# SE Oklahoma land



## sdextereo (Oct 26, 2008)

Hello everyone, I am an aspiring homesteader. I have been looking at land on the internet for some time.
I really like the looks and prices found in South Eastern Oklahoma.
It seems to have a nice warm climate with lots of water.
Do any of you homesteaders have any advice about this area particularly around Antlers and Poteau.


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## TedH71 (Jan 19, 2003)

What's wrong with Alaska? I've been wanting to move there but am going to check out the state first....


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## ajharris (Jan 26, 2006)

What are you wanting to know about the area?


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## PezzoNovante (Jun 11, 2002)

Our place is in far north Atoka county. Around our way under 100 acres go for between $1200 to $1700 an acre with utilities, home, barn/workshop and crossed-fenced pastures w/ ponds.
The soil is decent and rainfall varies (five to seven years) between more than enough to tinder dry. Folks all work off property to make ends meet, though subsistence farming and ranching is possible. There is always cooking meth, which seems to be a popular cash crop in these parts.
We looked at land near Antlers and Idabel but decided against it since most of it was too steep for decent grazing.
Hogs have been a problem in recent times but folks get together to hunt and trap them out. Plenty of game - deer and turkey - if you hunt. Coyotes are the main predator with bob cats and panthers (mountain lion) seen every few years.
Goats and cattle with some sheep are the main animals raised. I've not seen much in the way of crops. Retirees tend to keep hor$e$.
Obtaining adequate insurance can be a problem.

As for what is "wrong" with Alaska - mainly the cost of supplies and commodities since transportation to get that stuff there is so expensive.


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## sdextereo (Oct 26, 2008)

Sorry about my belated return.
I have lived in Alaska for some time. There are many great things about the state, and many things that I have grown tired of. In my part of Alaska "southcentral" winters are long and summers are short. We have our last spring frost around 1st of June and our 1st fall frost around September 1.
We can grow cool weather vegetables like cabbage outdoors and warm weather vegetables in a greenhouse. Crab apples do fairly well but I do not like them.
Everything in Alaska is expensive, but the jobs pay decent. 
There are few people and fewer roads. 
Hunting and fishing are good but hunting moose is a lot more work than shooting white tail in a field.
Last summer we barely made it to 70 degrees.
I want to start a homestead where I can have some livestock without having to import hay from lower 48.
I want to sit in the shade of some huge tree. Around here we have small sized trees.
As with the rest of the country we have a meth problem.


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## francismilker (Jan 12, 2006)

Now would be the time to buy if you're interested. There has been a major storm of big oil and natural gas companies buying up land and royalties for the last couple of years inorder to drill for gas. The crashing economy has sent some of these companies belly up and left a lot of vacant land. What was $2000 an acre last year at this time is now less than $1000 in some places. 
The land here ranges form excellent quality river or creek bottom ground that can grow most anything to rock and gravel covered hills that manage to let scrub oaks poke through the cracks. There are pine covered woods and places with large hardwood stands. The skies' the limit if you're serious about it and you have cash. (or good credit)


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## thousandhills (Dec 31, 2007)

I know I should probably start my own thread but I wanted to ask francismilker if the properties that were going so cheap were any where near a farmers market? and what the raw milk laws were there in the big OK.


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## ajharris (Jan 26, 2006)

PezzoNovante said:


> Our place is in far north Atoka county.


Hello Neighbor!! We are in Far North Atoka Co. also.


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## francismilker (Jan 12, 2006)

Thousandhills,
I'm NE of Ada in Pontotoc County area. There is some land to be found around here and there's a local farmer's market every week here. 
As far as the raw milk laws, you can sell 100 gallons per month off the farm without being permitted if I understand it correctly. You can't sell it at market.


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## PezzoNovante (Jun 11, 2002)

You will find seasonal farmers markets in McAlester and Atoka. 

We always make the PECfair in Ada. 

Our place is between Stringtown and Kiowa.

Recently received an unsolicited offer on the place. Remains to be seen
if the would-be buyer can obtain financing. Not ready to sell, but will at the right price.


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## ajharris (Jan 26, 2006)

PezzoNovante said:


> Our place is between Stringtown and Kiowa.



So is mine. It sounds as if we are pretty close neighbors.


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## PezzoNovante (Jun 11, 2002)

In that case, are our places getting pounded by severe weather?


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## fordy (Sep 13, 2003)

PezzoNovante said:


> In that case, are our places getting pounded by severe weather?


..............I would conjecture that 'naders are alot less frequent in SE ok. than Along I40 east and west over too OKC ! Would you'll agree ? , fordy:lookout:


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## PezzoNovante (Jun 11, 2002)

I would agree that we seldom get hit with twisters, but we do get our share of severe thunder storms and once in a while, gale-force straight line winds.

I've been hearing about severe weather along the Red River today and was wondering if it make north to where our place is (and we aren't at the moment.)


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## Spinner (Jul 19, 2003)

I'm between Antlers and Poteau. I'll answer any questions I can. I go to Antlers every week so I'm getting real familiar with it. I don't know Poteau real well. I used to go shopping there about once a month, don't go up there much any more.

You might want to do some research on Pushmataha and LeFlore counties. Antlers is in Push co. and Poteau is in northern LeFlore county (I think).

Are you aware that summer temps reach over 100Â°? Winters are mild, days are often in the 40's or 50's but sometimes in the 30's, nights sometimes drop below freezing, rarely down as low as 4Â°.


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## ajharris (Jan 26, 2006)

PezzoNovante said:


> In that case, are our places getting pounded by severe weather?



I'm sorry I didn't get back sooner. I don't know if we were getting pounded that day or not, I can't remember, but I do know that Atoka lake is up, and that Club lake in Kiowa is pretty full too. A couple of weeks ago, Atoka lake was pretty dang dry, all that was running was the creek, and now there is more water when you drive over 43 bridge going from Coalgate to Stringtown.


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## PezzoNovante (Jun 11, 2002)

We've at the place since I asked. Appears we missed the brutal weather, with only 4" in the rain gauge. The creek was running full last Saturday but by Sunday morning it was below its banks. Stock ponds are full up and I foresee a lot of mowing in our future.


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## DQ (Aug 4, 2006)

we just moved north of poteau (cameron) so far we love it here. we paid 1250/acre which seemed like a good price since we are only 5 miles from poteau and not even close to out in the boonies. fort smith has anything we would need that poteau can't offer and its about 30 minutes away. its beautiful country. we moved from the tulsa area so it isn't a huge change climate wise for us. one hardiness zone. growing things in oklahoma can present its own challenges. its hot in the summer and near tulsa the garden went pretty dormant by august because everything is just too stressed I expect to have similiar results here. we can get some pretty wild weather in the spring including tornadoes. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Tornado_Alley.gif 

I'm hoping that since we moved just a hair farther south that I will have more luck with cool season crops in the winter. near tulsa it seemed to go from hot to cold too fast or visa versa without enough temperate days for reliable cool season garden vegies. here maybe stuff can just keep going all winter.


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## PezzoNovante (Jun 11, 2002)

Curious DQ, many many acres and was there a home included? I'm trying to get a value for our place for estate planning purposes.
TIA


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## stormaq (Oct 26, 2008)

sdextereo said:


> Hello everyone, I am an aspiring homesteader. I have been looking at land on the internet for some time.
> I really like the looks and prices found in South Eastern Oklahoma.
> It seems to have a nice warm climate with lots of water.
> Do any of you homesteaders have any advice about this area particularly around Antlers and Poteau.


I live in Wister, which is 9 miles south of Poteau. My husband inheirited 80 acres of family land. I grew up on a small farm in Broken Arrow (near Tulsa) & had lived in BA my entire life until 3 years ago. People here can be a little clannish, but it's not a problem really, as long as you remember that you're in the boondocks & people do have cows, goats, pigs, chickens, dogs. etc and all of these are smelly and NOISY! As are the birds, frogs crickets, you get my drift. We had bought a house near our land & some people (a retired dentist also from BA) was threatening to sue us because they didn't want to live, a 1/4 mile from a goat/dog/chicken farm. We solved the problem by moving all our animals to the 80 acres 200 ft down & across the road. But aside from all that, I love it here! I feel like I've stepped back in time 50 years. People are friendly, if one of your animals get loose, there's always someone to help you get your animal back in. Different churches have "singing's," once a month. You don't have to try out or have your song approved first, you just get get up & sing your songs. There's a couple of local livestock auctions where everyone hangs out, some of my best friends, I met at the auctions. The summers are HOT, but you can grow stuff, you only dreamed about in Tulsa. In the winter, the water pans & stock tanks only form a layer of ice, maybe 6 to 8 nights all winter. Okay, now I've painted a rosy picture of LeFlore Co. Now the draw backs, there are people who have the intelligence of an earth worm, I'm sure a lot of that is from inbreeding, I'm serious, My sister-in-law is a hospice nurse & she's told me about the inbreeding causing terrible health & mental problems. Also drugs are a problem in LeFlore Co., there are some towns you DO NOT want to live in. You could probably call the courthouse in Poteau to find out which towns/townships to avoid. If there's anything else you want to know, just give me a hollar.


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## DQ (Aug 4, 2006)

PezzoNovante said:


> Curious DQ, many many acres and was there a home included? I'm trying to get a value for our place for estate planning purposes.
> TIA


we bought it in two pieces. one with a home and 16 acres (and mortgage) and the other chunk of unimproved land- 14 acres- that was adjoining. the figure we came to was the purchse price of the adjoining acreage.


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## PezzoNovante (Jun 11, 2002)

Thanks.


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