Leasing Land to Hunt- Is it becoming the new normal?

[Traxion]

So in my little neck of the woods we don't have a ton of good waterfowling opportunities but there are some pretty consistent late season fields that hold birds. For the most part hunting access has been good with landowners graciously letting multiple different people hunt. But, as I found out today, a group has went and leased up the better fields, shutting access to a big chunk of hunters. And, it's really bothering me. We own some land and let people hunt if they ask, so I'm not trying to play both ways. I've always been gracious either way if a landowner says yes or no. And, they certainly have their right to take a buck or two. But it just for some reason hits me the wrong way. Part of me thinks I am jealous. Putting down a bit of cash to have free and clear access, no rushing to a field to hunt, etc. certainly has some value. Maybe paying is worthwhile? But then I think back to high school, with a couple dozen shell decoys and a beat up truck, and if leasing were popular I would never had the opportunity to experience a lot of great outdoor experiences. I just think my kids are not going to get the experiences I had without a high cost.

The area my inlaws are from in SD are completely leased up by pheasant hunters. I've got a friend who pays several thousand dollars to lease out of state mule deer ground. And, there has been some bowhunters who lease land here. I know we are blessed to have such good access compared to many areas of the nation where you MUST lease land to hunt. But I just can't figure out how I feel. I used to say I'd just go fishing more if hunting became a pay to play game. Maybe that is in the future, I don't know.

Is this becoming the new norm? At what point in time will you throw in the towel? Or throw down some $$$$?

 

[svnmag]

If I were in my formal situation I'd take better advantage of my .22 and garage.

 

[Account Deleted]

Always a touchy subject. With the career path I've chosen, I'll never be able to purchase land and probably never be able to afford to lease anything worth while either. I can't really judge a landowner that wants to make more money on his land either. It's an investment. Hopefully I can keep my current arrangement with a landowner where I trade labor for hunting privileges until I'm no longer physically able to do it.

 

[zoops]

Definitely getting to be more prevalent and dare I say necessary as the rate of getting on posted land to bird hunt seems to drop every year. I'm about 0 for 10 in asking on waterfowl spots this year, even got shot down on an unposted field that I asked on because I knew it was always posted in the past. It would be convenient to have land "tied up" but it's not in the cards for me. I'd buy a nicer boat and fish more if it comes to that.

 

[Duckslayer100]

I'll hunt public. Do almost exclusively. And if that got too crowded I guess I would fish more.

 

[dean nelson]

You need the option I would if I had the money. I would be very tempted to do it especially on some of the fields in the immediate Bismarck area that basically no one gets hunt anyways. would be nice to have good spots with pit blinds within a few minute drive of home. would be highly reluctant to lease anything that has been fairly available to the avarge hunter since the money would allow me to undermine guiding operations since most Farmers would prefer to have a lone group they know well vs roving business on their land. the area around Goodrich comes to mind with that type of setup.

 

[LBrandt]

It will be the rich mans game soon enough, Money talks.

 

[Vollmer]

I will never pay for in state hunting. I would consider buying a plot of land to food plot, but not sure on that front. I have family with land and could likely pull something off. I would not quit hunting either, but it would make for more work.

 

[Traxion]

I offer to trade labor as much as I can. With having carpentry skills, that has helped. But even still, $$$ talks. I can't fault either party, it makes sense to have a place tied up and for a landowner to put money in their pocket. But it changes the world of hunting pretty darn quick.

 

[Enslow]

Leasing land for hunting... its sooooo sad to see what hunting has become... all the guides arent the problem either it goes much deeper. State agencies have turned animals and fish into a profit center and they nickle and dime you to death. The people with money love it and those without dont get to go and enjoy a hunt.

 

[dean nelson]

It will be the rich mans game soon enough, Money talks.

Pretty sure we are already just about there the way it is now. When a decoy spread costs as much as the truck hauling it things have definitely gotten a bit spendy. When you have sixty thousand doller fishing boats and goose decoys that are seventy five dollers each your standard blue collar workers salary just ain't going to cover it anymore.

 

[Kurtr]

I can say this is one reason I love going out west. No people and lots of hunting. Even a unsuccessful hunt for one week is more rewarding than a hunt barons here fighting people

 

[raider]

i lived in northern sota bout 30 years ago... there were sections of timber that were leased to dr's and lawyers from the cities way back then...

money must have been good as the land owners would even patrol for them during hunting season...

 

[zoops]

Pretty sure we are already just about there the way it is now. When a decoy spread costs as much as the truck hauling it things have definitely gotten a bit spendy. When you have sixty thousand doller fishing boats and goose decoys that are seventy five dollers each your standard blue collar workers salary just ain't going to cover it anymore.

And yet we see 20 year olds that have hardly had a job running around with those types of spreads...lol

- - - Updated - - -

I will never pay for in state hunting. I would consider buying a plot of land to food plot, but not sure on that front. I have family with land and could likely pull something off. I would not quit hunting either, but it would make for more work.

I am surprised we haven't seen more out of staters lease/buy land in ND. I know there are some and probably a lot more that I don't know about. I really have to wonder on some of these places when you ask to hunt a field for waterfowl and you inevitably get the "sorry, someone's already hunting it" if it is leased since most times there, in fact, is no one hunting it.

 

[ndlongshot]

...would be highly reluctant to lease anything that has been fairly available to the avarge hunter since the money would allow me to undermine guiding operations since most Farmers would prefer to have a lone group they know well vs roving business on their land. the area around Goodrich comes to mind with that type of setup.

Can you explain a bit further, Dean? I dont quite follow ya. So you would or wouldnt lease? What are they doing around Goodrich?

 

[johnr]

I have not paid to hunt yet, but I have hunted "pay to hunt land", and it is a lot better hunting on most of these fee hunting grounds.

One friend has thousands of acres with more bird hunting areas than believable, he lets me on sometimes. A couple weeks back I was invited out, the hunt for around 25 of us, took less than a half hour for the entire hunting party to each get their 3 bird limit. My dog just sat next to me watching thousands of birds fly every which direction.

 

[1bigfokker]

let's beat this dead horse for another year. Happy 2017

 

[eyexer]

we are going they way of the south. everything is a lease aside from public land.

 

[Kurtr]

Boy I am glad I moved out of nodak

 

[KDM]

Boy I am glad I moved out of nodak

You SHOULD be. We were about to lynch you if you hung around much longer.