I have been looking for a lease this year, and it sure seams to me that there is a lot of leases out there that do not allow kids. What is the logic of this? The youth is the future of our great sport. If we start alienating them. Hunting will surely die off. I just don't understand this trend.

It is the dumbiest rule I have ever seen. I have told a landowner he was insane and left when he mentioned the rule. Kids are the future of the great outdoors.

x2 I won't be on a lease that does not allow kids

How short-sighted! From a landowner's point of view, I encourage family participation. The wife may not be an avid hunter but if she and the kids enjoy dad's lease, then dad is a happy hunter and I am a happy landowner. Granddad may not have shot a trophy buck but the evening that he spent down at the tank with his grandson plinking at turtles is a "trophy" memory that he remembers when he writes me next year's check.

The landowners that you mention will never have the experience of one of his hunter's children proudly showing him their first deer. How sad!

Maybe they want you to pay another spot for the kids? All about the $$$

I also would never be on a lease that doesn't allow kids. But I wouldn't argue with the landowner that had that rule. It is there property and they have that right. I'm sure there's many of grouchy old men that don't care to have kids in camp while hunting and these places are perfect for them. It's kinda like the del Webb communities around Texas. The one by my house won't even allow kids without prior permission and when allowed they have to play in the backyard. Like everything in this world there's options for us all.

I agree that hunting should be a family affair. I've always liked having the kiddos around camp because it reminds me of when I was a kid in camp. Seeing a kid see things for first time is pretty darn special.

With that said a lot of kids nowadays don't have the discipline we had back then. Just go to a restaurant and see what I'm talking about. Kids running everywhere, screaming and carrying on. And the parents allow it. I wonder if some of these parents have ruined it for others. I can only imagine how it might be if the parents turned the kids loose on a 4-wheeler to terrorize the pasture without guidance or supervision.

I dunno. I'm just speculating. Of course, it could be just about the money too.

landpirate makes a good point.

some folks take their hunting more seriously than others, i know when i was a kid, after the morning hunt, we would get on our four wheelers and drive all over the ranch. looking back now, it would aggrevate the you know what outta me if I was on a lease and someones kids were out doing that.

some people have great kids.....but some have pos kids, so unfortunatly you have to make a catch all-rule. can't go around interviewing every dad and his kid for the lease

It does make it tough, wish more landowners would at least consider letting your kiddos hunt off your tags/five deer limit. I only hunted places that allowed my son to hunt with me. Have had the blessing of seeing him deer, hog, duck, goose,dove, and turkey hunt with me. Some paid hunts some free but all treasured memories. Wish leases were more open minded but also we hunting parents need to ensure our kids follow the rules, respect fellow hunters, and respect the game we hunt. Might make a difference was fortunate to have my son follow his raising and every hunt received compliments from adult hunters on him. Proud of him...You bet! He is my number one hunting partner and due to his current military obligation for past three seasons, he is greatly missed. Hunt the places that allow your kids...it is worth the extra effort.

I have kids and if I got on a lease it would have to allow family (kids like to campo and be outdoors). However I would also have to be with like minded hunters (mainly that they have a family as well). If I paid 3 grand for a individual spot I wouldn't want kids though. Kids can be a PITA, especially the ones that are not yours. Not everyone keeps their kids in check. Theyll let their kids get in your stuff, talk back and break the rules, but the moment you tell one of the kids something or to settle down, all of the sudden they become superparent defending their innocent child. Forget that, I don't want the headache. You can't escape into the woods with little kids making you annoyed. Say what you want about your kids, but the truth is people will eventually get tired of your kids' antics (mine too!).

I don't even have kids, yet. But i do enjoy having them on the lease. It does not bother me one bit to have them ask me a million questions, it makes me feel like i'm teaching them something. But disobedient kids are another story.

Some people treat there lease like a bar.. and it's not a good environment for kid's.. so none are allowed. Other folks like it to be family friendly. You just have to have a group and land-owner that are of the same mind. I solved the kid issue at my leases by allowing them on youth hunting weekends, with the caveat that they had to be accompanied by an adult.

I don't have any kids but I think that is a stupid rule, kids are the future of hunting. But, I have been on a lease that a guy would bring all four of his kids & basically just turn them loose. That didn't work out well, the little brats would run up & down the roads on 4 wheelers, pop firecrackers, shoot every bird or whatever they could find with a pellet gun, etc. I was real pizzed when I came back to camp from a morning hunt & caught the little bass turds shooting my 3-d deer target with a bb gun, I bet there were 500 bb's in that thing, maybe more.

Guess I'm one of the lucky ones. Our landowner encourages me to take my son and doesn't count his kills against my tags. We have never shot more than ones persons tags anyway, but I think it is nice he would let us.

Thats what I am talking about. What did the parents say? There are kids that are bright and curious, and want to try things out, and then there are ones that have no discipline and are spawns of satan. And because of progressive parent A, who does not spank or discipline their kids, a sticky situation occurs. If parent B who has kids that care, that are polite and interested, is able to bring their kids, parent A will want to do the same. Parent A (who more than likely is a good friend) will be offended and a good friendship might be strained, so you keep your mouth shut to keep the peace and then you feel cheated because you aren't enjoying yourself.

Thats why it may be easier to just get on a lease where you don't have to worry about anything but hunting, of course management is a whole nother headache right there.

EASY... those guys are gonna be more about partying than hunting. Heavy drinking, maybe smokin a little somethin somethin, and probably bringing girlfriends down, ect...

At least that's the way it was on the first lease I was ever on.

I fully understand that some parents do not keep their kids in check. However, all a lease needs is to have rules in place to deal with the parents that let kids get out of hand. And have a code of conduct rule in place so everyone knows what is expected of them and their family/kids.

Having rules in place is fine and dandy as long as everyone voluntarily follows them. It's when rules are broke or boundaries are crossed that the problems begin. Some parents get downright defensive and belligerent when confronted about their kid's behavior. That's when the friction starts. That's when you get the whole, "oh, not my kid. He would never do such and such".

Again, I believe the biggest problem is with some parents. And we all know some of those parents with those kids.

kids are a direct reflection of their parents....(think about it)


and I'm proud of mine, they represent me well

Some folks can't control themselves on a lease let alone kids. I might not agree with it but folks can run things how they see fit.

Sure seems short sided but he who owns the land makes the rules.

Kids are our future and need to be involved in the outdoors as much as possible,but, you can't just give them the keys to the car,or put them on a 4 wheeler and sit back and think "Oh,they'll be fine". We've already been sued once for a 4 wheeler accident, a case we lost. Kids aren't allowed on them unsupervised. One bad apple spoils the whole bunch,unfortunately.

I totally agree with you. I am sure there are owners that welcome children and there are those that don't.That person makes the choice, he owns the land. There are those that hunt that have children that they want to take hunting and there may be others on the same lease that have already raised their children and don't want them on the same lease. If you as a person want to take them hunting and can't find a lease then go hunting with an outfitter. There are plenty around that welcome children.

Seems like good logic to me.