I have read where several of you guys are talking about how it used to be easy to gain free access to deer hunt private property, and I'm not doubting your word, but in the Franklin county area I've never seen that in my lifetime and I'm 56. Now in the 1970's in areas where there were few to no deer, you could get free access to hunt but it was understood that meant rabbits or squirrels. As soon as deer numbers got high enough to deer hunt, I could never get permission to hunt anywhere. The reputation of deer hunters wasn't that good as it was feared they would be drunk, leave gates open and shoot cows or horses. I couldn't blame people at all for feeling that way as I knew a lot of those type characters myself - they were my classmates in school. Back then I was a flat broke teenager and the idea of paying to hunt wasn't even remotely possible even if it had been popular.
All things considered, leasing land to deer hunt is not a bad thing as it gives the landowner control regarding who is on their land and it reassures the hunter of exclusive right to hunt there. Unfortunately kids like myself who started on their own with no hunting adult in the family to pay the lease are most likely to get left out with no place to go.