Buddy and I went to look at a deer lease over the weekend. After walking the grounds we decided fitting the required number of hunters the land owner requested was unrealistic.

She told us that there will be NO hunting the fence lines... Which I understand. Its not cool!

However the way the property was laid out it would be hard not to. We decided to pass on the lease rather than set up blinds and feeders and hunt on top of each other.

On our way home we decided to hit the town the old fashion way...ask around town and knock on some doors.

EVERYONE we talked to had already leased to the "lease manager"

I mean EVERYONE! there was not a soul in town or house on a county road that did not mention this mans name.

I thought to myself "how sad".

It was like a scene form a move where some guy takes over the small town... Just hearing storys told by the locals about this guy made me cringe!

Anyway on our drive home roaming county roads and just about to give up we saw a truck pulled over and decide to tug on his ear.

Lo and behold we meet the "lease manager" drinking his bud light and road hunting hogs.

Through a short disscusion with him he made it quite clear...
"If you wanna hunt in this town you go through me first"

What happened to the good ole days?

Not to mention the rates he was charging per acre! Might as well book a "weekend hunt at a high game ranch"!

Just venting about what our sport has become.

I am not saying all lease managers are bad...and I bet there are some damn good ones out there...

I dont want to mention this guys name or the town...I would hate for his "mafia" to come looking for me! LOL

Just thought it was sad...

what county was this in

Rather not say...He probally is a nice guy...
AND I DO NO NOT WANT TO DRAG HIS NAME IN THE MUD!

Just erked me LOL

I guess you go with lease option #2.

BUD LITE? Must be waiting for money to come in. Bobby N.

We use one. He is a biologist and a pretty good guy. He tends to be responsive to our issues and manages the properties pretty good. He handles everything for MLD. We follow the rules and it has been pretty good. This will be are 5th year with him. We hunt big deer, shoot our doe follow the rules. Its not cheap but the per acre rate is about in line with the area. What makes it more expensive is he does not want alot of hunters per acre (which I completely agree with) we hunt 4 guns on about 1300 acres. I think there are good and bad apples in any field and I feel we have a good one.

If you hadn't have said "he was drinking budlight", I would have sworn you were talking about a small area of Nacogdoches County.

Buy LAND as soon as you can fellas! It's just gonna get worse, think about what our kids and grandkids are gonna have to pay! SSSHHHHIIIIISSSSSHHHHHH! $50/acre

"Hey Tommy, how much did your lease cost you this year?" "Man, I gotta a good deal, 240 acres, with 3 guns! We only paid $4000 each!"

buy your own land guys its the only way we are going to save our way of life

The few places that I know of that have "lease managers" are a complete disaster. The "manager" usually approaches the land owner with a management spill about protecting their land; but low and behold, greed kicks in and all decisions and fees are designed for the benefit of the "manager". In my opinion, a successful lease is about the land owner and ALL leasees having a common mind set on what the lease is going to be about (trophy hunting and management, a good place for beginning hunters, or a general place of recreation), all parties taking care of the land to the BEST of their ability, and a mutual respect all the way across the board. Just my thoughts.

While theoriginal posters' lease manager sounds like a tool... there are some out there doing good. Many landowners don't give a hoot about huntingst the check. And many landowners are fed up with slob0ish hunters who have burned them in the past. Of the 11 pastures we manage right now, ALL are from landowners that were fed up with the hunters on their land, and 4 would be off the market if the landowner had to deal with it.

Are some bad, sure, no doubt, and sure it would be best if people dealt directly and squarely with each other.

A good property manager can help provide for consistent rules among neighboring properties, be a pro-hunting voice for the landowner, and a common sense voice for the hunters to the landowners.

Of the 11, 8 of 11 are at prices the same or LOWER than they were the last time they were last leased directly. The others were way behind on road upkeep, have had electricity and water added, so the price is eaten up there.


Just like anything else there are good and bad of each group.

what original poster ??? are you refering to and what does ( Sounds like a tool ) mean

original poster refers to the person that started the thread. Tool is a slang for "not a real nice guy"....From the op "If you wanna hunt in this town you go through me first"....

Hope that helps, and welcome to the forum...

Yes and thank you, Im learning a lot by just reading the many posts it shortins the learning curve Thanks

I agree with some of the others, do what you can to buy yourself a piece of land. Out in the SE panhandle where I am, I heard about a guy the other day that bought a few hundred acres for about $850/acre. Its a lot of money, but its cheaper than anywhere within 2 hours of the DFW metro-mess.

Small town feed stores are a great place to get info on who is selling land in the county. Drop by, have a cup of coffee and start BS'ing with the guys that run the store. I guarantee you'll walk out of there with some info!

I am in the market for some land. The problem is where and can I afford to buy where I would really want to be. Out west there is no water. Land is cheap but not realistic to own. The hill country is great but the land is high. I'd like to be within a couple hours of the coast as I like to fish down there. It's time to move though. I would like to have it paid down pretty good before I retire.

A lease manger only works if he/ she abides by the original rules and not make up their own along the way. Perfect reason to have a lease agreement w/ rules attached. Also protects the landowner.

I feel the perfect lease is one you can trust "everyone" on it. If you can't trust them all you need to keep lookin'.

I'd love to buy land, but for how many acres I want it isn't practical for me right now. Hope someday my wife will win the lottery. I know she'd buy us a ranch to hunt.

Yes a lotto winner would help the acquisitions department significantly...

If this individual "lease manager" was actually road hunting hogs, then it wouldn't have taken me anytime to call the local game warden/Operation Game Thief (800-792-GAME/4263) on him if he was on ANY public road.

With an attitude like that, they believe nothing can hurt them and they're 'King of the Hill'.

He or anyone else isn't above the law and if he was hunting on a public road, he's nothing more than a poacher.