I can't begin to imagine joining a lease with unknown other lease members, so that would rule me out.

We're at an all time high on leases to lease, and an all time high on returning hunters. We haven't had to even advertise in a few years and have a word of mouth waiting list now. I see that we are providing good leases, for good prices, and people are beginning to see that staying in place has merit, versus lease hopping every couple of years looking for that million dollar property for 1k per year.

That fragmentation of farms is the biggest problem I see coming. It's getting worse every year, and worse closer to metro areas.

The victorious always write history, because the vanquished are dead.

Lots of factors-too many to place the blame (or credit) on just one.

But overall the demand is there and is certainly driving it. People will spend big money to kill large antlered deer. This style of hunting often benefits from a lower hunter density which drives up the demand relative to hunter numbers. There is also more disposable income right now than in times past. There is also much more disposable income in Texas relative to other areas.

There are people who indicate they are looking for a lease on this forum who are not really looking at all. I don't know if they just want to talk about it are just take part in the conversation. That is my experience after posting the need for a hunter to fill a lease a time or two. Hopefully my situation is the exception rather than the rule.

In his above post Sig prettly well answered the question posed by the OP. He has an all time high number of leases, an all time high number of returning hunters, does not advertise anymore, and has a waiting list of hunters. Imagine how long that list would be if he advertised.

I had two openings on my lease last year. Posted on this forum and within an hour the spots were taken. Sight unseen. And for those who wonder about the outcome for those two, they said it is the best lease they have ever been on.

I think Don K hit it on the head above, The money you can make from leasing is a probably drop in the bucket compared to the landowner's cost of running and maintaining the place.
Add in the fact that most landowners now days aren't full time farmers looking to make a little extra money and even those that really need to make an income off opening the place up to hunting have realized that they can make more with a lot less hassle by running day hunts. Personally I would sell the place before I ever considered leasing it for hunting. Just seems way to much hassle of dealing with other people out there every weekend, etc.

This is an interesting question. For about the last year I have been on a pretty extensive search for property to buy. Not lease and hunt but to build a home and small ranch. I've been searching for a lease as well, but not nearly has hard. A couple of things I have found that may very well be impacting hunting leases. One is the turnover of land from one generation to the next via inheritance. The other is the amount of land that gone into a trust of one form or another. The other issue is the number of owners that are choosing to break up their land into smaller tracts in an effort to "develop" and make more money.

This is a great thread. An eye opener for sure, at least for me.

I am blessed to have access to land for hunting. I understand those who say they don't want to go through the hassle of leasing. I will say, though, that if we don't maintain or increase access for hunting, the numbers of hunters will continue to decline, and hunting will fade away.

Hate to be a cynic but the people that can afford to pay bank to hunt, still won't care one bit about those that can't. Like all things American - therein lies the root of most every problem this country has.

Keep hiring those low wage illegal aliens that don't talk back - to drive the wages of genuine American Citizens down - and soon democrats will rule Texas and take your guns and your hunting "privileges."

A question for those that think there should be more private land for leasing. If you owned say 300 acres. Would you lease it out for hunting?

personally, no ... but one of my previous lease owners were not hunters, merely bought a piece of property to retire on and leasing helped offset the taxes.

In my humble opinion, leasing land for hunting should only be legal if the land is leased to the State and hunting is open to any Citizen of the State on a draw system.

And let the government decide who gets to come on your property NOPE!

See there, it's already happening.

LOLOLOLOL. You can't be serious?

....Obviously not a land owner.

Solid burn.

You would not HAVE to lease your land to the State.

That is the point.

You know I really like cedar creek Texas. And enjoy spending my free time there but don’t want to buy a place there. How about you just let me stay in your house for free whenever I feel like. I would be open to paying $10 a night but only if you lease the house to the state first and let them open it up to anyone and everyone. I’ll only be there about 30 weekends out of the year and will take good care of the place

I'm out.

I think we have found the account of Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez.

That would be the quickest way to assure that NO land is leased for hunting at all.

Yeah, but are you “management minded”?