ROB
Well-Known Member
My lease experience didn't have a good ending. I was invited to be part of a lease in Henry Co. 1000 acres. 8 guys. One never hunted. 2 only turkey hunted. A house trailer was on the property & it was in decent shape. I knew all 4 of the other guys that hunted & liked them. We all got along. The deer were plentiful but not huge. We all agreed that we would pass on all bucks younger than 3 1/2. Everyone kept their word. We all worked some to put in food plots, trim branches, etc. Some worked more. Those who couldn't work more paid more. About 90% of the land was crop land, always planted in corn. Biggest buck of the 4 years was an 8 pointer I shot that scored a bit over 130. He was the biggest buck I ever saw on that lease or had a chance to shoot.
Then, a dude came in & offered the owner 8 times what we were paying, with the stipulation that he could sublease. She took it. He then subleased for cheap to 40 guys. He told team they were getting the lease cheap so if he heard the first complaint, they were gone. I don't know why he stopped at 40 because he could have leased to 100 guys if he wanted. First year, guys were bumping into one another. When the sun would come up, one guy would find another guy had set up 20 yards away from him. There were a couple of fist fights. A couple of guys complained. He kicked them off the lease right in front of everyone else & told everyone else if they wanted to leave, go right now & don't let the gate hit them in the but on the way out.
Every small basket rack or wreck rack got a bullet because "If I don't shoot him, somebody else will!" It was a dumpster fire. Deer sightings were near zero, People started hating the other ppl they were in the lease with. I had a friend that was in on the lease for a time (Not one of the original guys.) He said if a deer stepped out, there migh be 4-5 guys shooting at it.
So, I got out & started looking for land to buy. I started saving money for a down payment. Took a sammich to work instead of ordering out for lunch. Ate at home most nights. Didn't take big vacations. Found a little farm & bought it. That was 15 years ago. Still driving the same truck I had then. Still making payments on the land. But I don't have to worry that someone else is going to snatch it away from me.
Then, a dude came in & offered the owner 8 times what we were paying, with the stipulation that he could sublease. She took it. He then subleased for cheap to 40 guys. He told team they were getting the lease cheap so if he heard the first complaint, they were gone. I don't know why he stopped at 40 because he could have leased to 100 guys if he wanted. First year, guys were bumping into one another. When the sun would come up, one guy would find another guy had set up 20 yards away from him. There were a couple of fist fights. A couple of guys complained. He kicked them off the lease right in front of everyone else & told everyone else if they wanted to leave, go right now & don't let the gate hit them in the but on the way out.
Every small basket rack or wreck rack got a bullet because "If I don't shoot him, somebody else will!" It was a dumpster fire. Deer sightings were near zero, People started hating the other ppl they were in the lease with. I had a friend that was in on the lease for a time (Not one of the original guys.) He said if a deer stepped out, there migh be 4-5 guys shooting at it.
So, I got out & started looking for land to buy. I started saving money for a down payment. Took a sammich to work instead of ordering out for lunch. Ate at home most nights. Didn't take big vacations. Found a little farm & bought it. That was 15 years ago. Still driving the same truck I had then. Still making payments on the land. But I don't have to worry that someone else is going to snatch it away from me.
