As public hunting areas become overcrowded, frustrated hunters have begun looking elsewhere. Hunting leases are an increasingly popular solution; hunters pay land-owners for the right to hunt on their lands.
The original hunting lease was just a handshake and verbal agreement between hunter and farmer, but in the modern era things have gotten a little more complicated. While it never hurts to ask local property owners whether you can hunt their land, most leases these days are formal contracts that exchange money for hunting-rights.
Here are a few tips for hunters considering buying a hunting lease.
1. Know Your Lease Type: – Leases can last for as little as a day or for several years, and may involve extras like professional outfitting, guide service, and accommodations. Try to pick a lease that fits your budget and your calender. If you don’t want to go with the more elaborate guide and outfitter route your best bet might be a short-term lease lasting for one season. If everything works out, you can consider negotiating a long-term lease.
2. Consider Hunting Clubs: – Another solution that has become popular lately is hunting clubs; members of these clubs pitch in to lease larger and better hunting grounds, which they then share. Hunt clubs can consist of a few friends or they can be massive multi-state networks, but most offer the chance to hunt on several different leased properties or on larger properties than any individual member would otherwise be able to lease.
3. Do Your Research: Before you call the owner or set foot on the property, make sure you know some of the basics. How large is the lease and how many other hunters will have access to it? What kind of roads lead to the area? Will there be complications with mineral or timber rights, development, environmental issues, or other factors? At this stage it can be helpful to look at aerial photographs and topographical maps, as well as talking to anyone who may have experience hunting that lease or others in the area.
4. Visit the Property: It is absolutely essential to visit in person any hunting lease before committing to it. Make sure it has sufficient tree cover, water, and other essentials to sustain the deer population. Next, look for specific signs that deer are in the area; these can include deer trails, droppings, or bark scraped off trees by young males. You’ll be spending a lot of time at your lease, so you should also consider factors related to your own comfort; will you be able to keep up with the terrain if there is a great deal of change in elevation? Are there too many mosquitoes or nuisance insects? Finally, do you like the way it looks and feels?
5. Sign a Clear Contract: Before finalizing the lease agreement, be absolutely sure that you and the person you’re leasing from are on the same page. Make sure you agree on the exact size and location of the area you’re leasing, what you’ll be allowed to do there, how long you’ll hold the lease, and what you’re going to pay for it. If the owner intends to provide any extras (like lodges, shelters, or services) or set limits (such as number of guests, shooting hours, or other restrictions), these should be established before signing.
There are 5 additional tips to be revealed in Part 2 of Deer Hunting Leases….
