I do not lease land myself but friends of mine do. They go in together with 10 people total for 50+ acres in Southern IL Big Buck area. They lease the land for $10,000.00 a year. The smallest buck killed out of 7 deer was 148+ P&Y score. I still don't think it was worth it but they do... So more power to them.

$10.00 an acre for wooded acres. That was the price in KY, and am looking at land in SW WI at about the same price. 3-500 acres of land, for about $2500-3500 total, around 1/2 wooded. Established QDM areas and the most P&Y bucks harvested every year, in the country!

Jeff...U.P. of Michigan

Zingnut, please tell me you meant to say 500+ acres not 50+ for 10,000 dollars!!!!

I pay about $4000 a year for 32 acres, but in 5 years I wont have to pay nothing!! I will own it then!!

ToddP, we have about twenty members X 250 = 5000. Sorry that I wasn't very clear.

Why pay thousands of dollars a year to hunt? Thats crazy! Is shooting a deer that important? Use sound investment advice and invest that money so you can buy your own land. 10,000 dollars a season to hunt someones getting richer off you.

Lease 200 acres...$1.00 an acre had it for ten years now.

Rochelle,

Some of us already own as much land as we can afford, but like the privelage of hunting in areas that practice sound management principles to see deer the way nature intended for them to live.

I could go buy a 40 in WI, or IL, or IA, but I can lease 500 acres a year for 1/4 what my payments would be for a 40, and I get the exclusive rights to hunt a large enough parcel in the prime deer country area I pick. By hunting on the larger parcel, with only 1-2 closely chosen friends that share the same management philosophy, we can not only have a relaxing, successful hunt, but we can pass up smaller bucks and feel somewhat confident that with a larger lease property that little guy might still be around in a year or two. That doesn't work on a 40, except for extreme circumstances.

Some people don't make the time or set asside the money to hunt in other states, but I do, and with sacrifices most people can too. I have a small home(1120 sq.ft.), no basement, small garage, small 2nd car, my wife works, we don't drink, smoke, get involved in bowling leagues or whatever, don't have a boat, don't go on fancy vacations, don't believe in expensive, family time consuming hobbies or sports for the kids, and live pretty modestly. I make up for those things with the ability to hunt and shoot more, have my own land, and the ability to spend the most time with my family, on our land at home or visiting relatives on vacation.

As far as an investment goes, I have memories, pictures, and good times with friends that will last a life time. If everything in life was a financial investment, we'd all be driving Chevy Metros, using homemade bows, living in a Duplex, not have kids, and work 2 jobs a day to invest and save as much money as possible, all without a computer of course.

There are financial investments, and lifetime investments. A good balance is a healthy lifestyle.

It's all about choices.

Jeff...U.P. of Michigan.