How much is too much?

[slabhead]

I'm curious how others are handling this. I've got two small hunting leases with two different landowners one is 222 acres and the other 146 acres. Both of them went up significantly this year and one of them even doubled.

At what point do you say enough is enough? I realize it's probably a personal decision, but I can honestly see the end of my hunting if this trend keeps up. I've always budgeted and planned around my leases but when prices jump this much in a single year it feels like the rug's being pulled out from under me.

I've been leasing for a long time, and it used to be about enjoying the land and making memories. Now it feels like I'm constantly doing the math and weighing whether I can justify it. It's frustrating because hunting has always been my way to unwind and connect with the outdoors, and I never thought cost alone would be the thing that could take it away.

How are you all dealing with these rising lease prices? Are you biting the bullet and paying it, cutting back, teaming up with more people, or just walking away? I'd really like to hear how others are making this work.

 

[Lost Lake]

I went in on a lease for one year to help some friends out, but never hunted it one time. That's the extent of leasing that I've done.

Maybe just pick one of the two and focus on it, dropping the other? Maybe buy a small parcel?

If that doesn't work, and if it was me, I'd probably look at making a half dozen or so good hunts out of State (probably public), and just focus on doing the best I could with that and enjoying it, and drop the leases.

I don't envy you guys paying high lease prices.

 

[OakHillHunter]

We are down to a single lease now. We use to be on 3 other but the prices just got to be so much I felt like I wasn't using that money wisely at that point. We have a lot of public around us and I have started transitioning to that because we have very few people that hunt the public where I live. It has definitely been change in style but the unknow with public has kind of reignited that excitement of going into the woods because I'm not restricted to just hunt so many acres like on private. Now I can go out and scout hard and really go find the deer.

 

[tickweed]

What does a deer lease bring now per acre? Ive never really leased to deer hunt.

 

[DMD]

I had over 1600 acres leased at one point. I loved it! I was pretty much the only one of the people on the lease that hunted it. I pretty much had it to myself. I loved that property and scouted, worked, cut out old logging roads, and killed a lot of good deer. But, over the last few years, I've lost all but about 200 acres due to property selling. I've went to hunting public property. I've had to dial back my expectations some. I don't enjoy the experience as much - because public land is just kind of peoplee. I loved the solitude of being in the heart of 1600 acres with no one around. But, I've adjusted my expectations, I try to find places as far away from folks as possible and just enjoy what I can.

 

[Ski]

Only you can answer what's best for you. Land price has went through the roof so naturally lease price will climb with it.

I would encourage you to start trying public lands before deciding to outright quit. Not all public ground is the same so try them all. It's different but still enjoyable. Regardless of what you choose I hope you keep hunting. Don't let finances prevent you from enjoying life.

 

[deerhunter10]

Different for everyone. We lease a lot of ground some expensive. Some we work it off. There's still deals. But they are getting harder to find.

 

[Snake]

I was fortunate when I was leasing ....our leases were relatively cheap and actually gave our lease owner in Giles Co. a raise one year . I was on four different leases at one time , two being over 1500 acres . But that was miserable....you keep trying to figure which one you want to keep or hunt . I kept one of the larger leases because it had a 22 acre lake that was loaded ...would still pay it to be able to fish but the owner built a cabin near the lake and stopped the fishing . Kept two smaller leases , one in Lincoln and the other in Giles but the owners passed . Couldn't get together on the one in Lincoln as his son that inherited was from California that ought to tell you something. The other one in Giles we kept for a few years with the owner's daughter but she eventually sold it . Although we had great pricing it still added up to alot of money driving around 200 miles one way and staying in motels plus eating out every meal . It was bittersweet losing the last one we'd had so long but to be truthful I was getting tired of the drive several times a year ...it was getting to were I would just go a couple times a year . Now I hunt my little property and the adjoining landowner allows me to hunt his .... expenses went from 2-3 thousand a year to $ 0 to hunt . Not near as many deer but there are deer and I can fill a tag if I want venison but normally don't shoot does here . I will shoot a doe on my adjoining landowners property because that's why he allows me and a couple more to hunt ....to kill the deer . His property is his living .

 

[DeerCamp]

I'm curious how others are handling this. I've got two small hunting leases with two different landowners one is 222 acres and the other 146 acres. Both of them went up significantly this year and one of them even doubled.

At what point do you say enough is enough? I realize it's probably a personal decision, but I can honestly see the end of my hunting if this trend keeps up. I've always budgeted and planned around my leases but when prices jump this much in a single year it feels like the rug's being pulled out from under me.

I've been leasing for a long time, and it used to be about enjoying the land and making memories. Now it feels like I'm constantly doing the math and weighing whether I can justify it. It's frustrating because hunting has always been my way to unwind and connect with the outdoors, and I never thought cost alone would be the thing that could take it away.

How are you all dealing with these rising lease prices? Are you biting the bullet and paying it, cutting back, teaming up with more people, or just walking away? I'd really like to hear how others are making this work.

My way around this problem was fairly easy. I bought some land so I could do the foodplot/management thing, and I learned to hunt public land.

I've always felt deer lease prices were too low honestly. I would not be interesting in letting someone else have unfettered access to my properties for a couple hundred bucks a year. At the same time, what it would be worth to me to allow that is way beyond what I'd pay to do it.

 

[WTNBowHunter]

Leasing land certainly can be expensive. We are paying ~$13/acre. I feel like it's a fair deal. The thing that I can't wrap my head around is the declining number of hunters, the apparent decrease in lease options, combine with the increase in lease prices. Maybe someone can explain how that demand curve works but I'm not following. Best explanation I've come up with is that there isn't a direct correlation to any of the aforementioned.

 

[bowhunterfanatic]

Leasing land certainly can be expensive. We are paying ~$13/acre. I feel like it's a fair deal. The thing that I can't wrap my head around is the declining number of hunters, the apparent decrease in lease options, combine with the increase in lease prices. Maybe someone can explain how that demand curve works but I'm not following. Best explanation I've come up with is that there isn't a direct correlation to any of the aforementioned.

It's all supply and demand. I think the declining number of hunters is directly related to the decline in land available to hunt, not necessarily a decline in our population's overall desire to hunt. Steady hunter numbers trying to lease a declining amount of available land = prices climbing. I think this trend is just going to continue to get worse as people with deep pockets will continue to pay big $$ for ground in hopes of killing big deer.

 

[Kirk]

I was on 3 leases at one time several years ago. (Stewart County, Rhea County and McMinn County.) It afforded ample opportunity and lots of acreage. Currently, I am on zero leases. I just hunt on my own property. Simple, easy and no extra cost.

 

[megalomaniac]

I used to deer hunt almost every weekend from Nov 10 until Feb 15 unless I was working. So I budgeted around $2500 per year to spend (on lease prices, seed/ fertilize/ fuel on my own places, etc) NOT counting firearm/ optics related expenses.

Now that I got a boat and am fishing some in Dec/ Jan/ Feb, I find I'm only deer hunting about half as much as I used to. I really questioned whether to get back into my local lease 10 miles from the house. It's $1100, for 1000 acres. Hunted hard, there was only 1 buck killed on it last year, so the hunting is terrible.... Closest public is about 25 miles away.... but that is just a tad too far away to squeeze in a morning hunt before 8am start of work, or an afternoon hunt after work.

In the end I decided to get back in my local lease. Even though the hunting is not good, it's just too convenient to scratch the hunting itch. Besides, there are too many days where the weather is too crappy to fish in Dec/ Jan/ Feb. And I'm NEVER sitting in the house on a weekend I'm off :)

 

[slabhead]

I've had it good and I know it...I was paying around $5.00ac and now going to around $10ac, which I understand is still a pretty good deal. However, at some point I will decide enough is enough, which will probably be enough on one of the leases. I'll probably let it go after 20yrs.

My long range goals was to purchase some land, had it planned and was saving for it. Then land prices more than doubled and now can't bring myself to settle for affording 50ac, when I was planning to purchase 150-200. I actually looked at 200ac in Wayne county about 6 years ago that was just over $200k. Now that land is selling for $10k per ac.

 

[BSK]

I've had it good and I know it...I was paying around $5.00ac and now going to around $10ac, which I understand is still a pretty good deal. However, at some point I will decide enough is enough, which will probably be enough on one of the leases. I'll probably let it go after 20yrs.

My long range goals was to purchase some land, had it planned and was saving for it. Then land prices more than doubled and now can't bring myself to settle for affording 50ac, when I was planning to purchase 150-200. I actually looked at 200ac in Wayne county about 6 years ago that was just over $200k. Now that land is selling for $10k per ac.

It's crazy, isn't it?

 

[rem270]

It's anywhere from $15-40/acre here. It would be hard for me to pay for a lease unless it was just a really good deal. And then at that it would be hard for me to put a lot of time and effort into knowing it could be sold or leased out from under me the next year.

I don't have much property. 27 acres at my house and 88 about 30 mins away. If I ever have to sell them for some reason I would probably just be finished with hunting.

 

[slabhead]

It's crazy, isn't it?

Yes it is, unbelievable!

 

[Gravey]

I forget our exact # but it's approaching $10/acre and we have 830 acres. At this point it's more about the food plots and hanging with my brother and buddies than it is killing deer. I could probably never deer hunt again and be ok but gonna be a while to say that for turkeys. Always had plans of buying my own small piece somewhere but went through a divorce going on 10 years ago so that put a damper on things and now I'm trying to eliminate debt not take on more so leasing it is for the foreseeable future.

 

[killingtime 41]

I've never leased hunting land. People around me didn't care if you hunted. And I knew all the farmers anyway. Today most of that is all gone. Or broke up and sold so small it isn't anything like it was 2018 or 2019. So I hunt public mostly. But also I have always hunted public so nothing new.

 

[Snake]

Leasing land certainly can be expensive. We are paying ~$13/acre. I feel like it's a fair deal. The thing that I can't wrap my head around is the declining number of hunters, the apparent decrease in lease options, combine with the increase in lease prices. Maybe someone can explain how that demand curve works but I'm not following. Best explanation I've come up with is that there isn't a direct correlation to any of the aforementioned.

Doctors , lawyers and others that hunted plus were wealthy could offer alot more than common folk . If they found out you had a great place they would just offer so much more that the farmer had to take it . Couldn't blame the farmers or those that had bought or inherited property to take alot more money to help pay taxes . Common folk couldn't afford to lease anymore so there is some of your reasons . I probably could have hunted the property in Giles until I decided not to hunt anymore because the landowner and myself had a really good relationship but he passed .We also had a good relationship with the landowner in Lincoln but he crashed an ultra light plane right there on his property and killed himself . The property in Giles was 93 acres and first leased it for $350 . But into a few years realizing lease prices were going up we just started paying him $500 without him even asking . The property in Lincoln was 177 acres and we gave what he wanted which was $ 1000 . That was as much as we've ever paid ....think the property in Lincoln was around $5.60 an acre . I here these numbers now and just shake my head . The other large leases were cheaper than that . Rich man's game now . Several friends ought to go in together and buy property that way no one can offer more and take your lease .

 

[BSK]

Yes it is, unbelievable!

Thankfully, in my area, price/acre for larger tracts (100+ acres) is really going down. It had been $3,500-4,000/acre. Now such sized tracts are at $2,200-2,700/acre and NOT selling. I looked at some today that have been on the market for a year without selling. One big one (1,200 acres) is still for sale at $1,200/acre. It started at $2,500/acre.

 

[TnKen]

I lost the last of three leases I had this year. The owners died and the family sold them for $$$$. Luckily I have 35 acres I live on and can hunt the adjoining neighbors 105 acres.

 

[Grnwing]

I'm curious how others are handling this. I've got two small hunting leases with two different landowners one is 222 acres and the other 146 acres. Both of them went up significantly this year and one of them even doubled.

At what point do you say enough is enough? I realize it's probably a personal decision, but I can honestly see the end of my hunting if this trend keeps up. I've always budgeted and planned around my leases but when prices jump this much in a single year it feels like the rug's being pulled out from under me.

I've been leasing for a long time, and it used to be about enjoying the land and making memories. Now it feels like I'm constantly doing the math and weighing whether I can justify it. It's frustrating because hunting has always been my way to unwind and connect with the outdoors, and I never thought cost alone would be the thing that could take it away.

How are you all dealing with these rising lease prices? Are you biting the bullet and paying it, cutting back, teaming up with more people, or just walking away? I'd really like to hear how others are making this work.

What seeing id they will do a longer term lease at a set price or modest increases each year at a set rate. At least you wouldn't have the awful surprise when rates go up and both parties wouldn't have to worry each year about any negotiation.

 

[TnKen]

What seeing id they will do a longer term lease at a set price or modest increases each year at a set rate. At least you wouldn't have the awful surprise when rates go up and both parties wouldn't have to worry each year about any negotiation.

That's the way my duck lease is structured. Five year lease and a small increase each year.

 

[swampbadger]

I'm curious how others are handling this. I've got two small hunting leases with two different landowners one is 222 acres and the other 146 acres. Both of them went up significantly this year and one of them even doubled.

At what point do you say enough is enough? I realize it's probably a personal decision, but I can honestly see the end of my hunting if this trend keeps up. I've always budgeted and planned around my leases but when prices jump this much in a single year it feels like the rug's being pulled out from under me.

I've been leasing for a long time, and it used to be about enjoying the land and making memories. Now it feels like I'm constantly doing the math and weighing whether I can justify it. It's frustrating because hunting has always been my way to unwind and connect with the outdoors, and I never thought cost alone would be the thing that could take it away.

How are you all dealing with these rising lease prices? Are you biting the bullet and paying it, cutting back, teaming up with more people, or just walking away? I'd really like to hear how others are making this work.

My heart goes out to you man. I'm a public land guy and I can see them constantly trying to sell it off too.

 

[PickettSFHunter]

It's hard for me to wrap my head around paying more than the property taxes. In my area that wouldn't be more $1.50-2.00 an acre most of the time. I have leased years ago for $2 but thankfully have no need to lease anything anymore. The prices I see are just crazy to shoot a deer.

 

[deerhunter10]

It's hard for me to wrap my head around paying more than the property taxes. In my area that wouldn't be more $1.50-2.00 an acre most of the time. I have leased years ago for $2 but thankfully have no need to lease anything anymore. The prices I see are just crazy to shoot a deer.

I dont think your wrong. Row crops farmers were the start of crazy rent. Imo they were and still are handing out big money per acre. Then duck leases got crazy. Now its deer. Its a big reason we are so secretive. Kill a big deer and post it all over the place and see how long It takes before someone tried to lease it.

 

[redblood]

I have been on a few leases in ky and illiinois. But to me leasing is like renting. My best investments has been buying farms. Its not an expense, its and investment and it has always paid out. Sacrificed in other areas- old phones, old vehicles and not eating out to balance it out. But i have no interest in investing in a lease knowing the value will be zeroed out when the calendar flips

 

[WTNBowHunter]

But to me leasing is like renting.

Leasing and renting are one in the same. Maybe one day I will feel comfortable enough to purchase some property so I don't have to worry about leasing/renting.

 

[Rakkin6]

I'm curious how others are handling this. I've got two small hunting leases with two different landowners one is 222 acres and the other 146 acres. Both of them went up significantly this year and one of them even doubled.

At what point do you say enough is enough? I realize it's probably a personal decision, but I can honestly see the end of my hunting if this trend keeps up. I've always budgeted and planned around my leases but when prices jump this much in a single year it feels like the rug's being pulled out from under me.

I've been leasing for a long time, and it used to be about enjoying the land and making memories. Now it feels like I'm constantly doing the math and weighing whether I can justify it. It's frustrating because hunting has always been my way to unwind and connect with the outdoors, and I never thought cost alone would be the thing that could take it away.

How are you all dealing with these rising lease prices? Are you biting the bullet and paying it, cutting back, teaming up with more people, or just walking away? I'd really like to hear how others are making this work.

So I don't lease so.i can't really speak to that point. But for me hunting, fishing and the gym are my stress relievers and time for me to clear my mind and unwind. Especially the gym, deer and turkey hunting. This is just my opinion, but if keeping these leases to hunt on is causing you stress then I would let them go. I had to change the way I approached hunting and the gym myself. For instance I no longer go to the gym with the thought process of "I have to do these four exercises on my chest today" then get pi$$ed when someone is on the machine I need on their phone not even lifting (if you go to the gym you know this guy also). And with hunting I would stress every little detail to the point of it actually adding more stress as opposed to relaxing. I just learned to enjoy the time and the hunt and control the controllable to the best of my ability and realize you can't always be perfect.

So I guess that is my advice to you from my perspective brother. Hopefully things work out for you man and you never know one door could close and one or two more could open when you least expect it.