Throckmorton Lease Pricing Question

It's been 25 plus years since I've had to look for a new lease so I'm unsure of current pricing. I recently had the opportunity to join a 4500 acre lease in Throckmorton with 14 other hunters that each have access to 200 acres of their own to hunt. Deer range from the 140-170" class. Year around access but during deer season you only have access to your small area. Cost is $3,600 per year. Does this sound fair?

I have experience in that area so I’ll make a few comments.
-140 to 170 may be possible but that is not the norm on any of the places around there(and most anywhere.)
- That $12ish per acre seems a little high but probably close to what they can get these days. Some are less and some are more. If they are really killing that kind of deer it would be doable to have less hunters and pay more.
- 4500ac and 15 guys does not come out close to 200ac each so insure you clarify the missing acreage.
-Personally, I would not want half that many guys on that many acres but todays prices that close to DFW forces guys to squeeze on as many as they can to keep the per man price where they want it.
Good luck. I may chime in more if you offer more info.
Edit. Also, I would not want to just have a designated area, but that’s just me. I always know and trust who I hunt with so it makes that easier to swallow.

Thank you for the response. Yes, I'm with you about the missing acreage. I've seen the pictures of deer they've killed out there so I think they're telling the truth there. They have a 6.5 year age and 9pt minimum and feed protein year round. I've been paying $1250 a year for a 800 acre place in graham that we consistently shoot 135-145" deer on so I had a little sticker shock at the $3,600.

Freerange is the one guy I would total trust on answering your question - he knows that area inside and out

Sounds about right nowadays. Prices will continue to go up and leases harder to find.

$18 an acre to you, 200=$3600 is on higher side for lease in that area but not for 140-170 reasonable kill "not harvest" opportunities. Being a overall larger parcel split is probably driving some of that cost too, the good and bad I suppose, maybe more and bigger deer opportunity but at higher cost. Personally, I'd prefer open hunting of the whole amongst the group but searchers can't be too picky. I'm splitting a place with a fellow THF'r in Throckmorton county and believe we're a couple of bucks lower per acre than $18, but nowhere near the overall parcel size and probably average scoring ". Works for us and we have a great leasing relationship and have become good buds too and landowner is a peach of a guy. On a side note, what direction from Graham, are you paying $1250 for 800 acres? At 135-145" deer killed there, I may be inclined to stay put if you have the option.

I would also wonder how you get "your" 200 acres. Being the new guy do you get the carpiest 200 acres allocated to you? Do the guys that are senior members have the best acreage locked up?

320 acre property near Elbert. 5 guns $17500.00 for lease. 480 acres Elbert 6 guns $22500.00. 150 acres Elbert 4 guns $12500.00 Don’t shoot the messenger!

Not surprising but absolutely ridiculous! Good for the landowner I guess lol

All the same landowner out there?? Awful high, $70-$90 an acre....

Posted Hopkins Outdoor Newsletter.

I don't buy it. Any of it.

I can pm you screenshots of the newsletter.

I don't care enough to put you out but thanks. Anyone who pays that is an idiot.

Buyer beware on this one.

I'm more in the would rather have access to full lease than just your designated area and keep out of others group.. Essentially you are just leasing a smaller space and more like a coop for better pricing plus you are still under the mercy of the other bigger lease members to do their part or might lose entire lease with landowner. Kind of like living in an apartment, you are responsible for your space but at the mercy of neighbors to some degree not to start a fire or water leak that damages your unit and now your out of luck. I've done both leases and both have pros and cons. $3600 for 200 acres as in OP message with that many hunters on 4500 parcel is more than I'd be interested. It just boils down to what is in an individual willing to pay for the lease, terms and conditions of subject lease being looked at.

One lease I am on is a little over 400 acres mostly grazed non ag fields, not very good deer hunting but has potential for a legal AR buck and doe, a few turkey and hog opportunity. 8 members at $1000 each. Lease is nowhere near worth $8K in my opinion but for me with full year access and close enough proximity to DFW it is worth a $1,000 to me. I do have a different deer lease, much much larger acreage, good habitat, wheat and lots of opportunity with low member count. We pay more to keep # of hunters limited and no guest during deer season. Both leases serve different interests.

Spot on Here....

I agree - hunting the same stand all season is not something I am into - we have community stands and is first come first serve.

4,500 acres / 15 hunters = 300 acre per hunter / = $12.00 per acre in todays market is really very good in todays leasing environment especially if it has decent deer.
Did not read all of the responses but if that includes dove & turkey and all varmints with electric hookup for trailer then that is a great deal!

If it was me, I prefer having my own designated area with the ability to allow reciprocating agreements with any other hunter that allows each other to hunt their areas when they are not at the lease with permission
The reason is that I know that I will not do stupid stuff that spooks deer off into other areas.

I have seen these arrangements for many years on large parcels and I learned there was always one or two spots open every year and that was the last 2 parcels left after all the members in front of them CHOSE their parcels… you end up with the least huntable parcels and lower success rates…..you also have other hunters accusing others of trespassing on their parcels etc… can end up being a bad experience for some…. that’s why we have community stands on our pasture so everyone gets to hunt the whole property….I can believe they are shooting quality deer but be prepared if you hunt there for only half the members meeting the buck criteria each season for trophies…

That seems about right for Throckmorton, my boss is on a place in NW Young Co and is paying the same rate.

Stub, maybe you weren't reading the op's post intently, he said 200 acres, not 300 at $3600 or $18 an acre, not $12 as you stated. Not unheard of pricing but do you want just 200 to hunt out of 4500?

Question is, why only 15 @200 acres = 3000 total, where's the other 1500 acres at and being done with.

Honestly, I'd stick with the Graham place. A 6.5 year minimum? Get ready to get kicked off when you shoot a 4-5 year old deer that's badass assuming you see it on your small parcel, which is ridiculous. And points should have nothing to do with it. Seen some awesome 6-8 points that were older that needed to be killed, some that were worth mounting, others that just needed to be weeded out.

My advice as well, if you can stay on Graham 800 for $1250 or anything within reason of that, that's what I'd do....

Yep I was calculating 15 hunters on 4,500 acres = 300 acres per, not the 200 acres per that the OP stated. DQ that is a great question, who has control of the other 1,500 acres? If it is not part of the lease then maybe the OP should have posed the question as 15 hunters on 3,000 acres

If tempted to join the new large lease with only 200 acre "your area" then I'd still keep my Graham lease spot at all costs. This way you can check out how the new lease goes for a year and make a more informed decision for the next year without having given up a known and potentiall good thing on your Graham lease. Get a side hustle if necessary to still pay the Graham lease fee

I am guessing the other 1500 acres might be a safe haven and not hunted.

I was on a ~1000 acre lease Llano county with 6 hunters, each had their own spot but most would allow other hunters to hunt their stand after they had shot their target deer(s). The center of the ranch, about 250-300 acres was considered a safe haven and no deer hunting was allowed.

I've been managing a 3000-acre lease in NE Throckmorton County for 7 years now. We were at $11 an acre until last year, the owner went to $15 an acre. We have 10 hunters with private areas during season. A lot of guys reciprocate hunting each others areas for a change of view.