I felt the same way 5 years ago, then it happened. everything in my area started comming up for lease or auction. several thousand acres that anybody was able to hunt got bought off by alot of individules and are now posted. 800 acres that start beside my house was free range, then the land owners decided everyone else was making money leasing so they decided to do the same. Fortunantly it was offered to my neighbor first who intern invited me and some of our buddies to split it with him (insurance included) and not a bad price. there was a list a mile long of people from other cities and countys wanting it when they found out. I think diferent now about it being i did not have a choice anyway, because if i did not get in, i would be looking from the outside in. Now instead of fifty vechicles parked on the old haul road opening day of firearm season, its just several of us now. I never seen a mature buck over 2 1/2 back then, now i see some real monsters, and have taken some 3 1/2 and a 4 1/2 year olds like the one in my avatar pic as well asfound some real dandy sheds of bucks that we have not caught up with yet.Gun season in the area sounded like world war two back then and now you hardly hear a shot. so i guess you will know when the time is right or not, and good luck with whatever path you take. everyones situation is different so you just got to make the best of it.
Dan
ORIGINAL: Cougar Mag
Ok, most here that have read my posts through the years know I don't lease ground and have detested the thought of paying to hunt. But with the way things are rapidly changing the last few years(property taxes, etc.) I admit to giving it some thought lately. My favorite area is not big, but a nice funnel for deer traveling through and in the rut its usually a good spot. If I was in jeopardy of losing this small tract because of someone else leasing it, I would most likely attempt to lease it first. I wouldn't have said that 5 years ago. So far they haven't leased any of their land, they say there are too many problems associated with it. Sooooooo, your opinions are needed:
(1)do as always and ask the landowner for permission again to hunt this tract
(2)approach him and offer to lease it now for the coming season
(3)tell him thanks for letting me hunt there, but if decides he wants to lease it for hunting.......to give me first chance.
(4)other
I was thinking (3).