Cougar Mag

Ok, most here that have read my posts through the years know I don't lease ground and have detested the thought of paying to hunt. But with the way things are rapidly changing the last few years(property taxes, etc.) I admit to giving it some thought lately. My favorite area is not big, but a nice funnel for deer traveling through and in the rut its usually a good spot. If I was in jeopardy of losing this small tract because of someone else leasing it, I would most likely attempt to lease it first. I wouldn't have said that 5 years ago. So far they haven't leased any of their land, they say there are too many problems associated with it. Sooooooo, your opinions are needed:

(1)do as always and ask the landowner for permission again to hunt this tract
(2)approach him and offer to lease it now for the coming season
(3)tell him thanks for letting me hunt there, but if decides he wants to lease it for hunting.......to give me first chance.
(4)other

I was thinking (3).

Doubled 150

You could probably just offer to "help out" a few times a yeararound the landowner's farm or house. You'll get to spend time with him and talk about how much you enjoy hunting and how you appreciate him letting you hunt.

MOTOWNHONKEY

Money talks with farmers. I give mine plenty of deer, turkey, and some cash that really seems to make him glad to see me every season. Plus I pop in on him throughout the year with fish or just a couple of dinner gift certificates. Good land is hard to come by.

mobow

If the pressure is on, you best be the first at the table or you're gonna lose it. Farmers around here USED to just let folks hunt but they learned that someone will give them some money to let them, so that's what they do.

RDHunter

All of the above wouldn't hurt , but like MOTOWNHONKEY said stopping in from time to time with gifts is not a bad idea.

bloodcrick

I felt the same way 5 years ago, then it happened. everything in my area started comming up for lease or auction. several thousand acres that anybody was able to hunt got bought off by alot of individules and are now posted. 800 acres that start beside my house was free range, then the land owners decided everyone else was making money leasing so they decided to do the same. Fortunantly it was offered to my neighbor first who intern invited me and some of our buddies to split it with him (insurance included) and not a bad price. there was a list a mile long of people from other cities and countys wanting it when they found out. I think diferent now about it being i did not have a choice anyway, because if i did not get in, i would be looking from the outside in. Now instead of fifty vechicles parked on the old haul road opening day of firearm season, its just several of us now. I never seen a mature buck over 2 1/2 back then, now i see some real monsters, and have taken some 3 1/2 and a 4 1/2 year olds like the one in my avatar pic as well asfound some real dandy sheds of bucks that we have not caught up with yet.Gun season in the area sounded like world war two back then and now you hardly hear a shot. so i guess you will know when the time is right or not, and good luck with whatever path you take. everyones situation is different so you just got to make the best of it.
Dan

childers

ya im in the same position. i found an amazing local place. and they let poeple hunt there sometimes. im just a little nervous on what to say .lol

mbhutton

I would ofer to lease it form him. hopefully he will give you a fair price and you will be set

Greg / MO

When my wife and I were renting our first house after we got married, I told the landowner to give me first dibs at a chance to buy it if he ever decided to sell. I didn't want to change our existing relationship, but to respect the relationship we had already established and just give me a shot. He did a couple years later, and though I ended up buying elsewhere (I found I could get more for my money elsewhere), I thought it only fair.

I would think you could ask something similar of your landowner with no hesitation.