I am frustrated for sure this year . We have been looking for a family lease for almost 3 yrs now. I have called land owners, chamber of commerce, signed up for numerous lease sites and yet the only thing i find is over priced deer leases. What is going on with this? 24 acres no camping for $2500, 115 acres 3 hunters $3000 per but no guests. We shoot 1-2 deer a year since thats all we can eat. I have taught my boys not to shoot anything we wont eat (turtles, coyotes and snakes are the exception). We have looked at 7 leases over the summer and none have worked out. Half were due to "no kids under 12 policy" REALLY. no kids??

Ladies and Gentlemen, If the common working family cannot afford to teach the next generation the outdoors/hunting then us as hunters are in serious trouble because our kids wont care if gun laws are passed.

Rant over: 11 days till dove season!

How far are you willing to travel?

Welcome to the current state of hunting in Texas. The demand for land, and therefore prices, is only going to get worse.

Our deer lease pricing has more than doubled in 4 years time. We were priced well under market value 4 years ago. Then it made a big jump up to near market value, and has increased every year. We removed one hunter and another one left and we have not replaced either. So we incorporated their fees into our pricing. But when you think about it, it's still a good deal over all.

$48 gets you 500,000+ acres of deer hunting and 120 dove and small game specific leases. The price for a non governed recreational will always increase

Well their are surely overpriced deer leases out there. But there are still leases available you just have to be persistent and have a little luck. Must be ready to commit quickly when something comes up. Suggest you take a drive into areas you like and check with the feed stores in the area. Wishing good luck for you.

Will echo that about finding a good lease. They don't need to advertise, they will fill quickly. Check the feed stores or gun shops. talk to a game warden or local LEO about it. Chamber of Commerce sometimes has lists they might share. Membership in the Masonic Lodge, Rotary, Elks or other organizations can help also. Sometimes just visiting with the landowner if you see them will get you a leg up.

The best one we have is 1200 acres, started at $10/acre 18 years ago, and has gone up one dollar per acre per year. $12,000 to start and is up to $28,000. That is still way less than market value but is a valued deal for both the members and land owner.

You could find some day hunts until you find a year round lease. You can look in the newspaper from the area you want to hunt for day hunts and may be able to find a year round lease through talking with folks at the day hunt lease. We used to advertise in the local and San Antonio paper when we did day hunts and I would always see more places listed besides ours.

That is why I drive 8 hours to hunt Oklahoma public land. Texas is ridiculously expensive to deer hunt.

There is another ranch southwest of Abilene that is soon to be a suburb, 8 of us used to hunt that place. .One of our old dove leases east of Abilene is now a subdivision.
https://stateimpact.npr.org/texas/2...cres-of-farm-and-ranch-land-in-15-years/

Yelp Oklahoma is $300 for deer tags(per season)+$ 176 small game + $26 for WC passport or you pay $80 (for 5 deer tags, small game, and APH permit) in Texas.


It’s crazy that we discount our public lands here in TX.

Lease prices going up.

Two things.

Taxes going up.

Houston/Dallas and Ft. Worth money keeps bidding up what land is available to lease

When my current lease agreement is over, it will double in the future, I leased too cheap.

Landowners have not obligation to lease too cheap, it is a fair market and we own the land and have bills to pay.

Prices are what they are... Get your kids enrolled in some TYHP hunts, great way to spend a weekend.

https://www.tyhp.org/

Here's one of my secret tips so please don't share it. Very easy and effective without costing you a dime.

Check to see if any of the smaller, AM radio stations in the area where you wish to hunt offers a daily program where people call in with things to sell or buy? Even if you can't pick up the station where you live, check the station website to see if they offer such a program. Then just call in during that time and say you're looking to lease land for deer hunting and give your call back number. Put some thought into what you're going to say, keeping it brief and to the point so that it attracts the attention of landowners wanting only respectable hunters. Just don't wait until the season is a month away.

Hunting has become a supply and demand sport- what you think is too expensive someone will gladly pay. I have seen some that will post they just got on a new lease and want to know what the hunting is like in the area....Were you so desperate to get on a lease that you didn't take time first to see if it would be worth the money? I know I push this a lot, but hunting east Texas timber company leases has become about that most cost effective hunting in the state short of hunting public land. Crown leasing currently has a number of tracts up for bid now.

How do you keep other people from hunting your timber lease. I know that there are no fences in the timber leases. So, do you call GW if you see someone on your lease. I'm sure there are many honest mistakes about boundary lines in the timber leases.

Buy your own land and hunt on it

I did

It’s not the landowners fault, supply and demand

It doesn't help when landowners have no idea how many deer are needed to provide an acceptable hunter success rate. All they know is they have deer and people are willing to pay a lot of money to hunt them. More people hunting on their property equals more money.

I've found hunting tactics can impact demand if you're someone willing to hunt without the benefit of feeders. The supply of hunters drops drastically when a landowner doesn't allow feeders because he/she fears damage created by wild hogs.

Purple paint!

so you don't want him to share it cause its a secret but you post it on a public forum instead of in a PM?

I have been leasing timber company land for well over 10 years and have had very few problems. One thing that helps me is that the farthest tract that I lease from my house is only seven miles. Depends on the tract on whether you have to worry about poachers. Night hunters on the roads can happen anywhere. I have one lease where there is only one road in and thick timber along the county roads. You can't stop anyone if they want to walk in but most illegal hunters are too lazy for that. As was mentioned, post and paint the boundaries although the timber companies paint their boundaries anyway. Become good friends with the game wardens. Make sure you put up gates at the access points with locks. East Texas is harder hunting- harder than many hunters want to put out effort. But it can be satisfying if you are patient and don't expect to see something on every hunt. There are currently 25 tracts up for bid on Crown's website- www.frcleasing.com.

Tongue in cheek humor directed at no one in particular.

Not trying to be a jackwagon…..but!

It's a hunting lease...not a family recreational property lease.... The main reason you see leases with: No guests, No kids, No pets, No camping, etc. is because the land owners have had bad experiences in the past. Some people believe that since they lease to hunt then the should have unlimited asses to the property 24/7/365 for hunting, fishing, camping, etc....

My uncle doesn't allow dogs because he has the county trapper placing poison out for coyote control as he also raises exotics...several people have gotten pizzed that they couldn't bring their dogs....all he is trying to do is protect their pets....

Not all are land owners are like that but it is their property and their decision who and how others may use/access their property....

Leases are easy to find but they don't come cheap and they wont always have the set of rules that you like. If you are looking at $2500-$3k leases and not finding what you are looking for then you are either too picky or not looking very hard.

When you say you have been looking for a "family lease for almost 3 years now" are you saying that you are wanting to pay for one spot for the whole family??? If so I bet that's why you haven't found what you are looking for. I cant imagine not being able to find a lease in 3 years if your expectations and budget is reasonable.

Been a lot of leases listed here lately. If I wasn't extremely happy where I'm currently at I'd have immediately been in contact with a few of them. When we looked at this place 6 years ago we had money in hand.