Deer Lease President

I am apart of a small lease of 6 members max (right now its only 5 due to a choice we made last year) and i am now the president of the lease. The lease is made of of pretty much family and very close family friends but for usually 1 member that usually isn't, normally someone we find to fill a spot.

I've been president for 1 real year and when i took the position i thought of all the good i could do but i feel i am hitting a wall and starting to see why no one wants to be president.

My question is on yalls lease what is the responsibility of the president,

What do you want the president to do and what do you want them to stay out of.

And any advice yall have found beneficial while being president or seen by a president yall liked.

Thanks

Tell us about your required duties as president?

Are the interns cute?

Only if the lease is in Arkansas

Technically, these are the responsibilities we lay out in the rules we have made. Our rules are very new, though ive been on the lease 10 plus years we only in the last few actually wrote down the rules. Each year after that we have had to go back in to add and adjust the rules so what they are now might not be what they are in a few months when we get together and go back over everything.

Lease President Responsibilities are as follows:
1. Serve as the main contact representative with the landowners and land management program contacts.
2. Organizing and scheduling the dates with all members for both the Annual Spring Member Meeting and Camp Work Weekends and setting an agenda for them.
3. Submitting on time and completely filling out, all member lease contracts to landowner and all MLD program materials to MLD program managers.
4. Enforcing all rules to lease members and enforcing punishments to members that are in violations of rules.
5. Act as final arbitrator for all disputes between members that are not specifically stated in lease rules or contracts.
6. Being responsible for the camp budget and for updating members on any purchases made with lease budget.
7. Ensures proper locks and signs are on all gates and changes lock combinations annually.

Interns used to be cute then we got old and fat

I would stop calling myself president. I don't mean that in an offensive way, but if it's only 5 members and they are family and very close friends???

No offense taken, its a term we have always called the Lessee on the lease contract we get from the Lessor.

Have a couple of work parties, spend time with friends & family and shoot a few deer.

HAVE FUN!

Your stressing over nothing.

I would tend to think it might draw more responsibility in your direction. A lease with a few members and being close like that should have equally shared responsibility.

That just might work jetdad

You've got 7 items listed and 5-6 members - assign each member one of those responsibilities- you can be the main contact and arbitrator......

HWY72 I like that idea alot. i dont know if i could get everyone to take responsibility for something but i can see this working

Is your name on the dotted line with the landowner? In other words, if a bunch of guys bail out on you, do YOU have to still come up with the total lease fee to the landowner? If not, and your lease is small with a close knit group of friends then a few common sense things should be spelled out but shouldnt be a big deal.

Sounds like standard lease boss duties. Make sure everyone has printed and emailed versions of the rules (so they can't say they didn't know them). It's a lot of extra work, so hopefully you get a $ break or at least a nice bottle of whiskey for taking in the extra duty.

Our landowner calls me the lease "Captain." I'm responsible for EVERYTHING. Wouldn't have it any other way.

Don't forget being accountable as well. There is a difference between the two. Accountability means receiving credit when things go well and paying a price when they don't. Politicians are often quick to take responsibility but almost always run from accountability after things go south.

lucky money and contracts are do at the same time so i cant be left with a bill if other back out. my name is the one on the line

reading yalls comments its like i agree with all of yall but i cant tell if im just making this to complicated.
i think sharing responsibility is a good idea, i dont know how much power the president should have but at the same time someone should

i can say rules seem like something easy but man you do have to account for the possibility of having one guy you find on the THF and need to spell out the rules for. We have only had good luck finding memebers of THF but things the 5 of us do normally isnt always normal to the 6 guy who is an outsider.

It points to why getting on a "good" lease is often so difficult. You usually have to wait until someone dies or moves away for an opening to pop up. Existing members can also be reluctant to recommend someone since guys often change once you put a gun in their hand. With very few exceptions, every new member is an unknown until they've been a member for at least a year.

Ok, so no dog in this fight, but im curious and also maybe can help you some. I manage two leases with 20++ guys between them and I write checks for closer to 200k than 100k for lease fees and all feed, food plots and misc expenses. I usually get all my money repaid by the guys but my necks still on the line if not. I know this isnt your situation but im just saying ive worn out some moccasins going down the trail your on. Im ok with the job and its one I ask for since I found the leases, started from scratch and my names definitely the only one on the line.
Hypothetical, when the money and the contracts come due and youve got a guy moves outa State with his job(MANY other reasons guys get off good leases) and he needs to be replaced? Do you give up the lease or does SOMEBODY pay his share and then go out and beat the bushes to find a replacement?

The very first rule after becoming president is to demand that everyone call you MR President.

Understand that YOU are in charge, make sure everyone understands that what you say goes. Period.

As President, you should never have to cook, clean, mow, fill feeders, clean your own animals etc. That's what you have everyone else for.

Also, as President you should make it clear that you shouldn't have to buy your own beer.

Your most important duty as President, is being the "shot caller" on what deer can and can not be killed. If anyone argues this point with you, disciplinary action may be required. You set the rules on deer. As President, you don't have to follow these rules though. If you want to bring a guest and let said guest take a deer that you put on the No Kill List, that is perfectly within your rights as President of the Lease.

Hope this helps.

Do you give up the lease or does SOMEBODY pay his share and then go out and beat the bushes to find a replacement?

Manager is responsible for payment and finding replacements. It's such a PIA that I personally absorbed most of the fee the last couple years when a member moved on. But that's just me.

So far we have been lucky that we havent had to work to hard to find someone if a spot does open up.

this season the 2020-2021 season we only have 5 guys even though we could have six, we kept it 5 because we didn't want to rush to get someone on and we all said we dont mind splitting the dues between us and we might just keep it at 5 not sure yet but we can have 6.

if it came down to it and we were in a bad spot and couldn't get the others to give extra money, and it was i pay outa pocket or losse the lease, year i would pay outa pocket

Skinnerback, im liking what your saying and i need a strong number 2 to really push those kinda of values onto the other guys...what do you say? Assistant to the Lease President, ALP for short?

I'd say you're lease Boss so you either find the replacements or convince all the others and self make up difference.

This sounds way to complicated for a 5 member lease. Have to say I am not familiar with the term "Lease President." I am hoping you are kidding, maybe because we just had an election? Anyway, if it is to much of a PIA, I suggest asking one of the other guys to do it.

Lease coordinator

Ramrod or jefe

Lease manager

The way things are going it might have to change to Comrade Lease Commissor!

King of the lease, that will make them respect you.

Change your title. That one is lame.

I just lost the presidency at our place. Damn mail in votes.
I had survived a couple coups, thanks to my double secret Sargent at Arms ratting out the instigators before any damage was done.
This will be a one term reign for my replacement as the insurgency has begun!

wow,
Can feel the negative vibes....

whew, I remember why I lease alone.

Not to downplay what others are willing to do or agree to on their lease. On your list, i'm out at #2 and #4. The purpose of a lease to me is a place i can go to get away from "list" or some sort of hierarchy, enjoy the time with my dad and son, relax, recharge.
The places we hunt are on people we have known for years, in one case for over 40 years. There is no money changing hands, we help out around their ranches when we are there, they feel better when we are there. I'm not going to pay to be in a situation where rules have to be in place and an "enforcer" to make sure everyone abides by the rules. Again, nothing against those that like that kind of stuff, just not for me.

TKM, Im glad you commented and especially glad you prefaced it by saying you understand that others are different. I just want to point out to others that he is saying he hunts for free with a bunch of friends and family. Im sure TKM understands how unusual that is. I would take a wild guess and say that less than 1 % of hunters are in that situation. It doesnt mean his viewpoint isnt worth anything, cause it is, but that situation isnt close to most others. I guess I would be curious if you lost the free hunting you are enjoying would you just not hunt instead of going by a few basic rules/understandings? Im trying real hard not to be offensive in any way, but your situation just seems so unrelatable to most of us. Im certain some will chime in and say they hunt for free also, but im fairly certain thats very unusual.

Freerange, over the years i've had my share of leases, some with a great group of guys, some not so good. I really enjoyed some of them. I hunt with my dad and son on a group of ranches owned by a father, daughter, and son. They each have their own land but work together when it comes to putting up hay, working cattle, etc. They were fortunate when a few pipe lines went through their property, some wells drilled, compressor plants, etc, money for hunting isn't a concern for them. We knew them before they had money, worked with them many years ago as well before they had land. They are responsible with their money, don't spend it on trucks, cars, big houses, etc. When something they have breaks we fix it, help keep things going. They may be working cattle, putting up hay, working land, we jump in and help. Have missed a few morning and evening hunts helping them do this. When it rains we don't drive in the mud just to go hunt. While my situation isn't the norm, neither is the hard work put in to get here. We didn't ask to hunt for free, we actually started off paying to hunt. Several years ago they said to not worry about paying anymore, as long as they are alive we have a place to hunt. Don't let anyone else on their place and are glad to see us anytime we are there.

I own part of my grand parents old farm so i'll always have my own place to hunt. May not be big or have the numbers of deer on it but it is a place to go. I put in my time over the years with the companies i've work for, flew all over the country, to different countries, conformed to the corporate rules, listened to people say things that is hard to respond in a polite manner, etc. I just can't see myself paying to be on a place where the deer i shot is 1/2" under lease rules and will be "punished". I've let deer walk that a lot of others would shoot so i'm not the shoot anything type. I just want to do my own thing now days, enjoy what little time i have left with my dad and hopefully many more years with my son and maybe grandson/daughter one of these days. I've worked hard to get where i'm at on the land we hunt on, so has my dad.

'Glad to see integrity pays off, every now and again. Keep doing what you're doing. Don't let anyone stop you.

TKM, thanks for the reply. I certainly didnt mean to imply you hadnt earned your keep. Its still a unique situation but sounds like yall earned the opportunity. Regardless of how much someone pays to hunt or doesnt pay to hunt, there will always be those that dont like certain rules and those that are ok with rules. Mask-dont mask, ford-chevy, every one is different and in our Country we are pretty much allowed to be.
Now if I can just remember what this thread was about......

Hahah yea we got a little off topic. And sorry I haven’t responded in a bit but I am already in the process of getting a lot of yalls ideas down to speak to my group about so thank yall.

I understand that yall hate the title of President, understand, it isn’t something I made up. As silly as it sounds it’s what it has always been called so I don’t care if the person who does this role is call Manager, Lease Boss, Lessee or Silly Silly Dumb Dumb. I’ll tell you what, I will for sure push the idea of taking away having a president

TKM, I understand your situation and that is awesome. It sounds like you and the property owners have an understanding about certain things you have to do and not do in order to keep being welcome as you are right now. Though nothing is written down, you do have a list of things you have to follow and even some rules. I would guess when you first started being invited out there you were asked to help out or maybe you just did it but it’s what you do to keep being allowed back. Along with that it sounds like there are some do’s and Don’ts while you are out there like doing your best to avoid tearing up the roads. If you were to stop helping and stop being respectful of the land I would guess you wouldn’t be welcome back. Yours and my situation is different, but we have some similarities such as a list of things that you do to be welcome out there and a hierarchy with the landowners and your family.

I’m not sure what the issue with #2 is I can see what the issue with #4 but it reads more aggressive than it actually is. I think reading the responsibilities of the president before you read the rules puts something’s out of context. To give you an idea of #4 the president has no power to determine right or wrong nor can he single handedly punish anyone. Everything is talked about and then voted on by the group and instead of everyone telling you what they think, the president has a talk with you.

To get back on track, what my goal was with this thread was to figure out the best way to run a deer lease. I understand that our situation is different, we are not a bunch of stranger and not a huge group. I thought maybe there were something that have worked for other leases that as simple as they seem I haven’t even considered

There are no certain things we have to do or don't do, there is no list, no rules, written/unwritten. We were not ask to help out when we first started hunting or at any time, we do this because it is the right thing to do. We were not ask to not tear up the roads, we don't do this because it is the right thing to do, we don't do it on our own place. There is no hierarchy within the three of us that hunt. Bottom line is it is 100% about them knowing us, who we are. I'm sure if we started playing in the mud, shooting cows, destroying property we would not be welcome. As a grown man, do you really need to be told to not do those things? If we were that type we wouldn't have been welcome to start with.

You ask for comments on your list, i just gave a little feedback with an explanation as to why, wasn't trying to derail your thread.
The issue with #2 is being told or the need to commit to when i'll have to be there. Not trying to be a jerk at all but i'll be there to do what i need to do when i want to. I understand #4 very well, still doesn't change anything with me.
I know others may like the structure of a list of rules and dates to do "camp stuff". Our camp is made when i pull my travel trailer out there, other than stands/blinds there is nothing else to maintain.

To add to this a little more, these places i mentioned are in Oklahoma, i've lived in Texas for the last 23 years. If you ask me 10 years ago if there were land owners that would let you hunt for nothing i would have said those days are most likely gone. I was invited last year to go on a nighttime hog hunt up around the Red river. While driving around one of the places right before dark i notice there were no blinds, ladder stands, evidence of other hunters, so i ask about it. He said the owner used to lease but has has to many bad experiences with deer hunters so doesn't want them on his property anymore but told this guy to hunt all he wants. Even calls him when the hogs start getting bad. So do several other owners around there. No money changes hands, no rules other than don't shoot his cows. This guy can literally hunt 365 days a year on several land owners, in prime deer habitat. I don't know how many acres but we drove several miles the first time i was out there. I was amazed at this! But i know the guy well and understand his integrity played an important part in this.

I have a friend i've known since the early 80's, he knows a guy out in north east Texas that has about 3000 acres. Over the years he has helped him out by hauling a load of re-claimed gravel/rock a few weekends out of the year to put on his roads and they have developed a good relationship. Rock didn't cost him anything, just his time in his truck. Not many deer to speak of but lots of hogs, varmints, ponds, creeks, etc. He took me out there a few years ago, met the land owner going in at a corral as he was trying to load up a few cows to take to the vet. Was having issues so i jumped in and helped him. My friend is disabled so not much he could help with. Talked for over an hour, hit it off pretty well. Same thing here, he doesn't want hunters on his place, they have trashed things up, played in the mud, built fires at night by the ponds, left their crap everywhere. Everytime we go out there one of us will call to let him know we are on the way. He always says the same thing, "you guys know you don't have to call, just go have fun and shoot them damn coyotes and pigs." No money changes hands here either.

I'm in my 60's and know they are uncommon but there are opportunites out there.

I have spent almost 42 years making my living working with business owners in my real life job. What have I learned?? They all do it their own way and in different ways - no different on how a deer lease is run. I have run a lease for 14 years so I have a little background to bank on.

As has been hashed over on this forum ad nauseum - some hunters like total freedom to do what they want on a lease - bring as many guest as I want, shoot what I want, and do what I want...................... others want rules and structure because they have been on leases with no rules and suffered the consequences - others want to manage for as big a deer as the place can grow - while others do not care about management but just want to shoot and get some meat. None of the above is right or wrong

The TRICK IS IS TO ONLY JOIN A LEASE THAT FITS WHAT YOU ARE LOOKING FOR! Problems come up when someone joins a lease that is opposite of what they are looking for - it is pretty dang basic - my 2 cents

Well said tlk.

^^^tlk, 100 % nailed it, especially the part in all CAPS. He has said it so many times on here, he has gotten really good at wording it.

haha - practice makes perfect - I figure if it is posted enough maybe SOMEBODY will take note

Tlk you got 14 years doing this, just play along for a minute....you know what i want you all to play this game.

Phone rings, someones calling to offer you a job to be the Lease President( Manager, Silly Dilly, Lease Boss, ect) its such a good offer you cant refuse. Only down side is there is already a group on the lease....lets say 6 guys and you cant kick them off for the first 2 years

Landowner is letting you do whatever you want he has to move to Japan, and needs someone he trust to run this lease.

Everyone is ready to do what you tell them because they all want the same thing you do just haven't been able to get there. Do note these are normal people, not millionaires or anything so you have to be reasonable.

What are your first steps you take as the new Lease Manager? What are your goals for year one? how are you going to accomplish these?

Understand, in this hypothetical, there is no i wouldn't take this job, you already took it. there is no right or wrong im just curious

You ask for others besides tlk and Ive got the same 14 years as him on my current place and its slightly bigger than his so ill try. I figure you are looking at people management comments and not deer management comments. Deer arent that hard to manage, its the people(hunters, landowners) that are tough. With that in mind and since you cant recruit like minded members then sit down with the guys.
>Try to get a consensus of opinion on what you can all agree on as goals.
> Make those goals reaslistic.
Thats a good starting point, and its late for me after a big day so Ill let someone else add on or disagree. Good question, although its uniquely hypothetical.

Most lease presidents turn into lease dictators!

I once told my lease president to shut their pie hole about me shooting the coons, she told me I could sleep on the couch

Way to may people needing tittles before their names these days not to mention all the rules involved. Set some basic common sense rules and have fun hunting, hell its not a Fortune 500 club board meeting. If they don’t like it or can’t adhere to common sense stuff then one of you needs to go somewhere else.

Shouldn't you be discussing the rules with those MEMBER's PAYING for the lease ?

Since I'm a deer lease Magnate I'll Trump your presidency....LOL

Probably so if I was on a lease lol, I was simply making a joke about my wife. We’re not on a lease nor would I ever be on one, we hunt our own place. I’m pretty sure with the amount of crap I read on here about all the rules I’d have to seriously consider giving up hunting. It would have to be a seriously special place with ferry dust falling from the sky to get me on one. That or maybe a herd of 200”” low fence deer
People now days get all worked up over the silliest stuff, chill out and relax. It’s suppose to be fun guys

So true, I'd be out on about 99% of the leases with extensive rules and regulations i hear on THF...When the fun is out of the equation, I'm out...