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Wading into the waters of Lease Hunting #6931859 10/24/17 08:50 PM
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Rus10 Offline OP
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I've been consumed lately about leases. I've been researching whats out there, what I want, what I would pay, and proximity to house. But I'd like to hear about experiences others have had with single hunters joining a lease. Overall, I'd like to know if its been a good or bad experience. So for those of you that are on leases with family and friends, would you be on a lease where you didn't know anyone else? For the single hunters, whats your experience with walking on to leases where you didn't know anyone before joining? I'm not sure I want a lease because with a job and family, I'm not sure if I'd be able to hunt and or maintain the lease more than 8 days during deer season/year.

Re: Wading into the waters of Lease Hunting [Re: Rus10] #6931877 10/24/17 09:03 PM
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It's a crap shoot. Hell, it's a crap shoot hunting with guys you know! I've had three experiences like you're describing, neither went well. My first one was occupied by several "experts" who had cull buck/trophy buck issues. 6 of us stayed in the same house and 1 of us didn't like to take showers. There were other issues, but suffice it to say I was one and done. The second time, I was the lone leasee left and brought in 4 guys on a 12,000 acre lease. 2 of the guys were great, 1 of the guys was never there and the other guy thought the lease was his own personal race track. He would stand hunt till about 8 am and then drive the roads, not slowly, searching for deer, often driving right by you without hesitation. He was there to have "fun" and didn't take hunting seriously, so he was one and done and I would have loved to have kept the other 3 guys sans him, but they were old friends and didn't want to leave him. Really they did, but they didn't have the heart to tell him. I would say you'd just have to give it a shot and listen to your gut upon first meeting whoever it is you're looking at hunting with. The other experience on the same lease the following year was good, I brought in 2 more guys and then combined with my buddies lease next door for 30,000 acres. No issues with that one, so 2 out of 3 with what you're talking about. Don't take or invest too much the first year because it may be your only year. Good luck.


How come everybody I meet is a deer hunting expert?
Re: Wading into the waters of Lease Hunting [Re: tShawnB] #6931901 10/24/17 09:19 PM
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Haha, personal race track guy was funny. I've been on 4 leases, all short term. 1st lease, I wasn't technically on but it was the family lease up in New Waverly, beautiful but really far from San Antonio to hunt very often and I was invited the last year the family had it. 2nd lease was me and my cousin on about 100 acres near Castroville, nice country, only hour out, and alot of fun but the cuz wasn't into deer hunting and got into duck hunting. 3rd was a lease near Llano that was 2 hrs out and hardly saw deer so the next season got on the good lease in Spicewood. Lease, country, deer, distance were all perfect but the "Lease Manager" was a crook and vanished. The next one will be throughly researched.

Re: Wading into the waters of Lease Hunting [Re: Rus10] #6931982 10/24/17 10:23 PM
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To me if you only have 8 days to go to the lease through out the whole year including hunting season. A yearly lease is not for you. You may find it better to find a quality and flexible outfitter in an area of the state you want to hunt. Maybe see if they would let you come for 2 long weekend type hunts like Thursday thru Sunday? Then you to enjoy yourself and time in the outdoors. Good Luck

Re: Wading into the waters of Lease Hunting [Re: TxBuck] #6932105 10/24/17 11:48 PM
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Originally Posted By: TxBuck
To me if you only have 8 days to go to the lease through out the whole year including hunting season. A yearly lease is not for you. You may find it better to find a quality and flexible outfitter in an area of the state you want to hunt. Maybe see if they would let you come for 2 long weekend type hunts like Thursday thru Sunday? Then you to enjoy yourself and time in the outdoors. Good Luck


This all day long. No point in doing a lease if you are going to only be out that much.

Re: Wading into the waters of Lease Hunting [Re: Rus10] #6932132 10/25/17 12:02 AM
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I not all knowing on what is out there, but are there lease managers that would/could take care of maintenance of my spot and keep tabs on deer taken and what needs to be taken? Maybe some high fence MLD3 managed spots. I realize they would be more expensive and I'd be paying for that convenience.

Re: Wading into the waters of Lease Hunting [Re: Rus10] #6932135 10/25/17 12:05 AM
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Originally Posted By: Rus10
I've been consumed lately about leases. I've been researching whats out there, what I want, what I would pay, and proximity to house. But I'd like to hear about experiences others have had with single hunters joining a lease. Overall, I'd like to know if its been a good or bad experience. So for those of you that are on leases with family and friends, would you be on a lease where you didn't know anyone else? For the single hunters, whats your experience with walking on to leases where you didn't know anyone before joining? I'm not sure I want a lease because with a job and family, I'm not sure if I'd be able to hunt and or maintain the lease more than 8 days during deer season/year.


Guys that only hunt 8 days a year and pay on time are my favorite people to have hunting with me. I had a large lease south of Sheffield in the 80's with 10 total hunters on 18 sections. 5 of them were from Houston and stayed on for 6 years. We only saw them opening weekend and thanksgiving. Good bunch of guys and we used them to pay the biggest part of the lease and helped them every chance we could when they were there.

Re: Wading into the waters of Lease Hunting [Re: scalebuster] #6932233 10/25/17 01:09 AM
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Originally Posted By: scalebuster
Originally Posted By: Rus10
I've been consumed lately about leases. I've been researching whats out there, what I want, what I would pay, and proximity to house. But I'd like to hear about experiences others have had with single hunters joining a lease. Overall, I'd like to know if its been a good or bad experience. So for those of you that are on leases with family and friends, would you be on a lease where you didn't know anyone else? For the single hunters, whats your experience with walking on to leases where you didn't know anyone before joining? I'm not sure I want a lease because with a job and family, I'm not sure if I'd be able to hunt and or maintain the lease more than 8 days during deer season/year.


Guys that only hunt 8 days a year and pay on time are my favorite people to have hunting with me. I had a large lease south of Sheffield in the 80's with 10 total hunters on 18 sections. 5 of them were from Houston and stayed on for 6 years. We only saw them opening weekend and thanksgiving. Good bunch of guys and we used them to pay the biggest part of the lease and helped them every chance we could when they were there.
Ain't that true!

Re: Wading into the waters of Lease Hunting [Re: scalebuster] #6932241 10/25/17 01:15 AM
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Originally Posted By: scalebuster
Originally Posted By: Rus10
I've been consumed lately about leases. I've been researching whats out there, what I want, what I would pay, and proximity to house. But I'd like to hear about experiences others have had with single hunters joining a lease. Overall, I'd like to know if its been a good or bad experience. So for those of you that are on leases with family and friends, would you be on a lease where you didn't know anyone else? For the single hunters, whats your experience with walking on to leases where you didn't know anyone before joining? I'm not sure I want a lease because with a job and family, I'm not sure if I'd be able to hunt and or maintain the lease more than 8 days during deer season/year.


Guys that only hunt 8 days a year and pay on time are my favorite people to have hunting with me. I had a large lease south of Sheffield in the 80's with 10 total hunters on 18 sections. 5 of them were from Houston and stayed on for 6 years. We only saw them opening weekend and thanksgiving. Good bunch of guys and we used them to pay the biggest part of the lease and helped them every chance we could when they were there.


Absolutely!!!


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Re: Wading into the waters of Lease Hunting [Re: Rus10] #6932423 10/25/17 02:53 AM
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Originally Posted By: Rus10
I not all knowing on what is out there, but are there lease managers that would/could take care of maintenance of my spot and keep tabs on deer taken and what needs to be taken? Maybe some high fence MLD3 managed spots. I realize they would be more expensive and I'd be paying for that convenience.


Sure there are if you can find an opening. But this type of stuff is usually on high end leases. Then how do you know if they truly are filling your feeder and telling you what’s going on. Pretty sure others would be hunting your spot when your not around. Too me you would be better off putting that extra money towards a package hunt or trophy. What is your budget for a lease if you find one? Are you looking to fill the freezer or are you wanting to shoot a decent buck for the wall?

Re: Wading into the waters of Lease Hunting [Re: krmitchell] #6932458 10/25/17 03:14 AM
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Originally Posted By: rexmitchell
Originally Posted By: TxBuck
To me if you only have 8 days to go to the lease through out the whole year including hunting season. A yearly lease is not for you. You may find it better to find a quality and flexible outfitter in an area of the state you want to hunt. Maybe see if they would let you come for 2 long weekend type hunts like Thursday thru Sunday? Then you to enjoy yourself and time in the outdoors. Good Luck


This all day long. No point in doing a lease if you are going to only be out that much.


I pretty much agree with this.

I'm on my fourth lease that I joined by myself. The first one was in Mason and had really nice bucks but too many hunters and after the first year there was just too much drinking. Guys would drink so much the night before they were still drunk heading to the stand the next morning. They were more into partying while I was there to hunt. After opening weekend I'd go during the middle of the week. Fun place to hunt but...

The second and third the ranch managers were dirt bags....thrieves...and both of them changed the rules as they went along.

This year is my second year on this one. The first year was great and I've got a hunting buddy now but we have three new hunters this year and they seem like good guys but the more does not mean merrier but usually just the opposite. I'm not sure how the new guys are going to work out but we will see. It only takes one to screw things up.

As for finding a lease you're comfortable with you need to make a list of thing you are and aren't comfortable with and research research research. When you start touring prospective leases ask all of your questions and pay attention to the owner/ranck foremans mannerisms when are talking to him. And IF the guy is replacing all the hunters from the year before I'd be very cautious.

Re: Wading into the waters of Lease Hunting [Re: TxBuck] #6932519 10/25/17 04:48 AM
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I haven't come across an example like that yet, but have only been looking recently. I'd like to think they'd be around 5k, anything above that would be a hard sell. I may have something like that this season but seems too good to be true, so I'll see. The things that interest me in leases are game management, comraderie, having my spot with my gear and hopefully a trophy eventually. I'm not a trophy hunter though and the family goes through a deer or two a year. And if the lease was under an hour away then I'd be able to get out there more. I just can't do whole weekends every week. I was able to do a lot of morning hunts at the Spicewood lease bc it was an hour away.

Re: Wading into the waters of Lease Hunting [Re: Rus10] #6932545 10/25/17 06:59 AM
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If you can spend up to 5K and only hunt 8 total times, someone will find something for you... Might not trust them though. Don't show your cards IMO. Find something and make it work to your schedule.

Re: Wading into the waters of Lease Hunting [Re: Rus10] #6932907 10/25/17 02:50 PM
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If I had 5k to spend and only figure about eight times to hunt I would go on pay hunts somewhere. Nothing for you to do but show up and hunt. I manage three leases (of which I only hunt one) and am a member of another. I don't mind doing things for the leases I manage for my members as long as I am not the only one doing for them. They have to show an interest in showing up every now and then when the work is needed. I have one lease that I managed that I have mowed once for them this year but I never hear from them to know if they are going to come do any work that I can help them with. So I leave them to their own devices to do or not do and we will see how their season goes.

Re: Wading into the waters of Lease Hunting [Re: Rus10] #6933153 10/25/17 04:44 PM
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I've joined two different leases that needed to fill one spot without knowing anyone on the lease and both have been very positive. I think the fact that I'm more of a deer watcher than a deer killer probably helps too. I'll shoot one or two does per year for the freezer and maybe kill one buck every 3 - 4 years if I see one I like. Passing on 3 and 4 year old ten points earns one quite a bit of good will.


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Re: Wading into the waters of Lease Hunting [Re: Rus10] #6933318 10/25/17 06:45 PM
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One can hear others’ experiences all day long but the bottom line is this: leasing is a crap shoot, plain and simple. You can research and do things to tilt the odds, but you never really know what you rolled until that first year is up.

Hope you roll a 7 or 11. up


Originally Posted by Russ79
I learned long ago you can't reason someone out of something they don't reason themselves into.


Re: Wading into the waters of Lease Hunting [Re: Rus10] #6934848 10/26/17 07:29 PM
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Seventeen years ago i walked on a ranch on the Pecos River and made life long friends. We spent 10 great years there together and are 7 years currently on a great place out of Del Rio. I've been lucky. Good Luck


God Bless Our Troops and Always Play To Win!!!
Re: Wading into the waters of Lease Hunting [Re: Rus10] #6934854 10/26/17 07:33 PM
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5K is a great budget for a lease. But I think you will get more bang for your buck on a package hunt. With your $5K you should be able to get a buck from 150bc to 170bc. Plus depending on what you negotiated maybe a cull, does, and hogs. For this year I would definitely do a package hunt and then if its not your cup of tea then next year look for a lease.

Re: Wading into the waters of Lease Hunting [Re: Rus10] #6935215 10/27/17 12:37 AM
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No offense intended but your the guy that will offer the land owner a 1 k more than what I’m paying and he will take it, just remember that they really don’t want you there but they want your money

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