Property Description
The current owner purchased this parcel ~3 years ago for both hunting and timber investment. Enrollment in the NYS Section 480-a of the Forest Tax Law seemed to be a good idea, providing the owners with a management plan to help achieve their investment goals, as well as provide a generous reduction in their assessment, resulting in lower taxes. Their distance from the property however, made it difficult for them to utilize the property as intended, so they decided to put it back on the market.
Seasonal access to the property from the east is via Castor Drive from CR 17 or from the west via New Scriba Drive from the Vorea Road. Castor Drive is paved halfway to the property and the graveled portion is in much better condition than that of New Scriba Drive. Public electric utilities and cable phone services are not available roadside, however there is intermittent cellular reception. The nearest utility pole is ~1.4 miles east of the property on Castor Drive.
A cabin was built on the property by the previous owner, mainly for hunting purposes, which is now over 20 years old and in poor condition. It does not have a water source or septic system; however, it does have a ‘Sun-Mar Excel’ Non-Electric composting toilet and shower stall in need of some creative plumbing before becoming fully functional. The cabin is ~300 square feet, has a screened in porch and storage shed, a gambrel, asphalt shingle covered roof, painted T-111 siding and is insulated. It does not have a source of heat or hot water.
Most of the mature timber was harvested approximately 22 years ago and the majority of the remaining trees are in the small pole to small sawtimber size class. The predominant sawtimber species found on the property include: sugar and red maple, black cherry, yellow birch, white ash, beech, basswood, red spruce and hemlock.
The management plan does not call for any forestry work to be completed during the next 15 years. A copy of the 480-a Forest Management Plan and Treatment Schedule is available upon request.
Based on the abundance of food resources, water, cover, and physical evidence, whitetail deer, black bear, snowshoe rabbit, ruffed grouse, turkey, fisher, bobcats, coyotes and a mixed bag of waterfowl either live on or frequent the property. Pine Creek, a protected trout stream, flows southeast through a beaver pond near the road, then heads northeast behind the cabin to eventually join the North Branch of the Salmon River, which empties into the Salmon River Reservoir near Redfield (just minutes away). The Salmon River, famous for its spawning Salmon runs, eventually empties into Lake Ontario. Additional recreational opportunities exist on the ~2,500-acre Stave Mill State Forest which is adjacent to the property and just south of New Scriba Drive.
The Tug Hill region is renowned for its bountiful snowfall. Skidways created during the last timber harvest make excellent x-country skiing, snow-shoeing, hunting, hiking and ATV trails. Both Castor and New Scriba Drives become public snowmobile S51 during the winter and ATV trails are nearby.
With strategic placement of a few ground blinds and tree stands this property would be very productive for big game hunting. Grouse and turkey enthusiasts would be pleased as well! This site is central to numerous great destinations including; The Salmon River Reservoir, Lake Ontario, Oneida Lake, The St. Lawrence River/Thousand Islands and the Adirondacks. Syracuse is about 1 hour south and Watertown roughly 35 minutes north. Don’t miss this great opportunity to own an exceptional piece of Tug Hill wilderness at a reasonable price.
[property_maps title=”Disclosures” type=”type 1″]
- Staats aerial map
- Staats east cabin property condition & electric disclosures
- Staats electric utility disclosure
- Staats topo map
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[property_maps title=”Property Maps” type=”type 1″]
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