timbercruiser

IMHO you and your couple of friends would be better served to find a couple of hundred acres you can lease for hunting. Two or three members is a lot easier to control and get along with than a bigger club. I've been in several clubs and when you get into 20 or so members you will have major headaches sooner or later. For that size club you would need 3,000 acres or so, so more money needed and more headaches. A game warden should be able to help you with the question about farmers needing hunters. Now is the time to start looking for land, for next year. Contact all the paper companies and major sawmills in the area, some banks manage land for family trust, contact your local county forester, consultant foresters, put signs in the feed stores, place an ad in the paper, see if there is a Virginia Forest Owners Association (they might have a list of potential leases), knock on doors, get the word out, but don't get to big in members. Make sure you get all leases in writing, get a sample lease and use it.