How much is your deer lease?

G

globemaster3

New member
I am considering a hunting lease this year in IL to take the kids on, but have been shocked at the prices advertised on some web sites marketing leases in the area.

I am not sure if my mental picture of how much leases should cost is off, or if these sites just jack up the prices. For example, I saw some leases advertised for $1000+ for only 50 acres!:eek:

I've never leased before, but have been on them as guests long ago and am aware of prices from a few years ago. Is my reference off? This is where I need your help. I am not phishing for your prized honey hole. All I want to know is acreage and cost. If it's in the midwest, that would be really helpful.

If you have data from the 6 degrees of hunting lease holder, I appreciate the thought, but don't really need that data set. (i.e., "my best friend's older brother's girlfriend's cousin's parent's mechanic's lease goes for X).
 
Don't know what this will tell you but maybe it will help.

20,000 acres, 200 hunters at $525 each............

$5.25 per acre.

That is what the state of Florida gets for the piece we hunt on. Seems cheep. But then the state also gets income from the timbering that goes on on the property.
 
My bad...... I was not clear.

We hunt on one of the special Recreational Use Areas in the state. It's very different from the standard WMA system in that the users of the area actually pay the cost. Benifit is that it is limited to the 200 folks and not everyone in the state who buys a WMA stamp.

I posted it so you could see some slight idea of what the state works with.

Hope it was of some use.

Sorry for the confusion.
 
I pay $68 for my Super Sportsman license, and hunt the state land here. There are so many places and so many acres of state land ln NY that you can't possbly scout and hunt them all in 2 lifetimes. This is probably the ONLY good thing about Klintonia.
 
Here in VA where I hunt it $4.00 per but a bit west of here it goes from $8.00 to $14.00 per and looks like thats going to be headed up & up for the future. Seems like all the hunting shows have sparked more interest in managing deer in general and if you are leasing you would have to keep the same land for several years before it would pay off managing for larger bucks, which adds up to paying your lease several years so it really cost a lot more in the long run. What I am getting at is in a area that is known for larger bucks you will pay more just a given being people are in it for profit now.
 
I would recommend you check with people in the local area. The price of a lease in another state or another part of the state has nothing to do with the price where you are.

How many deer, turkey, pigs, or whatever you want to hunt makes a big difference as does the quality of the animals.

How close it is to a big population center makes a huge difference. The shorter the drive the more money people are willing to put out.

The water, feed, and cover makes a difference. You could have land in the middle of the best deer country in the world but if there is no food, no cover, and no water then there won't be many deer.

The local economy matters, too. If there is one big industry in the area it is going through lots of layoffs then the price of a lease will be down compared to what it is when the economy is better.

I would look for a hunting forum that is dedicated to that area or at least look to local hunters for advice. www.texashuntingforum.com is an example of a hunting forum dedicated primarily to one state.

You might even try calling a real estate agent or property manager in the area you are interested in. Check in the local gun, sporting goods, and farm stores for a bulletin board.

Good luck.
 
I hunt on a 3500 acre ranch out of Sonora TX. There are 15 of us on the year around lease and we pay $1000.00 per person for a total of $15,000.00 per year. We have Whitetail and Axis deer, hogs, turkey and dove. We have had this lease for 20 years.
I also hunt on a lease in extreme south Texas that costs $60,000.00 per year for 3300 acres, but thanks to a friend, I don't pay for this one:).
I also hunt on a dove lease out of Brady, TX which costs $120.00 for a 4 day weekend with all lodging and food is furnished. We have the second weekend of dove season every year.
 
10 years ago you could walk to a landowner and they'd beg you to shoot their Kansas deer. Today I manage my father in laws homestead in Western Kansas. We get more for hunting rights than other income off the place. The smallish 300 acre patch that is across from the main ranch went for 6,000 bucks this last year. I had 3 parties (multiple shooters) bidding, and it went for 7 grand a year for the next 3 years. Unbelievable.
 
As stated prior, depends on the state. You get a lease in Texas in the golden triangle and it can cost up to 5k per gun and does not include year round hunting. A lot of the leases are not only initial fee, but have trophy fees attached as well as per animal fees. :mad: My lease was near Del Rio through a friend and was 500 bucks a year with the promise that I eliminated all hogs possible any day of the year. Cats meow!:D
Ken
 
3 of us hunters pay $1200.00 ($400 each) for about 165 acres. Since I have my lifetime license and don't have to buy a license, thats not too bad. We have hunted that same property for 9 years and the landowner told me on the last trip up there, that we would be welcome again in 2009. Sometimes its hard to get a good lease. A few years ago my brother in was saying that he did not know if it was worth driving 235 miles and hunting that area. After he killed a big 12 point, 10 point and a few good 8 points his tune changed. I have taken my best bucks there on that property. It's not only the hunting part of it but also the camping part. We take campers up there and park them around September and leave them until about JAN. 1. It has turned into a yearly tradition, hunt, eat big and have a big time amoung hunters. In 2008 on one trip I stayed there deer camp for 20 days and had a blast. I told my buddies if I was retired I would have stayed up there all season.....:eek:....yea I guess my wife would leave me too.
 
I am on a lease in N Oklahoma. 1200ac with 8 hunters at $500 a piece. We only get to deer hunt though. I also hunt in SW Nebraska on about 1000ac with just my dad. The farmer lets us hunt for free. If ya drive around enough, some of these farmers are willing to let you hunt for free just to get those "pesky" deer off their crops. Don't know what to tell ya about IL though.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top