I meant to post this in the Midwest Regional Forum.
You
did post this in the Midwest section. A moderator moved it here.
Some people love to rip on people on here that are trying to make a living in the hunting industry.
Some people in the hunting industry have screwed the average hunter too many times.
Some people seem to hatethe people that come in and lease it, but don'tforget, nobody forces the landowner tolease their property out.
Your right, nobody forces the landowner. But, when owners are offered money, of course they are going to accept. The problem with leasing goes back to "people in the hunting industry". They want to make a buck off of the landowner making a buck. In the end, people pay waaaay to much money just to kill a buck.
If someone is willing to paybig money to lease property, it is not fair to the landowner to deny them getting the most out of their propertyjust so youhave a cheap (or free) place to hunt.
How about NO place to hunt? I have a friend in Adams county who has lost all of his hunting land to outfitters and leases. He simply cannot afford to hunt on private land any more. He leased for 3 years. An outfitter offered the landowner 3 times what he was already being paid. Yeah, no brainer for the landowner.
It all comes down to the all mighty dollar. You want to play? Then you have to pay.
$90/acre JUST to hunt. That is getting pretty dang close to rental prices for farming. At least with farming the land, you get some return on your investment, and not just a little meat in your freezer that costs $183-366/pound.