Increase the price, ask potential hunters their feeding practice and make it known that feeding is required. You can use some of the extra cash to pay for some minerals or help offset cost of protein if you use it or to just buy some corn. We have a smaller lease with 5 guns in the hill country with a member who hasn't done anything this year so far. If he doesn't get set up then next year he won't be on the lease. He's a good friend but in the end i want to help the landowner and members have a lease we can enjoy for many years to come. I agree if you want to have good quality game you need to manage your herd and hunters. Without both you're bound to suffer.

yeah, I would say double the price and cut the # of hunters in 1/2 and screen hard

Deer Whisperer : Everybody on hear is a expert. Show a picture of your best buck and you will get should have let him grow another year. You have to many hunter, that's why most of them won't show up for a work week-end. Yea right.

Most everybody had good ideals some of them I been thinking about for awhile now.I realize I should not care if the other hunters kill anything or not but I do.Like I said earlier I've been doing this for a long time but sometimes it just gets to me, I'm a country boy thats belives deer hunting is a religon, and I'm finding I'm getting out nummber by those that thinks it something that you two or three months a year.I fish, mowe the yard,hang out with the faimly,do just about everything,but still have time to go the lease one day a month,still have time to remind everybody three or four times the lease money is due.Once again the only reason I got post started was for both sides to see it and maybe get everybody to thinking how lucky they are have a place to call their hunting lease.

HEAR YOU BROTHER

IMO, there is a correlation between the number of hunters on the place and the number of folks that join in for a work weekend.

If you aren't seeing deer, and other's have the same complaint, how hard are you going to work on the place?

If there is a feeder every 100 acres, you are splitting the deer between the hunters and competing with natural food sources. If you have that many hunters going in and out of the place, that many hunters with their scent in the woods, and that much pressure on the place, it is going to effect the hunting and deer movement.

I am not running the place down or trying to make it sound like this place isn't worth much.

I am sure it is a great place, but I think that people will work harder on a place that they see more deer and I think that is what the OP wants too. I also think that they will see more deer if the pressure was reduced and the hunters weren't competing so strongly for the same deer.

I am no expert, but that is my

HERE's the deal nobody shows up any time.The least of the problems is people showing up and walking around in the woods. Here in east Texas we have to keep logging roads mowed, camp sites mowed,gates up,crop patches clean and going. This is real hard core hunting.This is not about how we doing it here or there.This is about deer hunting and deer leases and how about the average person just takes it for granted. Everybody just assumes we are not killing any deer guys we do kill deer and there in the one thirtys and up,the problem is get people working on the least,I just got through talking to friend that hunts panhandle pays seven thousand a year,and he said they have the same problem.All I was doing was just sharring.

It is a discussion board and opinions will come out. Don't take it wrong. In your original post, you said that folks were complaining because they weren't seeing deer and didn't want to work to make the property more appealing.

Most people that are on leases know someone that is like you describe. Just really sucks that most of yours are that way.

I didn't mean to make it sound like I don't think ya'll kill any deer or can't kill good deer...or to offend you or your management style.

maybee you should jsut keep the same ammount of hunters for the same price but the ones that are thier now wont be thier next year find someone that will want to work for his/her deer..
only 2 out of 6 works on my lease and it shows. we mow around the cabin keep our feeders going try to keep pig population in check on a regular basis. but what can you do some just like comming in for the hunt and thats it.

At my lease in Tyler County, we have work days scheduled and if you miss them they charge $50!!! I know because of my schedule I miss a few but they are scheduled ahead of time!!!

Never heard of a public forum that you would not get some opposition on any matter. Your right I don't have a lease in East Texas, hunted it many times though, but I can add and I can probably eliminate some of your troubles very easily.

Good luck to ya.

Have hunted NETX all my life. I too view hunting as a way of life. Unfortunately my job doesn't allow weekends off so I have to do lease work on Mon Tues this year. My two days off change every year but never include sat sun. May I suggest you are the lease mgr, make the mgmt rules, feeder rules, supp feed, food plots, mineral sites, ect requirements that you know will work to make your lease more huntable, enjoyable, and benefit the deer herd. Make this known what is to be expected for your lease when recruiting hunters have em sign the lease agreement but put everything you want to implement in writing. May want to try 10 hunters at a higher rate on your acreage. I have fellers asking me to help me find em a new hunting spot. THF is a great place to post your lease and we can find you hunters, not just lease members. Point well made though, do you want hunters or lease members. Hunters will hunt hard, work hard, do the things you are desiring but just lease members usually will pay their lease fees only, gripe a lot, but hopefully show up opening weekend and thanksgiving to leave the lease to your hunters. It is a trade off. I think you prefer hunters as do I so good luck and thanks for your post. I have run a lease before and its tough sometimes. I prefer to be one of your working lease members. lol

Hey guys thanks for the feed back. Some of ya'll had some really good ideals,txshntr, you did not offend me,guy I have a wife, an x wife,7 kids,12 grandkids,and been a union stweart for over 30 years,I'm past being offended.kamolaw, I really liked some of your ideals. I do wish each and everyone of ya'll a great hunting season and this year be your best.DEER HUNTING IS A RELIGON!

East Tx. is extremely thick and full of groceries, however,due to lots of rain,sandy soil and leaching of minerals it is very poor for nutrition.

You know what....i have experienced the same issues in general in the 13 years we have had our lease. I finally came to the conclusion draw a line and stand your ground whatever your ideal situation is. I had a guy that rarely showed up, had the best spot on our lease but was the last one to make it out there and pick his spot. He felt he was being taken advantage of. every year was the same thing calling repeatedly asking for money when i had already paid the landowner out of my pocket. this year I gave everyone fair warning what I expected. No more notices after that, I had to tell him this year he was out.He would sometimes string me along for months after the due date to get his money. I think you just need to implement whatever the ideal situation is too you and find like minded people. They are out there but you will have to interview and screen, but after that your life becomes much easier.
Out of 10 spots I'm the one who goes to the lease every other weekend, and mows camp and the yard at our house. It's 175 miles one way and cost me a bout 100 bucks in diesel. But I want a camp that is well maintained when I show up, not have to work hard when I first get there to get things in order.
A couple of the other guy's are very handy and pitch in when they are there, but I'm satisfied with the group I have and don't mind the hard work. I find it satisfying and rewarding.

Best of luck to you in getting it straightened out, I think you know what you need to do. Just follow through with it. Like minded people and true friends will understand whatever your decisions are.

I talked to some of my real hunters this morning, told them what I was thinking about doing next year, and everyone said the same thing, leave the slackers alone and let them show up on opening week-end and thanksgiven and keep on paying for the lease,and they would keep on doing their share of the work and killing the deer.I guess some things will never change,but I dare one of the slackers to complain one time.THIS IS ALL I GOT TO SAY ABOUT THIS.GOOD LUCK TO ALL MY HUNTING BROTHERS, AND TO ALL THE SLACKERS, WELL YA'LL KNOW WHAT YA'LL CAN DO!

Here's my $0.02.

If you are doing all the work for others, simply stop doing thier work for them. Just do the work you need to maintain your spot.

It's just like teenagers - you pick up their room for them and they will never have any incentive or learn to clean up after themselves.

If their spot becomes so overgrown they can't get to it, or their feeders are empty all the time - IMHO, it will just make the hunting better for everyone else.

If they complain, tell them there's ALWAYS someone who IS willing to work that would get on the lease - especially at those prices!

john your right,and thats is the way it works.But ain't it a shame it's got to be that way,but the whole ideal of the post, was all the slackers, on all the leases, to see themselfes

I dealt with the same kind of problems on a lease I manage.
A couple of years ago I finally found a solution.
I assigned 5 guys per month to put out protein, mow and trim the camp area, etc. Each month a different group of guys was assigned to do the chores, and it was mandatory. The only time you could get out of your assigned month was to trade that month with another hunter willing to swap months.
Been smooth sailing since then.