Leasing is getting out of hand too, I can't believe what people are paying per acre for hunting rights.
This leasing is what is happening all over these parts with these 'fly-by-night' outfitters.
They will go to say a thirty acres tract of land, pay the owner say $1000 cash (or cheaper if they can) for exclusive hunting rights for the week of shotgun. Then bring in a couple clients at usually $2800-$3000 each a week,$2400-$2800 if ya pay cash, and put both clients on this 30 acre tract sitting over the hill from each other.
Hell, I know one seven acre tract that was leased for $200 that was surrounded by deep woods that a client paid $3000 for our late bp season to hunt on and the client was made to believe he had leased a big chunk of property. Client, naturally thinking the outfitter knew best, took the outfitters advise to sit where the outfitter told him as the outfitter assured the client that where he was posted up was the best spot. Just happened to be in the middle of the little 7 acre tract.
Word gets around in these parts on these guys and this particular client was(and still is) the brunt of more then a couple jokes around here.
These poor people coming in from outta state don't have a clue that in these parts, the tracts of land, as a rule, are very small and very heavily hunted. They just look on these so-called outfitters website that shows pics of hilly woods for miles and think they are going to hunt land that man has never stepped foot on.
This particular 'crook' outfitter in the above story lives fairly close to me and does this every year.
Problem with the situation is, all the surrounding properties are usually heavily hunted as well by the owners of those tracts.
Another thing , these guys don't have very many repeat customer's and don't care. When the bad reviews on their website pile up and word gets out on them, which usually takes a couple years, they just crash the site and open another under a new name. Maybe using a relative, friend or workers credentials
I'm sure this happens in other states as well. But this trend has exploded around these parts in the last 5-7yrs. According to our counties game warden, ODNR gets flooded yearly with complaints but as of now, there is really nothing ODNR can do as there is no regs./licensing etc. on the books pertaining to outfitting/guiding here.
The reason for my comment about vetting a guide veerrry closely.
Sorry to be Debbie downer, it just isn't what it used to be, at least to me.
Sadly, I have to agree with you.
