What You Need to Know About Hunting Leases
By PJ DelHomme
- How Do Hunting Leases Work?
- How Much Does It Cost to Lease Hunting Land
- How to Find a Hunting Lease?
- Things to Know About a Hunting Lease
- Land Management
- Is a Hunting Lease Right for You?
Once upon a time, a hunter could walk up to a landowner’s door, knock on it, and ask permission to hunt their property. Those days aren’t over, but getting permission is tougher. Today, much of the private land with huntable game will be off-limits to hunters who didn’t pay to hunt there. For many hunters, paying for a hunting lease makes sense. But what exactly is a hunting lease, and is it a good fit for you? Let’s dive into hunting leases and explore what you need to know before signing on the dotted line.
How Do Hunting Leases Work?
A hunting lease is an agreement between a landowner and a hunter (or group of hunters) granting the right to hunt on a specific property for a defined period. These agreements are particularly popular in the South and Midwest, where private land ownership is prevalent, and public hunting areas may be limited. In the West, you’re more likely to find large swaths of private land leased by an outfitter who then sells guided hunts on the property.
Hunting leases come in several flavors. The most common is the fee hunting lease, where hunters pay a set amount for access. This can be structured as a daily fee, a season-long lease, or even a multi-year agreement. For those on a tighter budget, some landowners offer no-fee access leases or formal permission to hunt on the land without exchanging cash. If you get this kind of permission, you better have a good bottle of Scotch in the truck as a thank you. Another option is to exchange some sweat equity for permission to hunt. This means you need to know how to work a fence stretcher, run a chainsaw, and keep an eye on the burn pile.
How Much Does It Cost to Lease Hunting Land?
Hunting lease costs can vary widely based on location, game and habitat quality, access exclusivity, and available amenities. A lease near an urban area (or a lease known for trophy animals) will fetch a premium. Tyler Holmes manages hunting leases for Superior Pine Products in Georgia. The company’s primary source of income is lumber. They lease their timberland to hunters as a secondary source of income. Holmes says that where they hunt deer using dogs, they need more acreage, and hunting leases typically cost $ 6-7 per acre for anywhere from 5,000 to 15,000 acres. Smaller parcels managed using QDMA practices can fetch $11/acre.
Jamieson Crast is a hunter who has been leasing property for decades. He lives in Wyoming and is a video producer and content creator for the Union Sportsmen’s Alliance. He says he’s paid as little as $6/acre for large leases and up to $2,500 for a 40-acre chunk. “But that was the right 40 acres that bordered good land with turkey and deer.”
How to Find a Hunting Lease?
In the old days (20 years ago), hunting leases were harder to find than they are today. Today, a simple Google search for “Hunting leases near me” will inundate you with website options. Basecampleasing.com is a popular landing page, as is hrlbo.com. Holmes says that most landowners he knows use an online system that puts their land online each year for lease to the highest bidder. “But a lot of guys don’t really like that because of the time they need to put into the property to improve it,” he says. “Our leases are set up on three-year agreements. We give our guys some time to help manage the property.”
Don’t discount the power of networking, either. That’s how Crast found his hunting lease in South Dakota, less than two hours away from his home. “Word of mouth still works,” he says. He’s gone through leasing agencies, too, saying they are a bit like a used car website. “It’s an inflated price if you go through a service. The downfall is that you don’t know what you don’t know about a property, especially if it’s out of state.”
A middle-of-the-road solution is finding a specialty real estate agent with connections with landowners interested in leasing hunting rights. Ask fellow hunters or join local hunting forums. Sometimes, the best opportunities come through personal connections, even those made online, but always beware of scams. If it sounds too good to be true, then it is. Other landowners may have yet to consider leasing but might be open to the idea when presented with the opportunity.
Things to Know About a Hunting Lease
When you enter into a hunting lease, you’re entering into a partnership with the landowner. This comes with both rights and responsibilities. Typically, you’ll have the right to access the property for hunting during agreed-upon times. Depending on the agreement, you might have access to things like cabins or ATV trails and have permission to set up hunting blinds or stands. Everything should be in writing within the lease agreement.
“Many landowners think that when you’re leasing their property, they can still hunt their property,” Crast says. “If you paid $5,000 to hunt the property, and they’re sitting over the food plot, that can be a problem.” To prevent conflict, Crast suggests putting every little detail in writing.
He also recommends keeping the landowner informed, such as letting them know where your treestands and trail cameras are. “No one likes to be spied on,” he says. If it’s muddy, Crast will walk. And if you buy a new truck, let them know what it looks like. If they see a rig they don’t recognize on their property, you might get a visit from the sheriff. He says some landowners will require hunters to carry liability insurance because the landowner’s insurance company requires it.
And finally, Crast says that if you come across a piece of land you love and want to keep your lease, don’t talk about it. “When you find a gem, don’t show it off.” When he was a kid growing up in New York State, Crast and his dad would drive to Ohio to hunt deer. If you kill a big deer and shoot your mouth off about it, small towns are going to talk, he says. “People start to do that math, and they know where you hunt,” Crast says. Pretty soon, the locals might pressure the landowner to let them hunt the property instead of you, or they might double the price of the lease the next year.
Land Management
One unique aspect of hunting leases is the opportunity to participate in land management. Many lease agreements allow hunters to create and maintain food plots, implement habitat improvement projects, and play a role in managing wildlife populations. This hands-on approach is a chance to contribute to the overall health of the ecosystem and potentially improve your odds in the process.
Crast says he leases from a “very easy-going logger,” who doesn’t mind if he tills up an open acre to plant some clover—just as long as he doesn’t cut any trees. “I’ve also leased land from a lady who didn’t want any herbicide or fertilizer on her land. I wanted to plant a clover plot, and she didn’t want the ground tilled up, so I had to broadcast seed it.” Every lease is unique, Crast says, and you want to spell out everything you can and can’t do in a lease agreement. For instance, sometimes landowners don’t mind if you camp on the property.
If a lease requires some maintenance from the hunter, be sure that you get more than a one-year commitment from the landowner. All that sweat equity shouldn’t be for just one season. Plus, having a multi-year agreement allows you to establish a relationship and trust with the landowner. If they know that you’re going to take care of the property, you’re more likely to be given the first right of refusal when your lease term expires.
Building a positive relationship with the landowner is crucial for a long-term, successful lease. This involves clear communication about expectations and concerns, demonstrating respect for the land, and actively participating in its care and improvement. Some hunters even choose to share their harvest with the landowner, a gesture that can go a long way in strengthening the partnership.
Is a Hunting Lease Right for You?
Hunting leases can offer a unique and rewarding experience for those willing to invest the time, money, and effort. Ideally, you can find a friend of a friend who might have some property that needs a little love to attract and nourish game. You might have to spend a few years mending fences, planting forage, and cutting trees. Other times, another hunter might have already done this for you, and the lease costs you a little more. The land is as variable as the price you’ll pay to hunt it.
PJ DelHomme writes and edits content from western Montana. He runs Crazy Canyon Media and Crazy Canyon Journal.
