What are you paying for a duck lease these days?

Hey guys, I have been off the forum for a while and I am just getting back on again. My lab died two years ago, kids, work, life, etc you know. I used to duck hunt pretty hard and I am just getting back into it seriously again. My new lab is at the trainer and comes home in Nov so I am getting fired up again. I found a lease in Nocona for $1500. I have hunted there in the past and the landowner made some water improvements so I am back in again. What seems to be the going price these days? How many guys do you like to see per hunting hole? Some of these lease guys want to put 10 guys on a 15 acre lake but not way I am doing that again. Too crowded.

Is that $1500 each or total? If it's total and you divide it up among friends it seems reasonable. It always depends on the property. I know some guys that lease some places where it just contains one pond and pay $300-500/year. Then other properties that have multiple holes you would pay multiples more.

Where in nocona?

I will give you a quote depending on the exact location. Nocona is one of these locations where it could be wet and across the street dry.

Yes, where specifically.

I paid $1500 to join a duck club, multiple locations to hunt. This is my first year with this one but I belonged to a different one that was about the same price, but they were more interested in goose hunting. I like to shoot (at) ducks

1 million dollars................

strike that.


1 billion dollars...............

I want to hunt that billion dollar place just once. lol

There are two properties, one up towards the river and one right outside of town on a wet creek. $1500 per man, you can bring son/daughter or a guest. I have seen some crazy prices for gravel pit ponds but I know Duck Dynasty is driving that stuff. I know good from bad pretty well. Never had any luck on a green or blue water tank.

I like free places with as few people as possible.

How many members on the property? How do you decide who hunts where? How often is the place hunted? Are water levels an issue? Are most the hunters repeat lease members? How have the past years hunts been? The answer to these questions would help decide the price of the lease.

Sounds like the same lease I was on in Nacona two years ago.

I was on a deer lease at Spanish fort for a few years and there was allways good duckhunting plus some nice deer. We were paying 1500 yearly. Would still be there if a certain outfitter didn't out bid us. If you find something good keep your mouth shut about it.

You must name names.

late 90's

I know late 90's. I get all my clothes from him. I'm awesome.

Book it and erase post

Market price for a duck lease really boils down to how many birds can be harvested per season on the property.

I have always felt a good price on a lease is $30 per hunt per gun. And a decent hunt is 3 birds per gun, so a good price per bird is about $10.

So based on these key price points, you can play with the numbers.. Typically you hunt a property/spot and let it rest for a week, that is about 11 hunts a season, 3 to 4 guns a hunt, and if property produces decent hunts, $30 per hunt per gun is about $1,000 to to $1,400 for that property.

You have a property that will handle 4 guns once a week, and produce limits on every hunt, 4 guns x 11 hunts x 6 birds per hunt per gun x $10 per bird = $2,640 for that property.

I should be charging you guys for this information.

We charge 1500 gun- 1 guest- rest for week, unless good front push- I used to lease land for buddy near hagerman- location inside hour of dallas brings a lot more - we put 5-6 guns on it- never had problem - just coordinate and make sure everyone hunts together or split up 2x week max- 12 acre water so could handle 2-3 guns 2x week. Hunt until 8:30,- and blow out of there

All depends.

One spot I used to have, the farmer leases that one pond for $8,000 now.

We have a spot at the club we lease for $4,500.

It all just depends.

Dang, I've been doing it wrong all of these years.

My family had the greatest deer lease in Texas (I ain't kidding!) for almost thirty years. Then a rich liberal tobacco lawyer bought it and turned it over to the Nature Conservancy so that nobody could ever hunt it again.

Mayfield Ranch and Country Store in downtown in Juno Texas, I miss you so much!

Dang I was just starting to feel bad for spending $600-$750 in fuel to hunt "free" places. Guess I feel a lot better about that deal now.

Depends on what the property is worth and how many people are on it. I prefer the low number of people so I'll pay more to keep others out. I've paid as high as 4400 a season and as cheap as 2500 a season.

As of right now, looks like I'm day hunting/leasing this year...if it wasn't for the dog I'd probably just hang it up. Can't find anything I'm happy with for the price I want to pay.

The easy road is not cheap.

Cheaper to get a guided hunt 10 times a year.

This ^^
My problem is my only duck hunting partner has given it up and guides may not want to mix groups.

I can't guided hunt with my buddies who can't afford it or the lease.



Nothing easy about leasing if you plant/build blinds/scout to see which holes are holding birds/dealing with cows/etc. The only easy part about it was the peace of mind knowing some jackass isn't going to come setup on top of you and highball your birds. More power to y'all that hunt public...I did it but duck hunting is supposed to be my release away from the stress and grind but if someone does that stuff to me it ruins my whole day. Not worth it to me.

Blame it on your family, not the rich lawyer

Believe me I know, I went that route for 8 years while my kids were growing up, after all the work is done it is very easy. Pull up right before LST get in the blind and pop ducks that fly in, very familier with it, just not my cup of tea any longer.
I understand not wanting the challenge of Public, it's not for everyone.
I spend way more time and money hunting public though.

We decided to offer a season pass which includes guided hunts Saturday and Sunday every weekend of duck season for $2500. We plan to sell 4- 8 per year and will allow hunters to bring another person 5 days a year for free then pay day rates after that. We have two properties with 4 commercial ponds (ability to shoot a 4 person limit on it) and several smaller ponds that 1-2 people could shoot a limit on. We are trying it this year to see how it sells. To me you get the best of both, guided hunts, multiple properties, and we rest our commercial ponds during the week, additionally, there are small ponds where you can hunt during the week. You can bring friends to hunt with you sometimes but there is a limit... Our farmers

In a perfect world...

Wanted to say our farmer keep us posted on duck activity so we know the best place to hunt across our properties but I missed that part somehow...

Thanks for the free duck lease calculator Guy.

Geeze.....has duck dynasty screwed things up that bad by increasing the cost of leases? At that rate my spots must be worth a million easy.

Bro, you got that right. There are some unbelievable public hunting opportunities on the N Texas lakes with adequate water levels. If a man is willing to scout and put in the time, there are places off the beaten path that hold numbers of ducks that have to be seen to be believed.

The last day of this past second split, I took a guide I met a while back on a public hunt not far from Texoma. He said he'd never seen so many ducks at one time. I see the same numbers every time I hunt. And I hunt 6 days a week during season.

You gotta want it.....

I pay a decent rate for a year round lease that has 10 or less members on it (For dove/duck season), in the off season we can shoot hogs, trap, hang out at the cabin or whatever. Family is included and you get 3 guest passes. Lodging is onsite. 1000 acres with 7 large tanks and a few smaller ponds, the property is flood controlled by wells if needed. Acres and acres of smart weed, tooth-cup, etc. Blinds are layed out ahead of Sept 1. Limits are not an issue. There is a 'manager' onsite who provides scouting reports too.

What makes the price worth it to me is not having to deal with the duck dynasty crowd or other noobs busting my birds, setting up on top of me or blowing their dang call for hours on end. I dont have to drive 60+ mins to my site just to set up and hunt then drive 60+ mins home I can stay several days. Its family friendly and we have year round access.

...are you guys looking for more members?

I do believe Pintail is still trying to fill spots.

What ^^^ said! All I have to do is call Cap'n Jeff at SilverCreek! Scouting done. Brushing of blinds, done. Just show up and shoot, and since I rarely(never) get to hunt 10 times a year, it's the cheaper option.

He said "decent rate" surely he is not referring to a $7500 a season place as a decent rate.

We still have some season passes if anyone is looking

Having hunted with your crew in the past, I can honestly say that's a heck of a value for someone wanting to hunt without the hassle of doing the preplanning and leg work.

When you factor in the expense, time and effort spent to find good birds, get blinds setup, have knowledgable guides on hand to assist with the hunt, and who know the water, $2500 is a drop in the bucket for anyone who wants to hunt waterfowl and who has realistic expectations regarding the cost of hunting over a season.

Thanks, we thought it was reasonable to offer this. We did it to be able to offer more places to hunt.

Thanks, we thought it was reasonable to offer this. We did it to be able to offer more places to hunt.

Finished another blind yesterday...

Free, I live a mile from the Brazos River and there are lot's of birds come December. After hunting for free all these years and getting plenty of limits it would be really hard to pay to hunt ducks, especially thousands of dollars.

Bro, you got that right. There are some unbelievable public hunting opportunities on the N Texas lakes with adequate water levels. If a man is willing to scout and put in the time, there are places off the beaten path that hold numbers of ducks that have to be seen to be believed.

The last day of this past second split, I took a guide I met a while back on a public hunt not far from Texoma. He said he'd never seen so many ducks at one time. I see the same numbers every time I hunt. And I hunt 6 days a week during season.

You gotta want it.....[/quote]




Texas has some awesome public duck holes that few people know about, I hardly see a single person all year long at our spots on the river.