Paying to hunt posted land
 

There are several good reasons for people to post their land. They might wanna know and choose who hunts it, they may wanna save it for themselves to hunt, maybe they just don't want anyone hunting it period. But while deer hunting this year, I came across a farmer who posted up every last acre of his land, and then charged a fee to anyone who asked to hunt it. I had permission to hunt land that bordered his on two sides. I only wanted his permission to pursue a deer if I chased it up and it crossed into his land. His counter offer was $150 per gun per day. Plus $3 a bird. I reminded him I was only hunting deer, and he countered with $5 a point.

I grew up on a small farm not far from there. We only posted the land bordering our farm or where we had cattle. Even then we let most people who asked hunt, and didn't ask for anything in return. A lot of the non-resident hunters would give my dad gifts in return. Deerskin gloves, case of beer, bottle of home-made redeye, strawberry jam. One guy from Idaho brought us a 50lb sack of potatoes every year. So I'm not saying we never took anything, but I wasn't gonna give that guy $150 just in case I chase up a deer.

I come to find out this guy has about 12,000 acres of land, spread around about 20 square miles, all posted up tighter than his daughter's chastity belt. Mostly harvested cropland mixed with countless sloughs, tree rows, rock piles, etc. Not a single fence, so he literally has a fence post every quarter mile with a sign on it. To protect his investment, him and his hired men take turns driving around all day to make sure only his customers are on his land. It must cost him thousands of dollars to do this, so he must get a lot of takers to make it pay. I will support a landowners right to do what he pleases with his land, but this kind of stuff really bothers me. Am I alone?

Why should it bother you when we can do whatever we want with the land we own? Some choose to do what he does, while a few will allow hunting just for the asking and others are antihunting altogether. That's America dude! I hunt pheasants on public and PLOTs land in the SW part of ND every Fall and most private properties down there are posted by the owners or are posted/leased by outfitters and both want hundreds of dollars a day to shoot 3 friggin pheasants. They evidently get a lot of takers, but I'm not one of them!

The guy does sound a bit tight but it is his land. You'd be surprised at how many people offer or try to sell hunting rights on their land. And you'd be even more surprised at how many people actually pay for it!

You're right. I can't deny him his right to do what he wants with his land, nor would I want to. It's not so much the concept that bothers me, but the execution. I'm laying out in a rock pile since about 4:00 am, quarter mile off a prairie trail that borders this guy's land, waitin for the deer to come in. Just a little after 7:00, minutes before shooting light, a ridiculously loud truck comes tearing down the path. I didn't know who it was, just figured it was another hunter or a farmer, that's what I get for hunting that close to a trail. Then around 7:45, sunrise, the same truck comes driving by. This time it stopped, the passenger gets out, gets something from the back of the truck, gets back in and takes off. Got a good look through the binocs, but didn't recognize him. Around 9:00, I'm about to give up and start walking, the same truck drives by again. This time from the other direction, so I got a good look at the driver, and sure enough, it was him. And to top it all off, I find out his kids used to hunt my dad's land, free of charge of course.

It's just the nature of the people who own the land...some are more generous/understanding than others, others want some return on their investment. Both sides have a point. I own a small camp in NY (mostly deer hunting) and 60 acres, I don't think I've ever turned down anyone who's asked to hunt the property, provided I'm not using it that week. But I'm sure my attitude would change if they abused the priviledge.

Farmers and land owners down here in Alabama long ago caught on to the concept of leasing huntng rights. Farming is a risk laden business, even on a large scale. The income is a great help in making ends meet for sure. Folks that have invested in pines can go 15 years or more before receiving any appreciable income from selling the timber. Selling hunting rights for $6 to $20/acre/year (depending upon quality of habitat, location and acreage) is not unusual. Day hunt fees are.

While do wish that there was a lot more public access hunting land here in my state, I have no problem with hunting rights leased.

with 12k acres probably comes some pretty hefty bills to pay,
nothing wrong with landowner supplementing his income with leasing,

would one go to an outfitter/guide and ask to hunt their land for free?

I can see both sides, there are so many rednecks or poachers out there, i do not blame him for keeping an eye out on his own land..However if you shoot a deer and have to go on his land to recover it that should be your right as well.It is only right for you to be able to recover the animal you worked hard to hunt and then get to harvest.NO one should deny you the right to recover your animal...

No one should be forced to allow anybody access to their property short of maybe a life threatening situation. Recreational deer hunting is not that.

aint gonna lie, sounded cheap to me...$5 a point...where do i sign?
$150 a day...sign me up.... not really but whats to bitch about?
bottom line stay quite a ways from the property line when ya deliver a dbl lung shot the deer shouldnt make it on his property. maybe if ya had to pay taxes on 12k acres one year ya might understand