oak trees are actually producing, rather than simply counting red vs white oaks.

When scouting in September/October find the actual producing trees. Look underneath them for fresh acorns, cracked shells, deer tracks, droppings, etc. Then mark those trees on OnX and keep an eye on them as the season goes on.

09/27/2026

Ever wonder why some NO TRESPASSING signs are purple?

If you spend much time in rural Missouri, you’ve probably seen purple paint on trees, posts, and fence lines.

That purple paint actually has a purpose.

Missouri law allows landowners and lessees to use purple markings to post their property against trespassing.

There are specific requirements for how those markings must be made and spaced:

• At least 8 inches long.

• The bottom of the mark must be 3–5 feet above the ground.

• Marks must be no more than 100 feet apart.

• The markings must be readily visible to someone approaching the property.

Why purple paint?

• It’s easily visible in a rural area. There’s not a lot of purple in rural areas.

• It’s not a color used in forestry, so it can’t be confused with logging marks.

• People with the most common forms of colorblindness can still clearly see it.

• the paint is durable and won’t fade or wear as bad as a sign.

• It’s easier to spray paint a tree or fence post as opposed to putting up signs.

• cheaper to use a rattle can than to put up signs that need replaced or get stolen.

So the next time you’re walking through the timber and see a purple stripe on a tree, pay attention. It’s more than just a random splash of paint.

For hunters, recreational users, neighboring landowners, and anyone buying Missouri land, knowing where private property begins and getting permission before entering is important.

09/25/2026

Very thankful to have reached this milestone!

A huge thank you to all of my clients, friends, family, and everyone who has trusted me with their real estate needs. I truly appreciate every opportunity to help someone buy or sell land.

Excited to keep working, keep growing, and keep helping folks in Missouri with their land goals.

Also, thank you to Dennis Prussman, Land Agent and Toby Prussman for helping me along the way!

🎉🔥 BIG MILESTONE FOR HUNTER SCHOONOVER! 🔥🎉

What happens when you stay busy, keep closing deals, and put together a strong year?

You hit your cap. 👏

Hunter Schoonover has officially CAPPED with Real Broker, LLC, meaning for the rest of his cap year, there’s no additional commission split owed to the broker. 💰

Hunter has been BUSY, and this milestone is a direct reflection of the work he’s been putting in for his buyers and sellers. He continues to grow his business, create opportunities, and get properties across the finish line.

Hunter, we appreciate everything you bring to Premier Land & Auction Group. We’re lucky to have you on our team and look forward to watching you keep building from here!

Have a property to sell or looking for your next one?

Call Hunter Schoonover-Missouri Land Specialist with Premier Land & Auction Group

Hunter Schoonover
☎️ 660-373-9682

09/14/2026

Ray County, Missouri: A Brief History

Ray County is one of the oldest counties in northern Missouri, with a history deeply connected to early settlement, agriculture and the Civil War.

📜 THE BEGINNING

Ray County was organized on November 16, 1820, shortly after Missouri became a state. It was named after John Ray, a member of Missouri’s first constitutional convention. Originally, Ray County covered a huge area that included much of what is now northern Missouri.

🏛️ RICHMOND

Richmond was established in 1828 and became the county seat. It was named by settlers from Virginia after Richmond, Virginia.

As settlement expanded, portions of Ray County were eventually divided off to create several other counties, leaving the boundaries we know today.

🌾 AGRICULTURE & THE LAND

The county’s fertile prairie, timber and streams helped establish agriculture as the foundation of the local economy. Farming and livestock production have remained important parts of Ray County ever since.

⚔️ THE CIVIL WAR

Ray County was deeply affected by the Civil War. The area had strong Southern sympathies, and fighting, guerrilla activity and political divisions affected communities throughout the county.

The State Historical Society of Missouri preserves numerous Ray County records from the period, including diaries, military records and political documents that demonstrate how deeply the war affected local residents.

🐎 THE JAMES GANG

Ray County also became connected to one of Missouri’s most famous and infamous stories.

The Ford brothers, Bob and Charley, who later became associated with Jesse James, were farm boys from Ray County. Bob Ford ultimately killed Jesse James in 1882.

📍 RAY COUNTY, MISSOURI

From one of Missouri’s original counties to generations of farming, small communities and Civil War history, Ray County’s story is deeply connected to the land and the people who settled it.

This is Part 1 of my Ray County series. I’ll be highlighting the communities, agriculture, land and stories that helped shape Ray County into what it is today.

What piece of Ray County history do you think deserves to be remembered?