I am sure there will be some comments made on this subject that will not really deal with what I am trying to found out, but what the heck it is an open forum.

Since there is not a "Texas" only topic area, this looks like the best place for this.

The properties I am discussing are not high fenced, nor are there any high fenced places with in 5 miles or more of them.

This is all hypothetical at this point, and may stay that way, but it might actually come into operation, to early to say at this point.

For your reading enjoyment, I present the following:


I am just tossing this out here to get some feed back, positive or negative.

Keep in mind during this ramble, I am just talking about a deer lease that would be thru both archery and gun seasons, there are feral hogs frequenting the place, and it is low fenced.

150 to 170 class bucks are taken yearly in the area the property is located in.

I have been in on deer leases before, and enjoyed all of the work involved in getting blinds built and feders set-up and running, but I was also fortunate enough to have less than 100 miles one way to drive from home to the lease.

In fact on the ones I was actually a paying member, it was 50 miles or less, home to lease.

The one I hunted for free on Montague county for 13 seasons was 88 miles from my house, still close enough to make getting to it and back home in one day bearable.

What I am looking at or thinking about however is the folks driving 100+ miles to a lease.

While I know one of the main attractions of a lease to many folks is the work involved, I also know that many folks, because of the distance they have to travel, the limited amount of time they have to make the trip in, and all of the work that they have to do while there, get in very little actual hunting time.

Here is an example of what I see many folks going thru:

Leave Friday afterwork, load up gear, drive 2 or 3 hours, hunt a couple of hours Sat. morning, after having had maybe an hour or two sleep after getting to camp, go back to camp for brunch, then go check the feeders, if you did not do that in the dark after getting to camp on Friday night/early Sat. morning.

Fill feeder or replace batteries, possibly have to drive to the closest Wally World or Feed Store or Hardware store because you need more feed or something around camp or on one of the blinds or feeders broke.

Try to get all that done and be out of the pasture for a couple of hours and then go get in the stand for the evening hunt.

If you kill something then you have to take care of that and then sometime you will have to eat supper, then try to get a little sleep so you can get up Sunday morning, go out for a couple of hours, then get out of your stands, go around and check everything, then go to camp, load everything back up for the trip home, so you will be able to go to work Monday morning, not forgetting the traffic jam on I-20 coming in on the west side of Weatherford on Sunday afternoons during Deer season.

To me that does not look like it would be real fun, real long.

In fact it would become a PITA.

Now let's say you and your hunting companion(s), are paying a base price of $1500.00 a gun for this dream lease, plus you are supplying your own stands/feeders, plus the corn and protein and game cams, etc. etc..

So by the time season comes to a close, and you look back on your total expenditures versus actual hunting time and success ratio, your $1500.00 a gun lease has cost you probably around $3000.00 + or -.

Now I ain't trying to take Billy Mays' place or Ron Popeill either, but what if, for say $2500.00 per gun, you could get on a lease that already has fiberglass stands in place, protein and corn feeders up and running, game cams already active, and a cabin with electricty, so that all you would have to do is pick up the groceries you would need for the weekend, whatever clothes you would need, and your bow/gun, and head out.

Once you got there you could unload whatever needed to be unloaded, go in the cabin and go to bed.

Feeders would be being maintained, blinds would be being maintained, same with the cabin.

In fact, you would be able to leave some stuff at the cabin, nothing real valuable, guns/binoculars/bows and such, but clothes, extra boots, rain gear, whatever.

The places have been managed for quality deer for several years, both antler size and animal body quality.

What are your opinions on that type set-up?

I'd be interested.

I think the more professional you make it, the more people will pay. Convenience is only worth so much if the quality isn't there.

But it is a total PIA to be the camp boss. Been there done that. You take turns being a referee, collection agency, game warden and behavior cop. And that's before the landowner gets pissed over something a leaser did. Or the neighbors set up on the fence line once you start feeding. Or you get too many guns for the size place you have.

A really well run year-round, family-welcome lease can bring $4,500 in Texas, easy. The benefit of year-round hunting is that you don't have the scurry and hustle right before season to bring everything "up to snuff" that spooks game or drives it onto a neighboring property. The maintenance can be ongoing and far less intrusive to the game population. Folks aren't showing up a weekend or two before opening day and blanketing the property to scout the deer.

I wish you the best of luck, though. If you have the time to assemble a like-minded group of hunters regarding best hunting practices, game management, guest rules, alcohol rules, non-game hunting times, yada, yada, yada; it can be a real hoot!

And last but not least, getting a "free" spot on the lease is not enough compensation for what the lease manager has to go through. Figure all your costs and add anywhere from $10,000 annual compensation on up for that responsibility, depending on the real manhours you must put in making it work for others. Expense travel time and mileage to the lease. Make it a business and if you're committed, you'll earn every penny.

I just can't belive that there is still a traffic jam around Wetherford.I was there in April and it sucks,but it would work for all the folks that have moved around there in the last few years.What county?Good Luck

Here in Alabama, many clubs have too many members; often times one per 75-100 acres. These are the 'cheapest' clubs, paying $500.00 to $800.00 each. I would pay $2500.00 for good land, quality & plentiful game animals, and just as important - members who are stand-up good guys. I just joined a new club near Coffeeville, Alabama; 4100 acres, 10 members, $1900.00 each. We are getting a very good deal. 106 miles from my house - I sure would not want to drive much further.

Many Thanks for the replies.

Yes there are some things that are still in the planning stages.

I will try an address some of the points brought up.

Plainsman, the place is approximately 700 acres, in the Young-Archer-Baylor county area.

tiggertate, this is a completely seperate operation from the one I do in west Texas.

I am working with a close friend who has been managing about 18,000 acres for the past 9 years, that basically surrounds this parcel.

Looking at a maximum of 4 guns on the place, won't be any "Free Spots", and the guest issues and what they can shoot are being discussed.

The emphasis will be more on Management minded hunters than just Trophy hunters, simply because the counties this property is located in are going from a 1 buck 2 doe limit, to a 2 buck (Archer and Young will have the 13 inch Antler Restrictions go into force this coming season) maximum limit, with a 5 deer total limit.

I am not sure just yet what the lease rules are going to be, but hunters will need to abide by the management plan.

As I say this is all in the talking stage at this point.

There are good deer and plenty of hogs that use the property, and it is bordered by other property my friend manages.

We were out looking at Monday of this week and in all truth the folks that hunted the property the last few years, for some reason were not making effective use of the property and had blinds/stand in less than ideal locations, such as too close to boundary fences.

I am just involved peripherally with this, I will probably be helping refurbish the cabin and set stands/feeders, work on the pasture roads, stuff like that.

I think my friends goal, is to set up something that hunters will look at and feel that they will have more time to hunt and enjoy themselve while hunting, without worrying about the actual work of keeping everything up and running.

There are two really nice ponds within sight of the cabin and the road going to the cabin from the county road is all weather.

I do appreciate the comments you all made and it does give me some points to bring up the next time me and my friend are discussing the project.

having friends in the club and on surrounding property, plenty of deer and hogs, fish ponds, cabin, etc. - sounds like a good deal to me.

Four guns on 700 acres sounds like a very manageble, low maintenance deal. I was involved in a 27,000 acre deal and too many guns to get a like-minded crowd. Best of luck!

quote:

Originally posted by Crazyhorseconsulting:
Many Thanks for the replies.

Yes there are some things that are still in the planning stages.

I will try an address some of the points brought up.

Plainsman, the place is approximately 700 acres, in the Young-Archer-Baylor county area.

tiggertate, this is a completely seperate operation from the one I do in west Texas.

I am working with a close friend who has been managing about 18,000 acres for the past 9 years, that basically surrounds this parcel.

Looking at a maximum of 4 guns on the place, won't be any "Free Spots", and the guest issues and what they can shoot are being discussed.

The emphasis will be more on Management minded hunters than just Trophy hunters, simply because the counties this property is located in are going from a 1 buck 2 doe limit, to a 2 buck (Archer and Young will have the 13 inch Antler Restrictions go into force this coming season) maximum limit, with a 5 deer total limit.

I am not sure just yet what the lease rules are going to be, but hunters will need to abide by the management plan.

As I say this is all in the talking stage at this point.

There are good deer and plenty of hogs that use the property, and it is bordered by other property my friend manages.

We were out looking at Monday of this week and in all truth the folks that hunted the property the last few years, for some reason were not making effective use of the property and had blinds/stand in less than ideal locations, such as too close to boundary fences.

I am just involved peripherally with this, I will probably be helping refurbish the cabin and set stands/feeders, work on the pasture roads, stuff like that.

I think my friends goal, is to set up something that hunters will look at and feel that they will have more time to hunt and enjoy themselve while hunting, without worrying about the actual work of keeping everything up and running.

There are two really nice ponds within sight of the cabin and the road going to the cabin from the county road is all weather.

I do appreciate the comments you all made and it does give me some points to bring up the next time me and my friend are discussing the project.

I wish you GOOD brother...