Florida-Georgia Preserve
Gadsden & Decatur, Florida⁞790± ACRES
Trophy Deer Hunting Superior-Property
- 790 +/- acre partially high-fenced high quality recreational property in Gadsden County, FL & Decatur County, GA
- Approximately 465+/- acres of the property are in Florida
- Approximately 324.5+/- acres of the property are in Georgia
- Beautiful 1.6+/-acre pond
- 1+/- miles on Attapulgus Creek, and ¾ mile on Swamp Creek
- Exceptional trophy deer hunting
- Two hunting seasons
- 17 food plots
- 200+/- acres of game fence preserve on the Florida side
- Deer in preserve included
- Great soils, rolling topography, natural hardwoodsand great bedding areas
- 2,605+/- sq. ft. cabin
- 2 BD/2 BA + 2 upstairs bunkrooms for large crowds
- Beautiful game room
- Rich wood details
- Stunning antler chandeliers
- Expansive back deck with remote control screens & TV
- Small pool
- Back deck and pool overlook the pond
- Large, covered fishing deck on the pond
- Two large open air equipment barns
- Covered outdoor freezer / space for processing deer
- Three-bay enclosed barn
- End of the road: great Social Storm™ attributes
- Managed with prescribed fire
- Historic horse-and-carriage Jamison Rd from Bainbridge to Tallahassee used to pass through this property
- Located in the Red Hills plantation belt
- Located just ten minutes from downtown Havana, known for antiquing, shopping, and charming eateries
- 35 minutes to the Capital City of Tallahassee, Florida
- Furniture and Equipment Included
One-of-a-kind Property; Easy to Operate and Ready to Enjoy
Best of Both Worlds: Florida & Georgia Big Buck Hunting
This is a property to get any deer hunter excited. Aptly named, the Florida-Georgia Preserve is a 790 +/- acre high-quality recreational property spanning both Gadsden County, Florida, and Decatur County, Georgia. Boasting the best of both worlds, the property offers both Florida and Georgia hunting seasons in addition to high-fence trophy deer hunting on its Florida side. When one considers the approximately 324.5+/- acres in Georgia and its season, and the 465+/- acres in Florida, including 200 acres of this under a game fence, and its season, one can hunt deer from August 1st through March 1st. The genetics both inside and outside the preserve are exceptional. The 17 food plots ensure a good source of nutrition for game year-round. A beautiful cabin is tucked away within the property. It overlooks a stunning 1.6+/-acre pond, and mature pine timber just beyond. The property has excellent topography and vistas, gorgeous hardwood bottoms, great soils, 1 +/- miles on Attapulgus Creek, 3/4 of a mile on Swamp Creek, and one of the most prolific big buck and turkey corridors found area. This is a unique opportunity to step right into a well-managed place and enjoy it immediately with no deferred maintenance.
The 2,605+/- sq. ft. cabin features gorgeous stone pillars, a large front deck with seating area, intricate wood detail throughout, and modern finishes from the stone fireplace hearth, eye-catching antler chandeliers, and more. The living room is quite large with ample space for lounging with friends and family. It features vaulted ceilings, and natural light streaming through the floor-to-ceiling windows / sliding back doors. The sliding doors open to a large back deck. A portion of the deck can be completely enclosed with remote-operated screens and boasts an oversized ceiling fan and an outdoor TV area. Beyond the screened porch, the expansive deck touts a small pool for refreshing during hot summer days and beautiful views of the 1.6+/-acre pond. Back indoors, a homey, tongue and groove paneled game room sits adjacent to the kitchen. There is a master bedroom and bath, and an additional guest room / bath downstairs - both of which overlook the back deck and pond. There are two large bunk rooms built to accommodate larger crowds located upstairs. The kitchen, lined with stone, opens to the living room, and a nice-sized laundry room / mudroom completes the cabin. Adjacent to the cabin is an outdoor shower, a large, covered fishing deck, and an outdoor fire pit area.
There are two large open-air equipment barns, a covered outdoor freezer / space for processing deer, and a three-bay enclosed barn with a storage room for equipment and tools. In Florida, there is 200 acres high-fenced; there is 2.72 +/- miles of eight foot high fencing and two gates.
Florida-Georgia Preserve has consistently been well-managed for timber. A very good prescribed fire regimen has been practiced here going back decades and it shows. The habitat is diverse and has beautiful rolling topography and vistas. There are gorgeous hardwoods. Multiple deer stands and food plots are already in place.
“Frequent prescribed fire is the #1 thing that sets a property apart and the #1 investment you can make on your land.” - Jon Kohler
One of the secrets to growing great deer and great timber is the soil. The soils along Attapulgus Creek contain some of the highest concentrations of Attapulgite (fuller’s earth). The unique soils here were first utilized for growing shade tobacco. This was one of only two locations in the U.S. that offered the right conditions for the important tobacco used to wrap cigars. For almost 100 years, shade tobacco ruled and made this region wealthy. Then, in 1893, an employee of The Owl Cigar Company discovered America's only fuller’s earth deposits here. The qualities of fuller’s earth make it ideal for cat litter, makeup, and filters. A portion of this property was one of the first areas mined, which is why today, a generation after reclamation, it has exceptional rolling topography, natural hardwoods, and great bedding areas. It's truly a success story.
The property boasts one of the strongest stands of merchantable timber we have represented in quite some time. The amount of quality pine timber here cannot be overstated. The markets here too are very strong. The landowner and forester have grown an annuity here few have been able to duplicate. In addition, for years this property has been maintained by fire which has created a diverse and productive understory.
"The dream of many is to find a great property that is not only cost-effective to manage but has income coming in to offset that cost. This dream property has that and more." – Jon Kohler
This is a one-of-a-kind property; easy to operate, ready to enjoy, and funded by an annuity from the merchantable timber made possible by years and years of excellent land management.
Florida-Georgia Preserve is just ten minutes from downtown Havana, known for antiquing, shopping, and charming eateries, and is just 35 minutes to the Capital City of Tallahassee, Florida. The 790 +/- acre property is near all necessary amenities while still possessing a tucked away, private feel. Over a generation ago, a bridge crossing the Attapulgus Creek was burned down, due to a deer hunting conflict. Neither state wanted to pay the cost of repair. Today, the old road dead ends here, making this a true “end of the road” property with exceptional Social Storm attributes.
Ever wondered how this area became known for producing the largest whitetail bucks in the South? Be sure to read our article in the Oct. issue of Woods 'n Water magazine, below:
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From murky farm ponds to pristine glacier-cut lakes and everything in between, Knox Daniels’ expertise stems from a lifelong fascination of water and the creatures that live in and around it. He recognizes and helps clients appreciate the value water features bring to a property. “My goal is to help buyers realize and sellers maximize the value different water bodies bring to a property, not only in a recreational sense, but also for social storm reasons.” After extensively traveling the country for collegiate BASS fishing tournaments, Knox graduated and worked for the Southeast’s finest fisheries and wildlife biologist, Greg Grimes. With Grimes’ company, AES, Knox managed many of the southeast’s finest private lake estate/impoundment properties, and learned the intricacies of upscale property management. Learning from Greg and other biologists, Knox honed in on the specific conditions and habitat needed for optimal gamefish growth in private lakes. He has also worked as a property manager on several thousand acres and for a commercial developer, facilitating the dirt work and builds of several apartment complexes, but his true passion has always been in the outdoors. “I’ve always had an insatiable fascination with ponds/lakes and am grateful to be able to help to place clients on the properties of their dreams and make their personal fisheries/wildlife goals reality with JKA.” – Knox Daniels
Jason has been assisting landowners for the last 28 years in Georgia and South Carolina obtain achievements the owners did not realize were possible. His degree in Biology from Georgia Southern stemmed from the desire to know how things in nature work. His plantation roots began at just 16 years old outside of Albany, GA and the last 20 years were spent in the Lowcountry of South Carolina. His entire career has been spent developing a global approach to plantation management. That plan included sales. Sales is in Jason’s blood- his mom had a 45-year career as a real estate broker. After college, he chose to pursue his passion of making properties great. In 2011, Jason sold his first plantation. Since then, he has assisted buyers and sellers with over $20 million in sales while most of that time working as a full-time General Manager of a large Lowcountry plantation. Today, he is committed to using his unique skill set and experience to guide landowners through the many challenges of plantation ownership.
Bruce Ratliff is a retired elected official (Property Appraiser Taylor County). Bruce brings years of experience in ad valorem tax knowledge. His property tax background gives JKA Associates & clients a unique insight into the complicated tax process. Bruce held several positions in the Florida Association of Property Appraisers, including member of the Board of Directors, President, Vice-President and Secretary, and served on the Agricultural & Legislative Committees for the Association. The real estate business has been part of Bruce’s life since childhood. His mother, Shirley Ratliff owned Professional Realty of Perry, Florida and his father, Buster owned Ratliff Land Surveying which Bruce was General Manager of before his political career.
Hailing from a long line of outdoorsmen, Tim learned a great deal from his father and grandfather. He saw first-hand what it means to be a good land steward. He believes land is so much more than a place to hunt, fish, and grow timber or crops. “It’s an identity, a resting place, a safe haven and a way of life, said Tim.” Tim’s family ties to Alabama run deep. During his grandfather’s first term, Governor James was responsible for signing into law Alabama’s first state duck stamp which helped to ensure funding for the procurement, development, and preservation of wetlands for migratory waterfowl habitat. He also established Alabama’s lifetime hunting license, so it is no surprise that Tim is an avid outdoorsman with a keen eye as to how best to improve habitat for the greater good of its wildlife.
With Madison County roots, Lori grew up on her family farm at Pettis Springs along the historic Aucilla River. A love of the land was instilled in Lori very early on by her father who was a local farmer. Lori understands the importance of good land stewardship and has witnessed first-hand how her own father, a former 2-term member of the Florida House of Representatives whose district encompassed many rural counties of the Red Hills Plantation Region, with a little bit of sweat equity, so lovingly worked their own family land. These are core values she carries with her today, and nothing gives her more personal satisfaction than to represent some of the south’s best land stewards.
Cole’s dedication to land management lies in his family roots. As a fourth-generation timber expert, Cole’s earliest memories were spent with his father managing timber investments. With a degree in Food Resource Economics from the University of Florida, Cole is the epitome of an up-and-coming leader. He grew up with a hands-on approach to learning land management and conservation and has spent the last 15 years learning every angle of the real estate and forest industry. Cole is a member of the Florida Forestry Association, Red Hills Quail Forever, Southeastern Wood Producers Association and he uses this platform as an advocate for landowners and their land investments. His family has dedicated the past 60 years to providing landowners in North Florida and South Georgia with professional land management services focused on improving and protecting one’s forestland and wildlife investment. In fact, their family business, M.A. Rigoni, Inc., was one of the first to introduce whole tree chipping to the Red Hills Region.
As a landowner of his own family farm, Lick Skillet, along with family land that has been passed down and enjoyed together at Keaton Beach for 40 years, Jon knows what it means to be a steward of the last best places. As a third-generation land broker with more than 30 years of experience in advising landowners in this niche, Jon is known for his innate ability to harvest a land’s unique intrinsic value. Touting several notable sales under his belt, Jon personally closed Rock Creek/Molpus – 124,000 acres of premium timberland at $142,000,000 – which was known as the largest timberland land sale in the Southeast for eight years running. He is a co-founding member of LandLeader and achieved the real estate industry’s highest honor, “2022 National Broker of the Year – Recreational Land Sales,” by the Realtors® Land Institute.