ORIGINAL: superstrutter
ORIGINAL: fishguts
You're right, it isn't fair that someone was willing to pay more than you, so keep on hunting it. In fact, bring all your family and their friends just to prove your point. Strength in numbers, you know. You've had it for so long, it's practically yours, anyway. Heck, most people who lose hunting land keep on hunting it because their dad and their dad's dad hunted it. Tradition, you know. You might get harassed by those mean bullies who think they have the lease now, but they'll learn.
I hope you are kidding. Though it may not be fair, it is legal, and for them to keep hunting even though someone else is leasing, is illegal. This would be trouble in the making. Only two choices, hunt elsewhere or pay more than the new leasee's.
It's not about what's fair. Life's not fair... get over it. The fact of the matter is that the OWNER of the land has the RIGHT to lease, or not to lease, that land to whomever he chooses. If that's not you, then that's too bad. I know you want to vent... and that's fine, but you certainly must realize that if you don't own the land, then you have no legal right to it outside an established lease agreement. If your lease expired, the owner has no obligation to renew it. What you should be thankful for is that you had years where you had private land readily available to hunt near your home. Many of us don't have that luxury and are stuck hunting limited public land or driving hundreds of miles to hunt private land, so welcome to the club. It's not the end of world, you'll just have to find new places to build memories.
Mike