Hunting & Fishing Leases

[rrflyer]

Guys i might be buying into my first lease this year but have never done one before. Any insight on what to look for or legalities?

Its 3 hours from home, 900 acres, year round, with access limited to the 5 guys on it.

 

[Guest]

Re: Leases

As a property owner who leases to hunters, I submit to you the following:

Treat the property as your own
-dont litter
-dont drive off set roads
-dont crank up your vehicle radio
-pick up shell casings

Be legal
-dont shoot after dark
-dont spotlight (unless he's said its ok for coons and stuff)
-dont take too many deer
-never shoot over a fenceline
-dont shoot things out of season

Be courteous
-alcohol consumption is ok, within reason
-dont bring guests without permission
-dont bring your gf (unmarried people sharing a room, no go)
-ranchers are friendly. we talk to people. be a few minutes late getting into your stand if he wants to shoot the shit with you.
-dont be offended if he keeps an eye on you
-dont fuck with his cattle. (if theyre under your feeder, dont shoot to scare them away)
-tie orange surveyors plastic around guidewires to feeders (they clothesline you on horseback...trust me)
-dont put feeders too close to the fence. he has neighbors.
-meet his neighbors. get a phone number to call, so you can tell them if you have to track a deer over a fenceline if you wound it. Ask them if you can bring your gun should you have to track an animal on their property. (They may say no)
-ask him what he wants done, should you see coyotes, mtn lion, hogs, etc. Probably get brownie points for killing things that fuck up fencelines or kill his animals...
-LEAVE A GATE AS YOU FOUND IT!!!! Can you tell, this is a petpeave?

Thats all I can think of at the moment. I have horror stories about some of those...

 

[Guest]

Re: Leases

Dont shoot too close to his house either.

 

[cockcroft]

Re: Leases

Get everything in writing. Get a written set of rules. Number of animals you can shoot and what type. Make sure there's something to hunt on the place. Lots of crappy leases out there with nothing on them. Don't take the ranchers word on amount of game. Spend some time on the place looking for sign. If they won't let you spend some time scouting first, don't take it.
Make sure about water and electricty if its available and is it included or extra. I have had some really good leases and also got screwed on some too. Ask around the town about the ranch and rancher, if he's good to go they will tell you, and if he's a crook they will tell you that too.
Good luck

 

[chris112]

Re: Leases

Know what your rights are that don't have to be listed in the lease. A couple of the items in the list above fall into the catagory of "none of his business".
Be sure it specifies where the livestock will be during the hunting season (which pasture since there are usually several). You want your feeders to attract deer not cattle and that also reduces the chances of accidentally shotting a cow or the cattle damaging a feeder.

 

[willsnipe]

Re: Leases

In TX we normally put up a couple strands of wire around the feeders. It will usually stop cattle, and doesn't even slow deer down.

Most of the land owners are good guys, but getting everything you can think of written down prevents a lot of misunderstandings. Nearly everyone has differing expectations, and resolving them early is a key to a long term relationship. (My lease down there has been in the same hands since 1981, and we've REALLY improved what was originally a poor herd.) An option on multiple years is something I would negotiate for going in.

 

[Phil1]

Re: Leases

What is the going rates for hunting leases?

Thx

 

[SingleShot85]

Re: Leases

<div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Originally Posted By: Phil1</div><div class="ubbcode-body">What is the going rates for hunting leases?

Thx </div></div>

Big +1 as it relates to gates.

depending on several factors 5-20 an acre

we lease out around the 8 dollar an acre.

 

[SingleShot85]

Re: Leases

<div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Originally Posted By: chris112</div><div class="ubbcode-body">Know what your rights are that don't have to be listed in the lease. A couple of the items in the list above fall into the catagory of "none of his business".
Be sure it specifies where the livestock will be during the hunting season (which pasture since there are usually several). You want your feeders to attract deer not cattle and that also reduces the chances of accidentally shotting a cow or the cattle damaging a feeder. </div></div>

FYI EVERYTHING that happens on the ranch IS the Land Owner's business! anthing less will only end up in a bad situation.

 

[mdesign]

Re: Leases

Make sure the person who is offering the lease really has the authority to do so. Know of a situation where the son leased the dad's land.

+1 on scouting the place before you lease. Once had a place where the rancher said there were plenty of deer but no big ones and it was the best place I ever hunted. He was not a hunter and did not know what was there. I've seen it the other way as well.

 

[Phil1]

Re: Leases

<div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Originally Posted By: rrflyer</div><div class="ubbcode-body">Guys i might be buying into my first lease this year but have never done one before. Any insight on what to look for or legalities?

Its 3 hours from home, 900 acres, year round, with access limited to the 5 guys on it. </div></div>

I don't mean to hi-jack your thread. But I wonder how much that you're paying and what amount of game(read hunting) that would be expected from a lease like this.

There are not really any leasing here. The law here is that unless the land is posted for no hunting and no trespassing. That you are allowed to hunt on it <span style="font-weight: bold">generally without permission </span>. You would ask permission to dig a pit for hunting geese and put up a permanent blind or course.

I have never met anyone(from the province) who has ever paid for the right to hunt on their land.

Here 900 acres of mixed pasture and cropped land (70/30) would produce one 140 class whitetail, one 130 class whitetail and two does a year. This is in central Sask. The northern forest starts at about mid province and is open to all, of course.But the re-productivity of deer is likely 1/3 to 1/2 that.

 

[Guest]

Re: Leases

<div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Originally Posted By: chris112</div><div class="ubbcode-body">Know what your rights are that don't have to be listed in the lease. A couple of the items in the list above fall into the catagory of "none of his business". </div></div>

Im curious as to what is not the land owners business, in your opinion. Please expand on that.

 

[BOLTRIPPER]

Re: Leases

5 guys on 900 acres.....sounds a bit cramped to me

this is Toddacguy checking his protein feeder that i helped him set up.....and if i remember this is just a small chunck of 2,500 acres w/6 guns on it.

 

[Guest]

Re: Leases

I understand the AO Im in here. Lots of testosterone. Lots of bullshit toughguyness.

But, look at leases the way you would anything else: Youre a guest on private property. You paying a couple grand for hunting rights doesnt give you the right to be an asshole. It also doesnt grant you the right to do whatever you want.

As stated, go into any other private place, and (no matter if youve paid or not) act like a fucking prick. See if you dont get tossed out on your ear. Same thing here folks.

Go into Chilis. Have a couple of margaritas. Pay for them. Act like a disruptive asshole. You will be asked to leave. If you dont, LE will be called.

Leases are no different.