Hunting land free or leased?

[guzzijohn]

Just interested in your opinions. I lease my property for hunting and fishing. Sometimes someone will stop by asking permission to hunt or fish. When I tell them that I lease for that they seem put out that I would want some money. Ya, it would be great if this was all free but I am the one that had to pay for the land, pay taxes on it and insure it. It seems that everyone is willing to pay for their guns, boats, etc. but do not want to pay for using the land. What is everyones take on this?
GuzziJohn

[ncsurveyor]

Tell the people stopping by that you sincerely appreciate them stopping by to ask, but others have put money down in order to secure your property for their sole use and safety. 

Tell them if they want to be considered for future opportunity, they can leave their name.

[dukkillr]

Leasing, at least here in Kansas, is a hot topic.  When we opened up the non-resident deer hunting suddenly what used to be available for free was a valuable commodity.  The old school hunters are still crying about it.  The Kansas Bowhunters Association (of which I am a member) appears to spend about half it's time complaining about leasing.  It get's old.  The classic story is that some "rich guys" from "texas" paid the farmer too much money to resist and they lost their favorite hunting spot where they'd been for 20 years.

My thought are that capitalism works.  The hunting world is changing and if you want to secure a place to teach your kids to hunt you better get to work on it.  If you still think access should be handled like it was in the 60s you're just sticking your head in the sand.  Maybe it should be, but it's not going to be.

[Glanceblamm]

I am still very lucky here as I have a couple of patches locally with myself having sole access for the deer hunting. For my late season spot, I have another 250 acres but have to drive 150mile one way to get there.
Did you ever camp out in an XLT Ranger with a cap? it is kind of like being in a coffin.

Back to my local front: I have more permissions for the Predators as the land owners usually give me the ok for this. More permissions can be gained if you help out when you see the need...I have been known to unsling the rifle to help throw a few rack wagons of hay in the barn or even to help get hogs loaded up the chute & into the trailor along with doing some mechanical or electrical work.
This is not a smoke screen and it does not put you in the free and clear. You still have to demonstrate that you are there to hunt and not to use the owners ground as a shooting range. You can go far though from perhaps groundhogs to small game to deer.

[jamaldog87]

Back to my local front: I have more permissions for the Predators as the land owners usually give me the ok for this. More permissions can be gained if you help out when you see the need...I have been known to unsling the rifle to help throw a few rack wagons of hay in the barn or even to help get hogs loaded up the chute & into the trailor along with doing some mechanical or electrical work.
This is not a smoke screen and it does not put you in the free and clear. You still have to demonstrate that you are there to hunt and not to use the owners ground as a shooting range. You can go far though from perhaps groundhogs to small game to deer.

I had to do "work " sometimes to get permission to hunt there too. most of the places i used to hunt were becuase we or mayself worked the land so they let us use it. There were some farms were we took care of a hog/ pest problem in june and we could come back the fall to hunt deer if we wish.  One place we had to pick fruit for a few weeks then  he let use hunt there.

[30-30man]

I've had many request, but I don't lease to anyone anymore.  I only let family members on my place now.  I do ocassionally have friends that run dogs through, but it's only once or twice a year. There are just too many folks that don't take care of your property.  I've had everything from lawsuit threats from insurance companies to one fellow dumping a carcus and guts in my fish pond. Then there is always the member who brings every Tom, Dick, and Harry over to your place.  Eventually things start to go missing, it's just not worth it.  I just sell pine straw to cover my taxes now, I don't need the lease money. Tell them to go to the WMA public lands as it is much cheaper.  In SC, they can buy a resident pass for $55 and hunt thousands of acres all over the state.  Most hunting clubs around here are at least $500-1000 per member.

[charles p]

Ever notice that when a piece of property is leased for the very first time, even if posted signs are put all over the place, some hunters who always hunted that land will continue to hunt until they are run off about twice or three times.  They don't give up easily.  That's been my experience.