ORIGINAL: timbercruiser

The biggest problem I see with leasing land, other than what you have mentioned, is that you can spend a lot of time and money setting up a management program and then without notice or any protection you can and will lose the land. Timber companies and individuals sell land, it is lost from families thru tuff times, you are outbid for the lease or some family member will simply drop your lease in favor of a friend. A lot of hunting clubs are short lived. Either poor management, chemistry or other factors will usually lead to the decline of the club. To take on 500 or so acres by yourself will get expensive quickly. At a minimum of $7 and most likely $10 or more an acre, $300 plus per food plot, road maintenence, stands, feeding program and other costly factors you will run $8000 or more real fast. And then you may only have the land for a few years.