Hunting Leases: Input from a landowner
Posted by Bryan on September 4, 2007
A few weeks back, I expressed my frustrations with hunting leases: Permission to Hunt? – Denied. I received some very thought provoking feedback, including comments from Darrell at Alpha Trilogy, Phillip from the HogBlog, and Moose from Moose Droppings. I’ve since done quite a bit of thinking about the topic and had a chance to talk it over with a landowner who leases to some hunters, so I thought I’d share another take on the issue.
About the landowner: he’s a farmer in
- Decreased crop damage due to herd control
- Respectful hunters help patrol the land
- If the farmer is away for a long weekend, the hunter keeps the property active (which can prevent theft/poaching)
- Good income with little to no cost for the hunter
As for the hunters, there are some definite pros and cons. Perhaps the most obvious is that if a hunter is willing/able to fork out the dough, the he/she can secure private hunting spots. On the other hand, if one is unable/unwilling to spend the money, then he/she can be locked out of many hunting lands that have great potential.
Mulling over the issue during the past week I thought of something else. Leasing property can actually protect deer habitat. Surly, many landowners could cash-in big time if they sell to developers, which would result in the destruction of deer habitat for new homes/communities. To the extent that leases maintain deer habitat, then they are actually beneficial to hunters, even if they cannot afford a lease. The alternative would be destruction of habitat.
Of course, there is another issue I haven’t mentioned yet: outfitters. The landowner I talked with said he prefers to lease to hunters, not outfitters, because “with outfitters you don’t know who will stomping all over your land.” Of course, I’m sure that a quality outfitter would respect the land and keep a watch on the hunters. I’ll keep pondering this issue and post when I come to a revelation. In the meantime, I appreciate your comments and e-mails to help me broaden my horizons.
The take-home message from all of this: leases may have many unforeseen benefits!
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After years of leasing hunting places, paying higher prices each year and putting up with eccentric landowners, I decided to buy my own small ranch. This was 15 years ago and it has worked out very well for me and my family. Land prices here in central Texas now almost preclude this.
September 4th, 2007 at 9:07 am
I will have to say that I have leased land the last couple of years and it has been very expensive and very disappointing. I finally have property this year and only requires me respecting the land and I couldn’t be more happy. I can understand the pros and cons though and I think my last two leases have just been a case of bad luck and bad ownership.
September 4th, 2007 at 10:32 am
I appreciate reading from the perspective of the landowner. Its a great post!
September 4th, 2007 at 3:25 pm
I’m lucky enough to have private land, albeit small properties, that I can hunt for free, though I don’t own them. It would be hard for me to fork over thousands of dollars for a piece of land in which I would have no equity. I’ve been thinking about trying to put together a group of hunters to buy something instead.
September 4th, 2007 at 4:30 pm
I have never had to lease land, in the past I either hunt on private land or state land. Both have paid off for me in the past. This has been an interesting topic though and it is good that you also included the landowners point of view.
Nice read, Bryan.
September 4th, 2007 at 4:52 pm
Leasing of deer hunting rights has been the norm here in the South for many years. I have seen both sides of the issue. When I did not live in SC, I had to lease land to have a place to hunt - even my grandmother’s farm. She received $20/acre from a commercial hunting club, so how could she give up that income (which paid the taxes on the farm) even if she did want to let me hunt. I had to pay it if I wanted to hunt it - Simple Math.
On the other hand, now that I live here, I see that many locals do not have somewhere to hunt other than their backyard due to the high cost. To beat it, some band together to lease land themselves.
However the out of state hunters still usually get the best tracts, because they are willing to pay more to trophy hunt. Locals tend to hunt more for meat, so they just want a place to hunt and don’t want to pay much.
If you are a land owner, which group do you want? The one that is going to pay top dollar but only kill a few deer or the other group who is going to pay as little as possible and going to kill a bunch of deer? If you are a small, struggling farmer trying to get by (especially one trying to manage his land for big deer) that is any easy question.
Fortunately not every tract is made for trophy hunting, so there are landowners who can not demand as much money an acre, so it helps to make sure everyone has somewhere to lease! However they still have to pay something… which I don’t mind. Everything in life costs something. I know it should be free, but this is the reality. So, to those that complain, I say, stop wasting money on xboxs, iphones, etc, and put your money were it will make a difference in your life - on a good lease where you can take your family on a safe, quality hunt anytime you want. Or hit the public land.
And while I understand the frustration of the locals, many of the complaints I hear about the high lease prices come from out of state hunters driving $50,000 Ford trucks complete with a new $1000 rifle, $500 scope and a gallon of Code Blue at $32 an ounce! They actually say it with a straight face while I sit listening from my 1987 Jeep Cherokee. Priorities people!
September 4th, 2007 at 7:48 pm
The single biggest threat to our hunting heritage is the climbing expenses to hunt and land loss to the average income hunters due to more private land being turned into leases. I have been saying for years that we’re heading fast in the direction of Europe where only financially well to do can afford to go hunting.
If this keeps up we will loose many more hunters than we already have. The most often heard complaint in conversations with hunters is “Hunting becomes more expensive and now we are even asked to pay for land access. I don’t now for how long I can keep that up financially and justify the cost to my family.”
I would hate to see the day where the hunting heritage available to all people and income classes becomes a millionaire recreational activity while Joe Average hunt rats at the local garbage dump like it is today in many European countries.
-Othmar Vohringer-
September 5th, 2007 at 12:20 am
I appreciate all of the comments and different points of view. It seems that this issue of leasing is quite a complex issue. Since Ohio is home to some find trophy territory, leases are quite popular. I was initially frustrated with this fact, but my discussion with the landowner (who, by the way, denied me access to his land in favor of a lease) broadened my horizons a bit. Even though I can’t hunt the land, I am glad that the land is not being sold to a developer.
Othmar raised an important point about the future of hunting…will leases lead to exclusion of underprivileged outdoorsmen & women? I definitely hope not…I hope that public land remains protected to prevent this from happening. A related question but from another perspective might be, if leases were to discontinue, would potential hunting grounds be developed? It’s a very complicated issue…
Jeff raised the question of priorities…and he made a very good point. What’s the use in using crazy expensive equipment if you don’t have a place to use it? Ultimately everything we do comes down to priorities. People often say, “There’s not enough time in the day to do this or that…” Well, they are right…there isn’t enough time…so you have to prioritize. Same goes for our finances. I know for me, hunting isn’t at the top of the list. Even though it’s favorite activity, I wouldn’t hunt if it put my family or my education at risk. I hope what my father has preached to me is true…”Work now, play later…”
September 5th, 2007 at 5:07 am
[…] Hunting Leases: Input From a Landowner […]
September 5th, 2007 at 6:56 am
I appreciate the opinions of all the hunters who must depend on others to have a place to ply the sport. However, I would like to comment on this topic from the landowner point of view.
No, I donot charge people to hunt my property.
The problem I have with some guys is that permission is given for one or two individuals - then they bring 8 other guys with other hunters already on the property; a total of 80 acres of timber.
Communication by the landowner to all interested parties is key. Nobody seems to listen though when I ask them to let me know when they will be here to hunt, so other people will know to listen or watch for two legged compatriots.
Posted “No Hunting Without Permission” signs have been ripped down…which doesn’t bode well with me. It shows a lack of respect .
Earlier this year there were three deer shot and not taken to be used for anything. Left for the vultures and coyotes.
I am sure you get the picture of why it could be getting harder to find private land to hunt. Yes, not all people have blantant disregard for someone else’s land but the locals can make it harder for others to get a chance.
September 5th, 2007 at 6:48 pm
CDGarden, you raise such an important point. Disrespectful hunters ruin a great thing for those of us who respect the game and the land. Just a few bad apples ruin the whole bushel…and unfortunately sometimes it can be a lot of bad apples! I am very sorry to hear about some of your bad experiences.
When I obtain permission to hunt, one question I’m always asked is, “Are you hunting alone?” I always ask the landowner’s preference, which is usually that I come alone or just bring my father. To date, I’ve always respected there wishes. I only wish others would do the same.
Thank you for voicing your opinion…I think it’s vital to have input from landowners.
September 5th, 2007 at 8:43 pm
I see that you wanted input from landowners. Well, I am a landowner that leases land for hunting and is a hunter as well.
Why do I lease?
Because leasing allows me another source of income that helps pay for the privilege of owning property. There’s no reason to give something away for free if someone is willing to pay for it. That might sound like something a “sell out” would say but it is true in any walk of life. Unless you’re talking about immediate family, which would throw that right out the window.
What about the under-privileged?
It was said in a previous comment but what about prioritizing? Many of the hunters I know will drop hundreds to thousands of dollars each year on equipment but will immediately start to complain about paying for a lease. Just like equipment, land costs money and it’s the most important requirement for hunting. I don’t believe that I should forgo potential income just because someone has different priorities than myself.
Hopefully my comments add something constructive discussion that will only become more prominent as time goes on.
September 7th, 2007 at 2:32 pm
A.Landowner,
Yes, I do what input from landowners! Thank you greatly for voicing your viewpoint. It’s nice to be able to ready this perspective among those of other landowners and hunters. You raise very good points…and hey, it’s a free-market!
Hope your hunters have a successful year!
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September 17th, 2007 at 1:41 am