Worst enemies

[buckbuster01]

Are we our own worst enemies when comes to land leasing? I remember in the not to distant past when expensive land was 5 or 6 bucks an acre (and I'm not talking about deer). Two years ago myself and a couple of friends bid on some property and got outbidded. I can accept that, but we bid $11 an acre. No wonder there are less hunters now than 10 years ago. That's why I think we are our own worst enemies. How high does land prices have to go before we stand together and say enough is enough, or is it just me?

[whitetailkiller]

Re: Worst enemies

we can't make farmers lower the prices...... it's thier land!!!!! my only enemies are people who want to take my guns and my privilage to hunt! i sure wish hunting land was cheaper to lease but it's beyond my control ,,, as long as someone will pay for it the prices will not come down!!!!!!!! and some people have no choice but to pay crazy amounts of money to lease land..... it could be worse they could just say no to hunting all together!!! that's why my wife and i have been looking to buy land for me to hunt !

[BowJoe]

Re: Worst enemies

I would say that the economy is more to blame than other hunters. I think that as long as farmers get bought out by big corporations and others struggle to hang on to compete in the market, they'll have to make other means of financing to pay the bills.

[wtnhunt]

Re: Worst enemies

Land prices are going up too, which obviously plays a part in this. If the land can appeal to the right person, not uncommon to see land around here bring 3 to 4 times what it did just 10-15 years ago. That said, can see why lease prices would also be up.

[sskybnd]

Re: Worst enemies

i think its becouse people are willing to pay big bucks to get the chance to kill a good deer, if im not mistaken i think the average hunt cost any where between $4000, to $6000 and i think when a land owner knows this they charge a out rages price to lease it, i think this could be a draw back on the leasee, say you did lease a piece of land and try to manage it for big deer, and had it leased for 5 yrs or more and the land owner seen the type of deer his property was producing, you might lose the lease or the price would be out rages, than he knows he could charge a hunter $4000, or more say he got ten people in one yr thats $40000.00 thats more than someone would be willing to lease it from him.

[Newarcher]

Re: Worst enemies

Land is more expensive, property taxes are more expensive, therefore the amount of money that landowners are looking to recoup from the hunters is higher. Period.

There is less land being managed for hunting therefore the demand is higher. There are more people and metro areas are now sitting where you used to hunt. Less land means more expensive land.

Would you rather the government come in and cap prices at $5 an acre? Answer carefully because I will tell you what would happen.

Landowners wouldn't be willing to lease their lands, rather they might start farming it instead. The land that is for lease would be gobbled up by the lucky few who know landowners or are already leasees long term. New hunters would never be able to get land because they represent risk of being bad leasees. So suddenly there is no land to be leased at all. Then you would have to post about having nowhere to hunt. Land leases would become items passed down from generations to generations. The other possibility would be that large outfitters or wealthy individuals would come in and lease large tracts of land long-term and then charge you and I a FORTUNE to hunt there. Google rent control in NYC and you will find prime examples.

It isn't that landowners are seeking to gouge anyone. It is what it is....there is no conspiracy.

New

[stevebeilgard]

Re: Worst enemies

fact is, hunting is becoming a big money game more every year.

[Guest INHunterman]

Re: Worst enemies

The fact is there are too many people in this country and were we're running out of places to put them all. Since people take up land and were not making anymore of it you have more people competing for a limited amount of space. Therefore land prices will go up when the landowners figure out how valuable land is.

[Leo]

Re: Worst enemies

Wanna see expensive? Look at how much hunters pay in some other countries.

By comparison the privilege comes dirt cheap in the U.S.

No matter how you slice it. There is still "FREE" land to hunt here. If the alternative did not exist the prices would be astronomical.

[rifleman25]

Re: Worst enemies

[ QUOTE ]

i think its becouse people are willing to pay big bucks to get the chance to kill a good deer, if im not mistaken i think the average hunt cost any where between $4000, to $6000 and i think when a land owner knows this they charge a out rages price to lease it, i think this could be a draw back on the leasee, say you did lease a piece of land and try to manage it for big deer, and had it leased for 5 yrs or more and the land owner seen the type of deer his property was producing, you might lose the lease or the price would be out rages, than he knows he could charge a hunter $4000, or more say he got ten people in one yr thats $40000.00 thats more than someone would be willing to lease it from him.

[/ QUOTE ]

Thats about the going rate on western big game out here where I hunt. 1500 -3500 is going to be the average on a whitetail hunt across the country. Sure some will be higher and some will be less but most are in that range. I sell my nebraska hunts at 2500 a week. I pay 8 dollars an acre for the lease then insurance, maintanace on the buildings I use, gas electric, water, and grocery's. It all adds up to run a group of hunters through. My personal lease in SD I pay 5 dollars an acre and cinsider that a bargain. If you don't want to pay to play there is still a ton of public state land, BLM, U.S Forest Service, National Forest, national Grassland and a host of other public lands. Many local hunting and wildlife clubs buy land for public use. Pheasants Forever, Ducks Unlimited, Whitetails Unlimited, RMEF and a host of others are doing it every year. Buy yourself a membership, attnd the banquets and learn about what they are doing and where. Why not go out and knock on some doors there are still plenty of farmers around that will let a guy on for free too if you help them with their chores suck as working calves or harvest. Hunt on foot, hunt alone, close gates and be polite will get you along ways in that community. I have 2 like that around me as well that let me hunt free and I buy them each a gift certificate to the best steakhouse in town and enclose it in a nice thank you card at the end of the season. If it's an old timer that let you on they might also be interested in some of the game meat you harvest. Be prepared to hear no alot but you might just get lucky.