We have assigned numbered areas and no one is supposed to be 250 yards from our stand unless they have permission. Although it's nice to hunt different areas of the lease when possible.

We all put corn out and all have blinds, so if I'm not there, another member can hunt my stand. If I'm not there to shoot whatever might show up anyway, what difference does it make? Someone else might as well shoot it but if another member doesn't have the same philosophy, then that offer doesn't apply to them. Deer travel so much, I figure they will eventually show up at each feeder sooner or later anyway. The way I look at it, the only time you can really claim a deer is when you tag it.

This post reminds me why I hunt 10,000 acres with a total of 5 lease members that all get along. I laugh at the idea that a particular buck is "your deer", regardless of who's stand/feeder he frequents most. Many a great friend is made, but unfortuneatly many a great friend is lost in this sport of deer hunting.

I have two people that hunt with me on my ranch. We share the work and the blinds. Each member has the spot they picked out and gets to hunt that spot exclusively on opening day. All other days we draw for stands. So, if we see a good buck only coming to one stand, everyone has a shot at him. However, my place is strictly managed for mature deer. Only 150 or better 8 points and 170 or better for 9 points and above. We are allowed one doe and one cull buck. Since we have seen 4 cull bucks on cam, I have allowed them to shoot a cull in lieu of a doe. However, if two members have box blinds and the third doesn't, he isn't allowed to hunt the box blinds until he has brung a box blind to the ranch. We don't allow free loading, but still keep everyone equal, including the owner. This approach has worked very well for us this year.

I think the key to having a successful camp is hunting with like-minded hunters.

NOPE, ain't happening without permission. We have one guy on the lease that usually sets his stuff up about a week before bow season starts, while everybody else's stuff has been going for months, if not year round. This one guy has "had problems," cows knocking over a cheap feeder, eating his green, leafy blind he puts up. So don't think it would be fair for everybody else who has spent the money and time to put up their stuff in advance.

We had a guy that hunted a blind years ago without permission. He felt since the guy had not arrived in camp by 5:00 a.m., he wasn't coming to hunt, so he got on his stand. Just after sunrise, a nice 10 steps out and the guy pops him. Here he is dragging the deer out 30 minutes after sunrise and who is slipping up to the stand, but the hunter who put it all up. He had car problems that morning and was running late. Needless to say, he was not happy because of all this. The lease manager at the time got with several of the original lease members and it was decided to suspend the guy for the rest of the year and no lease refund. He eventually left.

Besides that, I have two bow stands set up that only one other person at the lease knows about. One can be found if you actually got out and searched for it, and thats just because the area has been hunted for years by several people, but the other, you would have to know where you are going and where to look. Its not far off the main ranch road, but you would really have to look hard to find it.

Bow season is only your stand. Before December 1st it is by permission only. After Dec 1st all stands are open with the owner getting the first opportunity to hunt his own setup.

I don't feel as though anyone should feel like they "own" a particular deer. I'd hate to be on a lease with someone who was disappointed in the success of another hunter, regardless who's blind it came from. To me, the only thing that can be justified as disappointing is killing a button buck mistaken for a doe or shooting a buck that should not have been killed (example 2.5 year old eight pointer with 12 inch spread killed as a "cull" buck). I wouldn't want to be forced into hunting one or two spots an entire season. Looking at different surroundings keeps me in the "hunt" more mentally, regardless if I'm actually seeing deer or not.

Asking permission beforehand is reasonable to me, however. Just wouldn't want to be on a lease with guys who had an ownership mentality to their particular spot, especially if they weren't even present on the lease the day I was hunting.

Same for me on our 1,000 acr Junction lease. Never been a problem in the 3 years I have hunted there.

hunting partner and I share all stands......no do not shoot off limits crap etc.... Free range.....He is happy when I smoke a dandy and I am the same when he does.

No stand rules on my place. If I want to hunt a stand I hunt it same for the other guys. I lease the whole place not just a couple hundred acres to hunt on.

I agree with this

This is how I feel too. Hard for me to understand on a 200,300 or even 1,000 acre ranch how one particular deer is "someone's deer over someone else's". I think this type of mindset is a recipe for problems. Also maybe one non-benefit of game cameras. Back in the stone ages, mid 90s or earlier, the scouting of particular bucks and hitlisting particular bucks was virtually non-existent.

We each have "our" stand that we keep up with and get first priority to if we want to hunt there, but if you want to go somewhere see that is completely cool. If someone isn't there one weekend, then their stand is open. It seems most people don't run their leases like that anymore, actually they think it's weird. But it works for us, so that's all that matters!

I believe this to be true.

Use to be on a lease where:

We had a dry erase board with all stands permanently marked. You signed in on a stand(s)every time you came to lease and left camp.

No shooting from someone else's stand opening two weeks without permission from stand owner. This was a "couples" lease. Immediate family only (kids not over 18 and still living at home could hunt after first 2 weeks). Other persons could come as guests but could not hunt.

After opening two weeks:

If owner not there you could sign in on open stand. If owner shows before you went to field - he had first right of refusal. Of course if stand owner was present and gave you permission then you were good to go! If owner showed up after everyone went to field - he signed in on what ever was left. This way we knew where every one was at and in case of emergency we knew where to start looking.

We also had a mandatory clean up/paint up/gather firewood/fill feeder day scheduled in mid Sept but day was set 2 months in advance. Everyone helped, even the kids. You were required to put corn in your feeders - everyone got equal chance from each stand. This worked pretty good......everyone knew the rules and played accordingly.

This was about 20 years ago and was close to 2000 acres out of a 30000 acre ranch. Best lease I was ever on! Ranch owner finally passed and kids couldn't decide what to do so trustee asked all hunters to remove all equipment after end of that season. I think it ended up with all acrease leased to a hunting club.

I have talked to a few folks that hunted on leases that had strict rules and regs, and to me it sounds like they are taking what is supposed to be fun and relaxing and an escape from normal life and making it just like work. MY 2 pinnies.

I've always shared on leases. Always leased with long time friends. This year I'm on a lease where I don't really know but one guy. All my hunting friends have gotten on leases with their friends, found less expensive places to go or quit hunting. This lease shares. The problem is we have one guy who has multiple cameras, more time on his hand than most, and tries out every stand, especially where he gets the pics he is looking for so you may not be the first one to sit "your" stand when you get there. I think it's an issue because of scent and burning out stands. I'm very particular about my scent, hunting clothes etc. Not everyone is. Some guys eat, work and sleep in their hunting clothes. Go all weekend without showering. I am concerned about it to be sure. But lease rules can be to our advantage as well as our disadvantage I guess.

We're all good friends on the lease and hunt each others stands constantly. No problems what so ever. Of course we're also all on the same management strategy and most importantly, we're all adults and act like it.

We kind of have "pods" of hunters who share among themselves but not across groups.

its just myself, dad adn brother. we usually stick to our own stands but can hunt anyhwere we please, but still ask each other to be curtious about it

NO

I'm not saying it's bad, just something I will need to get used to. I think the guys on this lease do a good job with stands and feeders and are trying to manage well. I think if you ever want to get past the hunting for yourself and create a cooperative management situation then you either have to make a rigid structure of rules and sanctions or a cohesive group that cooperates. I think the latter may have it's advantages.

This is what we do on our lease we have primary spots but if you aren't there it's fair game. Hey we are happy if anybody gets a nice buck! Gig em Aggies!