RE: LAND LEASES BAD FOR HUNTERS?
 

I live in NW PA and leasing is becoming the rage here too. We have a bunch of open public land but, of course, the best hunting is on private land and it's getting tuff to locate places that aren't being leased. I think it's a shame that those who "have" take advantage of those who "don't" by using it to take away property that used to be open to anybody. I have a business aquaintence who refuses to ask permission to hunt anywhere. He just finds a place that others are hunting and ask's what it would take to have exclusive rights to hunt there. We're quickly creating a hunting society that will only be available to those who have money.

RE: LAND LEASES BAD FOR HUNTERS?
 

It's the way of the new world! Pay for hunting, don't spank your kids, don'tspeak the word of God inschool. It's harvest Day not Thanksgiving, Happy Holidays not Merry Christmas, and to top it all offI now habla espanol!! The new political world makes me sick! I am more often than not disgustedd with what I run across in society today. Believe me I see it all.

RE: LAND LEASES BAD FOR HUNTERS?
 

NH, Amen!!! I may not be thatold and I may not have seen it all, but I do know that todays world is changing for the worse and is sickening to anyone with morals and values that one should have.

RE: LAND LEASES BAD FOR HUNTERS?
 

I pay to hunt on a nice lease of farm land with my hunt club. I own a smallfarm. I hunt private lands. All of these things provide me with more oppurtunities to do what I love. I don't mind paying $350 dollars a year to hunt with my club, I love it. It is a great group of guys a great piece of land and we are very fortunate to have it leased through farmers. The friends and memories made throughout the seasons are my main motivation. I have no problem paying these farmers forrights, they are barely surviving as it is. Timber companies and otherleasing companies are a little different, they just want the land to earn them some money while it is sitting there so they are definitely effected by"market value" and the rateson these land will continue to gradually increase. Such is life, increase your club dues, take on new members, or hold a fund raiser to help offset the pricesor................don't.

I don't have to lease, I choose to lease. There is no other way I could have access to some areas to hunt and people to hunt with. Yes I still have my farm, yes I still have public land and military bases but I want morechoices, more oppurtunities, something different. Club hunting is a good change of pace. It's the comradery of our club, the deer camp "feeling"(that I think we need more of), it's having aplace where I can take my boys and they can learn about hunting but also have other kids back at camp to bond with andgrow up hunting with,it's the stories of the big buck missedorsomeones first buck killed, it's good food cooking and a big fire burning outside, this list could go on and on and I'll pay for thatanyday!

For those who hate leasing, I guessI understand to a point. But I think it has more to do with you perspective on it and your own local leasing situation. Leasing land in VA is nothing like leasing land in Ohio, Illinois, Iowa, Texas,etc.Thatis the main reason I don't understand big, broad sweeping statements about leasing beingbad for hunters. How could you possibly assume thatone hunterssituation where leases are through the roofis anything like another hunters situation 1000 miles away where leasing is cheap and mutually beneficial to the landowner and hunters.Sometimes paying for things sucksecspecially if you are dealing with others who will pay anything and drive prices through the roof but what do you recommend? No leases, free-roam hunting like in the "days of old". Yeah right.

Seriously though,lease haters,what do you recommend? We know you don't like it and it's making hunting a "rich man's game" and you lost your favorite piece of land to some guy who had the nerve to offer the landowner some money forhunting rights,but whatare your thoughts for a better system on hunting land/access?

Would it be impossible to find some hunting buddies to throw in on some land or are you so dead set against leasing that is not even an option you would consider. And if you don't have any money to spare you should probably get your internet cut off and sell that computer to get some extra cash.

I stated before that I pay $350 dollars a year ( x 40 members) that means my club pays somewhere between 10k and 14k a year for our leases. Sounds like a lot but I also like to keep things in perspective. I payed $400 last month so I could keepour two vehicles full of gas.Like a lot of people online I live from payday to payday andif I can pay$400 a month in B.S. gas prices I certainly can save that much ina year topay my part of the lease which ensures Ihave a nice place to hunt.

Sorry for the rambling I guess I don't understand the logic behind lease hating. Hunting another persons land should be free?? Is anything free anymore?

RE: LAND LEASES BAD FOR HUNTERS?
 

Thank you NEW61375
very well put!!

RE: LAND LEASES BAD FOR HUNTERS?
 

NH, I spank my kids (if they need it), think prayer should be in schools, to our family it is Christmas, Thanksgiving Day, and don't forget about Easter (Resurrection Day), but I do lease land.

We have a large family that loves to hunt together. Our whole family, brothers, parents and a nephew go together to lease a 450 acre tract. We are definately NOT rich. I have a 7 year old and a 10 year old that love to hunt. I like to know that when we go out, all of our family that is hunting know which stand we are in and we know where they are. How many posts have we seen here complaining that many people have permission to hunt a piece of property and someone walks past their stand or puts anothe stand nearby. With leasing, we have not had that happen. We can food plot however we want. We feel safer about taking the kids out (as well as ourselves) in knowing that there is not some drunk idiot just out of site. We shoot alot of does and have no interest in being a trophy hunter, getting a sponsor/endorsement, or ending up on a video. If we see a deer that we want to shoot and have a tag for it, we shoot it. Since we can't afford to own a larger tract like that, we lease. Someday, we may go together and buy a tract of land, but until then, this is our best option.

We have private tracts that we have permission, but so does many others. My son and I had a close call last turkey season, because we didn't know another hunter was on the same bird.

You can stereotype people if you like, but you might want to look at it from some other angles.

RE: LAND LEASES BAD FOR HUNTERS?
 

Would never pay $$ for a lease!

My brother and myself own a 196 deer hunting property, we also hunt an adjoining 400 acres section of a 1000 acre propertythat a cattle rancher owns. A year ago therancher calledus and informed us that he had been approached about leasing the 400 acres for $1500 for a week of gun hunting, the only week we hunt the property. He wanted too know what we thought about the situation.

Well we cant stop you from leasing that land if you choose too.... and we wont pay you $1500 for the right too hunt it. But you do graze your cattle on our land and the adjoining 400 acres frommay too august every year,,, and most of that time they are grazing our fields and are not in your cedar swamp..Thenyou hay your ungrazed land for winter feed...

The deal we had,, is weallow you too graze our land throughout the summer and we hunt that 400 acre section every year. If you lease that 400 acre section,,, your going too have too find another area too graze your animals and fence off our section of land.whats 4 months of feed or grazing rights cost for your 80 cows im thinking alot more than $1500? Will he ever lease it? possibly,, but he knows where we stand on the matter!

RE: LAND LEASES BAD FOR HUNTERS?
 

That really sounds like lease, payment is grazing rights. Sounds like a fair deal to me.

RE: LAND LEASES BAD FOR HUNTERS?
 

I agree, in theory it is a lease. But I also said I would never pay $$$$ for a lease. In reality ifour property were to be fenced off,,, our land would get some really thick grassy areas that would support many more deer than it does now. But when the snow flies,, that cedar swamp is the place to be, everything pours into itfrom miles around.

RE: LAND LEASES BAD FOR HUNTERS?
 

I would do the same thing, good luck to you!!

RE: LAND LEASES BAD FOR HUNTERS?
 

Sounds nothing like most leases and very much like neighbors helping each other out, face to face. Most leasees never meet the land owner, they just pay to play to a rep. The rep cuts all the deals. You don't have to ever speak to the guy who owns the land. I've hunted in 2 clubs in Va. just this way.The people I knowin Va. don't care for it, but they haveno choice. Wonder what kind of attitude caused that to happen. Va. also is not Ohio in many ways.Hunted in one recently in Va.. I have never hunted in a place with so much pressure. It was one of the $350 a year clubs.

It is just as I explained how things work in the country. Shrewd people.:DSmart people.

RE: LAND LEASES BAD FOR HUNTERS?
 

We are not comparing apples to apples when talking about individuals leasing their properties to individuals vs corporations hunting large chunks of land to very few people.

I am ok with leasing small portions of land by private owners. Its the corporations, mine, timber, land management companies that I have a problem with. These companies hold access to hundreds of thousands of forest acres in WV. I know one hunting club that leases 10,000 acres to 50 hunters. That is 200 acres/hunter for one hunting club. This is nothing more than greed.

The land that is being leased is a mixture of hard and soft timber that holds many species of game and could be hunted effectively with 50 acres/hunter or less. But thanks to the privelaged and their entitlement attitudes they can afford to lease up all these acres and keep the 2nd class citizens for messing up their hunting grounds.

How do leases like this hurt us as hunters? It discourages hunters to the point of quitting because they cannot afford to go anywhere else and it discourges these hunters to carry on the tradition of hunting to the future generation of hunters. I have heard a repeated message on these boards that hunters are growing smaller in number. I would say land leasing as I mentioned above is one reason why.

Some hunters in this particular hunting party do take pitty with the locals that they have banned. Once the members of this particular hunting part has killed a deer, they will drive around till they find someone to take it. This way they do not have to check in the deer and can continue hunting. I think that is one nice thing that they do. (Insert sarcasm here)

How do we fix the problem? I think corporations should be limited in the amount of property they can lease privatley, then make the remaining portion of their land available to the public for a small fee. ($ 25.00) This way the privelaged are entitled to control and hunt their portion of the land they hunt and the plebians can run amock as well.

RE: LAND LEASES BAD FOR HUNTERS?
 

When my neighbors house burned down he put his trailer on my land. I mowed his grass the for the year it took to rebuild house. I never charge him a dime, or ask for anything in return. My question is if they did not hunt his land would they let his cattle graze for free and help his neighbor out? They have a deal works out for the both of them, but it is a business deal IMO.

Nodog and are are just going back and fourth because of the MI OH game is this week. If he was from MI I would agree with him![8D]

RE: LAND LEASES BAD FOR HUNTERS?
 

After reading this thread I am very thankfull for what I've got. I am hunting 69 acres that belongs to a friend from high schools dad. He thinks that the fleas and ticks from the deer is what killed his goats, so he wanted the deer herd thinned out.My friend,my neighbor, and I usually shoot two or three deereach every year.The land owner tells us to shoot more, so I usually lie and tack a couple on to the total every year to keep him happy. Right now I am looking at property in OH and WV, but I want to actually live on the property. The main reason I want atleast tenacres is to hunt, but I also don't want to have neighbors close by. I don't think I could ever pay to hunt somewhere, but I'm not saying that those who do are wrong.

RE: LAND LEASES BAD FOR HUNTERS?
 

This is one of those topics where no one can be right or wrong. It is a way to opinionated topic. We live in a pretty big country where the cost of living differs greatly. How can any one judge another persons choice to lease or not to lease? For some this is the ONLY way they can hunt. Now I can't sit here and say that 100% of people who lease land are true hunters who are doing it for good reasons. I also cant sit here and say that they arent going to use it for good reasons. What we really need to keep from happening is letting these big companies, like these miners and such in WV, from getting ahold of our land. But in my opinion,leasing from a Farmer in a small town can only benifit both parties. In todays world, these farmers need all the help that they can get, so why not help them out a bit while getting some property to hunt in the process?

-Craig

RE: LAND LEASES BAD FOR HUNTERS?
 

If I was the cattle guy I would mention all the time the grass guy would have to take to manage the land and then there's the potential for fire...and how I have a deer problem:D. The grass guy is doing just fine in his approach.:D

Mich. huh. I thought I smelled something funny.:D

You mowed his grass. Sounds like you meet someone who could help you out later, not that that was your intention.Would that be business or an opportunity. You aint dead yet. Life has a way about it. I helped a guy out 20 years ago. He now lives on a nice piece of property. As a bunch of us talked one day in a local lumber yard I was given permission to hunt there.Now, if I would have just done business with him most likely nothing would have come about. He's not doing me a favor because he has too. He wants too.

RE: LAND LEASES BAD FOR HUNTERS?
 

I didn't go through this entire thread and read every response, but my response to the intial post is:

I guess I could always have a buddy go hide my 3-d buck target in my yard somewhere. It would also save me money on broadheads, camo, scent suppression, quiet hunting clothes, treestands, game cameras, broadhead tuning, etc.... Also, I wouldn't have to worry about blood trailing, ya know its tough seeing that stuff anyway when you're colorblind.

Seriously, leasing forme is only bad on my wallet. I hate that it cost so much, but I love to hunt and spend time with my friends & family in that type of atmosphere. My current lease that I found, has a campsite with water, electricty, and I handpicked all the members.We have a great time all the time! That is what I'm paying for. I'm not paying to kill deer. I have notkilled one in over 3 years, butoverthose 3+ years I've had an absolute BLAST with my friends.

Maybe one day I'll be able to afford my own 2000 acres of hunting land and andI won't have to lease it from someone else. OH, but who's gonna pay the taxes on that 2000 acres? I guess I'll have to, but then that would be like leasing from the state.

I think you're right,......I'll just quit!

Maybe I will just hunt those 3-D deer that are so challenging.

RE: LAND LEASES BAD FOR HUNTERS?
 

What you smell is Tressel craping his pants, becasue the boys are coming to town[8D]

Good luck NoDog, I have to call a guy about a lease, LOL

RE: LAND LEASES BAD FOR HUNTERS?
 

BDC, I don't think you actually realize how little 50 acres is, when we're talking about timber company land. Try to understand that a lot of that acreage will be clear-cut, or young saplings, or 4-5 year old trees that have briars so thick around them a snake can't slither through it. How is someone suppose to hunt in that thick stuff? I personally don't like hunting so close to other hunters that I can see them while I'm sitting in my tree. I would love to have 200 acres per hunter, if it's timber co. land we're talking about.

RE: LAND LEASES BAD FOR HUNTERS?
 

Currently I hunt a mixture of public and no-pay private land. I plan to buy land in a couple of years, but before I doI will probably lease some property. Why? Control. I like to hunt how I want, when I want, and from whatever stand I choose. I want to be able to bring my father, and our hunting friends and know they will have a good time. I've had too many experiences with other hunters to not want to be in control of the property I hunt.

My advice to those who feel they can't afford to lease land. Should your situation be such that leasing is neccesary, start a small hunt club, or an association with a few other guys. It's probably better to hunt a small to medium size lease with 10 guys who are all on the same page than to hunt WMAs with lots of others, many who could be, well... Even worse would be not hunting.

RE: LAND LEASES BAD FOR HUNTERS?
 

Cattle rancher had600 more acres of land he could have leased if he truly wanted too make some $$$off leasing. The 400 acre section can only be accessed easily through our property,, no way a leasee would be given permission too cross our property during hunting season,, take a boat or walk through the swamp!

Farmer knows we actually benefit from cattle being on the property,, and its not that the grass is short around the cabin all summer(thats a bonus). Our property is considerred "active farm land" and not "recreational land or waterfront" too the tax-man.. Saves us about half our tax bill on the land every year. Farmer mentioned that also when we told him he would no longer be grazingour property "if he leased".. It was as simple as saying "we can buy 2 cowsor sheep for that matterand its a farm!"

Personally I think he was just having a bad year and he was trying too milk a couple guys from "the city" who had good jobs and bought new trucks every few years. He soon realized a couple guys from the city arent as stupid as he thoughtthey were!

RE: LAND LEASES BAD FOR HUNTERS?
 

To whom it may concern;

I would like to take a moment of your time if I may? Why is that there are those of you out there, who still think that the only way you are going to harvest an animal, is if you or your buddies have secureds the rights to hunta specifictract of land exclusively? This does not make you or your friends better hunters and sportsman;in fact the only thing you are actually doing isundermining the huntingtraditionsour grandfathers worked so hard to develpe,organize and manage.

All I keep hearing from those who aprove of leasing is that they will have no where to hunt or that they are doing it for the farmer. Why not tell the real truth those that lease are usually the well to do or privlaged who think they have to have the woods to themselves. Hunting is a public sport that is managed and enjoyed not only by the wealthy ,but the poor as well,we all contribute to hunting through taxes and wild life management.

Leasing would not even be an issue if it were not for all the fancy hunten clubs, ranches and television personalities instilling the idea into others that the only way to suceed in hunting is if you own,rent,or secure property.

Those that lease most of the time realy are not out there to help the farmeror land owners manage herds, they are only out there for the trophy deer. As ontelevision how many of thosesuper huntersdo you notice being excited about taking a nice doe? No sir, Buster Bucks only.Leasing 90% of the time is usually practiced by those I call trophy prowanta be's who are afraid of the local competition.I have friends who have permission to hunt the same land that others lease and my friendshunt to feed their family and friends;while the leasing party only hunt for wall mounters.
Now I ask you who is realy doing more for the farmer, those leasing with money or those taking both doe and buck to feed themselves and bring the herds into check.

Please folks the next time you all decide to rent or lease,think about others who share in the sports. Because if this continues hunting as our grandfathers intended may soon be no more. I already have friends who no longer are able to hunt; because they can not afford to keep up with the rich,trophy,pro wanta be's and clubsthat are buying, selling and leasing land from local farmers, they've been squeezed out of hunting sports.

We all, had plenty of space to hunt before leasing was the greatest fad. Why not stop all of this leasing before it ends hunting as we've known it? It can be all reconcilled if those who are a little selfish stop offering the farmers and land owners money for leasing. If not I think the farmers and land owners should have to pay royalities to wild life management from their profits, maybe this would throw a wrench in the works!??

RE: LAND LEASES BAD FOR HUNTERS?
 

To holler critter

Thanks for tellings us how to hunt and spend our money. You can come hunt on my lease, for a price[8D]

RE: LAND LEASES BAD FOR HUNTERS?
 

Maybe we should just move to a socialist society and all share equaly. Kick capitalism and inovation to the curb.

1) The land owners are finding it tougher and tougher to survive as small farming and ranching operations. Many need the $$ from the lease and most are reasonable with their prices. Regardless of what people think, someone has been paying for you to hunt, even when your hunting was free.Same principle with public land, we all pay for it. Hunting land has never been free, its just the burden of the cost is now being passed on.

2)I personally have joined a club. It's like a mutual fund for hunting. We pool our money and 300 of us lease several properties around the state. It works out well and a little extra overtime covers the cost.

3)I'm very fortunate to also live in OK where we have alot of public hunting land available. I can't imagine not having a place to hunt with my kids that would be a nightmare, but I don't think its the fault of those who lease hunting land. Who are we to tell land owners what to do with their private property. You want to blame someone, look at your govt. and ask what has happened to the public hunting opportunities.

RE: LAND LEASES BAD FOR HUNTERS?
 

Funny. I'm sure he was. LOL He's just work'n it. Good for you city boys. I was one once upon a time and then learned the hard way the ways of the country.:DJust good old boys. I wouldn't count your inteligence to quickly. LOL Best to keep him thinking he's getting the better part of the deal.

Makes me laugh just picturing it.

RE: LAND LEASES BAD FOR HUNTERS?
 

Why don't you people that don't like what land owners do with their land buy some of your own land and then you can do with it any thing you want.

Oh yea I know why because you can't afford to buy land & monster mudders for your new truck that you must have to haul your quad so if you do shoot a deer with your new switchback you won't have to drag that heavy deer out.

I see most of you will run your pie hole about how you can't afford to buy land but you don't have any problem buying every mega white tailed deer slayer gadget at thearchery shop!

The land is a great investmentthat you can enjoy for a life time , all the toys are just money pissed into the wind!

RE: LAND LEASES BAD FOR HUNTERS?
 

This is going to be long so I appologize in advance. What I dont understand is where you are coming up with the conclusion that everywhere in the country is under the same situation as your area. I also do not understand why you have such a problem with leasing property. How is leasing property any different then giving the person whos land you are hunting on some venison if you are lucky enough to come away with a deer? Or how it is different from an agreement to where you help the land owner out with some sort of work? They are all the same idea but when you lease you use cash instead of meat or work. I am saying all of this and I dont lease any land, nor can I afford to. I am just another person living from paycheck to paycheck that has a deep pasion for hunting and the hunting community.

Look at it from this point of view. You live in the city because it is what is affordable to you. You used to be into hunting but got out of it once your son was born. Now 12 years later,you and your son are trying to get into hunting but do not know any of the local land owners.You stumble across an oppertunity to lease 100 wooded acres from a local gentleman for $800 a year. Money is tight but you manage to come up with the money to lease the land. You use your older bow equiptment and you buy your son a used setup and they hunt the land after going through all of the proper safety education courses and getting all of their permits. Now this whole time you have spent alot of money but made alot of friends in the process. But most importantly you are bonding with your son. All with the help of being able to lease the land. My point is you cant assume that everyone is out to get a trophy buck. For most hunters they are in it for another reason other then the trophy buck. The people that are in it for the trophy buck... these so called rich people you speak of can go to one of these "outfitters" and "hunt" tame and caged deer for their thrills. These people that you speak of are the ones who can usually afford to BUY the land and not lease it. There are a million different ways to look at this topic and no matter what you do there is not going to be a right answer. These "facts" that you are stating are actually "Opinions". If you want something done about it dont argue with these here good people. Go out and get some real facts and then try to get people to help you with your cause. Not trying to be mean but until there are solid facts and ways to fix the wrong doings... why fight about it?

RE: LAND LEASES BAD FOR HUNTERS?
 

AutherP, I'm in the same boat as you, pass me the other oar. I did pay $180 for a non resident license to hunt Md, my home state and have a total of less than 15 hours in the woods since Sept 1. Next year I will proably have my own boat, anyone want the other oar?

RE: LAND LEASES BAD FOR HUNTERS?
 

Holler Critter,
You sound exactly like the hunters I met when my father and I purchased 160 acres here in Ohio. Neighbors had been hunting the woods and fields for years with out permission, safe in knowing the widow who owned the farm was to frail and feeble to goback into the woods and chase them off.
I never met one of these so called hunters while I was driving fence posts to clearly mark the property lines, brush hogging fields, planting with deer and turkey in mind and clearing up the woods while cutting in tractor and atv trails. NO when I met them was soon after the first frost of fall and they stopped by my house or called on the phone since I had put my phone number on the NO TRESSPASSING signs. They said "we have hunted the farm for years YOU POSTED IT can we still hunt there?" To all I said NO
My family leases out the bow hunting rights on the farm each year. We reserve gun and muzzleloader season for our family. In the lease the hunters are required to take at least 1doe per hunter per season. The money from leasing the bow hunting rights goes a long way toward paying the property taxes, buying those expensive parts for john deere tractors and planters, buying seeds and spray and the other items required for properly managing the farm for wildlife.
You, Like them WANT SOMETHING FOR NOTHING, Hunters like you are perfectly willing to let myself and family pay for the land, pay the taxes, buy the equipment to plant and manage the farm for you. Then when you are not given permission to hunt for free you bemoan how landowners who lease are ruining hunting for hunters like you. THERE ARE NO FREE RIDES
I suggest you buy a piece of ground, pour your own blood, your own sweat, your own tears, and your money into it. I bet once the shoe is on the other foot you won't be so quick to critize landowners and leasing...

RE: LAND LEASES BAD FOR HUNTERS?
 

Amen to that. While he's trying to swallow that pill he can stop trying to tell others how to hunt. Today he's lambasting anyone who want to shoot a big buck, but come the day he shoots a big one he'll probably be blasting the meat hunters.

I'll be getting a lease for the reasons stated in my earlier post, and when I buy land I'll be posting it too. Now , I'll ad one more reason as to why. Like the previous poster, to keep away ungrateful dead beats.

RE: LAND LEASES BAD FOR HUNTERS?
 

Myself, I got tired of hunting public land, and begging invites to friend and family leases.When I got ready to lease and looked at it long term I decided instead of spending a thousand a year for a good one I was going to buy. Rich? Nope.I think the note is 130 a month. For a hunting nut like me its a steal.Not that big a parcel but its mine. Do I have to tell you about the friends who want to show up opening weekend without doing any of the chores?

RE: LAND LEASES BAD FOR HUNTERS?
 

Nope dont have too tell me about it!

Last night I got a call from a buddy.. It went something like this..
Hey when you leaving for deer camp?
Sometime tomorrow,, why?
Well I just got layed off today,, im free all next week... got room for one more?
Truck is full... were bringing my 12 year old nephew and his buddy.Theywere allowed too takethe week off school,, hope too get them theyre first deer next week!!!
Ahh man,, tell the nephewsbuddy you cant take him,, and Ill go!
No, thats just not right they helped build theboathouse and deer coops this past summer...
ahhh man,,, WTF I thought we were buddies?
We are,, but when I asked if you wanted to go?? you said... Why doI want tootake a week off work,,, just to go up there?
I asked the nephews buddy if he wanted to go with us this year... he said I sure do! I cleared it with his parents, and he made the necessary grades to be allowed to go,, he is going!
Well,, Ill bet he wont have gas money!!
I dont expect him too have money for gas, or food, or anything really... I just expect him to be safe,, and have a good time!

Well alright, if thats how you want too treat your buddies....

Now if he had originally said,, I just got layed off, got room in camp for one more next week? I would have said,,, sure do...but your going too have too take your own vehicle up... he would be deer hunting next week!

RE: LAND LEASES BAD FOR HUNTERS?
 

Now there is a new ex-buddy in my book.

I get ask all the time, you know I would love to take some folks, but as soon as you take 1 the flood gates open. I just have a standard no to everyone. Youth hunters are a different, I take 1 or 2 every year.

RE: LAND LEASES BAD FOR HUNTERS?
 

Climb down off'n your high horse there, buckaroo. I'm not looking for a free ride. I don't mind paying a REASONABLE lease fee. Paying enough for a deer lease that I could pay cash money for a brand new Browning Citori shotgun AND a dove hunting trip to Mexico or a caribou trip to Alaskaevery year is NOT reasonable.

Icould pay $500 a year to hunt. It'd hurt badly, but I could do it. $2000-3000? Nopossible way. I'll need a new truck in another few years myself, so why would I want to buy one forthat landowner? I know lease prices aren't that high everywhere... at least, not yet.

But eventually, if so many hunters keep ignoring the issue, thinkingit's not a problem because itdoesn't affect them personally, or that 'hunting is my only hobby and I don't mind spending money on it'... these guys will eventually find out there will be a price for a place to hunt that they simply CAN NOT PAY.

Or they will find out, as so many of my friends have in the last few years, that the lease they've held for many years and the friendship they've developed with the landowner will completely dissolve when someone comes along andoffers double or triple the cashyou've been paying for the lease.

30 days notice to get your stuff off the property doesn't leave you much time to find a new place to hunt when it comes 30 days from opening day. Nor does it pay for all the work you did, planting your own food plots and clearing shooting lanes from your stands.

Frankly, if you are leasing and doing improvements to the property with the goal of increasing the quality of the deer, you're a dam* fool. As soon as you start seeing the results of your hard work and word gets out about the size of deer you've been taking, you will be outbid for the lease. The landowner gets more money, the new leasee gets the deer (and food plots and carefully prepared stand locations)and you get screwed over. Sounds like fun, don't it. :eek:

RE: LAND LEASES BAD FOR HUNTERS?
 

No, I actually called him this morning and told him if hed like too come up he'd have too drive himself up there. If he wanted too he could bring someone along with him(9 hour drive). Weve got plenty of room in the cabin,, and more than enough land too hunt. But the kids get the 2 swamp coops for monday. Have the truck and trailer loaded up,, pick the kids up at school for 3pm, and on the road!

RE: LAND LEASES BAD FOR HUNTERS?
 

It's the way it is, yep.

RE: LAND LEASES BAD FOR HUNTERS?
 

That is why you signed a Ten year agreement:eek:
Why you have a good relationship with the owner.

RE: LAND LEASES BAD FOR HUNTERS?
 

Good ideas, but 10 years isn't long in the whitetail world. Take 5 just to get things going. If a guy does do it the best advise is to keep quiet. Hard to do though.

There was a guy on here recently that wrote a book, I read it. He never learned and still hasn't as far as I know to not shoot his mouth off. If it wasn't for the fact that he owns his own property I think he would even loose that. He shot a big deer and almost lost it through legal battles. Still cost him 500 bucks.

Arthur's words are very true and can be applied to many things, not just deer hunting.

RE: LAND LEASES BAD FOR HUNTERS?
 

I almost don't knowwant to think about your posts. Are you serious? These ain't your granddaddy's deer woods anymore and it is not likely to revert back to whatever it is youwereused to (which sounds likehunting off of property you don't own or have rights to). I have yet to read where you offer up a realistic alternative to leasing. Open woods, free-roam hunting?? Do you really think that is an option? You keep saying "hunting as we've known it" What you really mean is hunting as you have known it, whichclearlydoes not apply to everyone else.What is clear is that you haveno real knowledge ofthe leasing issue as a whole (only your local area leasing issues). You stereotype people who lease andmake it seemthough as hunters we should be entitled to hunt wherever we want regardless ofwho owns it.I am neither "well to do" or "privaleged", and I certainly am not a "wanta be" pro hunter.All of your mindless babbling about "people that lease are onlyout for trophy deer", and don't "really" help the farmers or the herd, "90% of the timethose that lease are trophy pro wanta be's", and we are"ending our grandfathers traditions and hunting as "we" know it" make you sound ignorant.

WEBSTERS II--University Dictionary
Ignorant--adj.--1. Without knowledge or education. 2. Displaying lack
of knowledge or education. 3. Unaware or uninformed
: OBLIVIOUS.
Mainly number 3. I seriously mean no offense and I do not think you are stupid, just uninformed.

How many people do youknow that lease? I only ask because you are laying down some very broad statements that are simply incorrect and based on your own biased opinions rather a larger understanding of leasing as a whole.
Where do you hunt (state)? Do you thinkit might be possible that other people in other states might bedealing with different circumstances than you?
How did your granddad used to hunt and what traditionsof his (specifically) are being destroyed by leasing?
I hunt deer to feed my family and friends, I shoot does, I manage our herd, I take care of the land,andsome of that landis leased. Where does that put me?

Hunting is a public sport, you are correct. But most hunting land is private. Whether you are talking about a farmers land or land owned by a company, it does not matter, you stillmust have permission to hunt that land. And some companies and farmers make that easy by offering that land up for a contracted lease. What is wrong with that,nothing unless you don't want to pay to hunt, then it becomesa problem.So let me get this straight if you don't get to hunt someoneelse's property for free that is a problem? And I am selfish for leasing it because if I didn't lease it then the landowner may just let you hunt it for free again (like in the old days).

I can only speak for myself but I know thatthe farms we lease and the farmers we lease from aredoing well with this arrangement. We keep the farmers access roads right, we provide him and lots of others withtons of deer meat, we kill lots of deer which helps his crops, and we pay the land lease whichhelps him with taxes and other expenses. But I'm sure if you asked him to boot us off so you and your crowd could hunt itlike the"old days" he would jump all over the oppurtunity.

RE: LAND LEASES BAD FOR HUNTERS?
 

Okay ! folks;

Lets end all the hard feelings, sorry if anyone feels their toes have been steped on a little; just trying to open a few eyes to the future of hunting for the masses. I enjoy hunting, and have all the acreage(180 plus acres)that my friends, family and neighbors will ever need to hunt without any need for leasing rights. So you see I am not a selfish man I know how to share with the locals,family and friends. All it took to hunt my land was a hand shake and some neighborly friendship.

Okay! I may have been a little harsh and stiff on some of my comments and statements,but if no one says anything and just sits by idle ,whats going to happen to public access to private land for hunting? I tell you whatwill happen; all those people with the swollen egos,toes , and bank accounts are going to ruin the future of hunting for the average folks.