Never got a lease, unsure where to start. Would love to find one that’s not super expensive maybe $1,000-$2,000. How far is too far to get one from your house? I imagine there is some upkeep for filling feeders, etc.

Hard to find leases.
Harder to find good leases.
Extra harder to find good leases in that price range.

Sunds like you would benefit from going with a friend to his lease to learn the ropes before you get a spot of your own.

Wise words.

yeah it is not as easy as just leasing any place. Stay on a hunting forum like this and check it every day. Ask for advice. You can end up spending a lot of money and end up with something you do not enjoy or want. Thruthfully for your price range it will be difficult to find a decent place IMO

May want to try a 2-3 management hunt for that price range first, get some experience. Just don't film those hunts like a former THF member used to do, leveraging it into his own, sponsor laden podcast. Lol

You can get on a lease as far from your house as you want, but depends on lots of things. First, are you single or married? A single man can go as far as he wants and not have to worry about a wife staying behind and wearing you out about being gone a lot. Of course she could go with you and that will bring up other issues. A lease without amenities means camping while there or staying at local motels. A lease can mean as little or as much as you make of it. Some will get on a lease, set up a stand and feeder, fill the feeder a few weeks before the season starts, hunt a few times, and then you never see them unless your lease has mandatory work days. Some, like myself, like all aspects of having a lease- scouting for the optimum hunting spot, set up your hunting set, putting in and tending food plots, checking cameras to see what is coming around, hanging out with the other members of the lease, learning what you can from the other members to make yourself a better hunter. When I was single, I used to mule deer hunt out at Sanderson and making that 10 hour one way drive several times a year and staying for a week or more at a time was not big deal. Being married now to someone that doesn't hunt, this would be hard to do. Luckily I have two leases that I hunt, with the farthest one only 40 minutes from my house, I can enjoy all that I like about leasing and still be home every evening. And sometimes you get a surprise when a buck you had no idea was around starts showing up....like this.

Watch out for scammers and try to meet as many lease members as you can. I got on a lease many years ago and the lease manager was a great guy. Other lease members not so much. It turned out to be a get out of the house drunkathon for some. I had to limit myself to hunting during the week to avoid it.

I’ll sell you a weekend lease for $2k, one management 8 point buck allowed. How bout this, you don’t even have to pay for travel, or corn, won’t have to manage roads, keep up with blinds, feeders, feed pens, food plots, or equipment for a whole year!

Rickym has pretty well laid out the price of land ownership. He is one of the “greedy landowners” that are often mentioned here. So am I. I’m about to start fencing as soon as deer season ends.

That $2K won’t cover his real estate taxes. And then he had better have some insurance against a hunter falling down, hurting himself, and suing him. No way to get a lease document that makes him totally judgement proof and still affordable. And, a “Hold Harmless” clause may not help him if he gets sued due to someone on
his land that gets injured, etc.

This happened to a rancher South of Abilene who leased his land for hunting. One of the hunters, Jim, died due to use of a propane heater in a blind. He got sued by the widow, won the case, but legal expenses just about ruined him. He sold the land and moved to town.

I knew both parties and had hunted there with Jim (the deceased). Jim and, along with others, used to drive from D/FW to help the aging rancher (Ben) with fences, home and road repair, etc.

Jim, the hunter and Ben, the rancher were friends.

What’s the answer?