bigcountry

I went in with some folks on a lease on the Eastern Shore of MD. I paid 1850 for it. 600 acres for 10 hunters. Afterwards, I am starting to think I am losing my mind. Thats alot of cash. I can't believe things have gotten so out of control on these leases that they cost this much. If you asked me 10 years ago would I ever pay more than 500 dollars to hunt, I would have told you "no way". I paid that for a full moose hunt 10 years ago in Canada.

I just got tired of the state parks and little piece of land behind my house.

cowboy4513

Its only crazy if the land is unproven to hold quality deer. But if you know big deer are around then its probably worth it as long as you hunt more than everyone else.

TexasBowHunter

We are all there, in Texas the price to lease land is higher than I can ever remember and if you want to get in the well known areas for producing good deer, what you paid is cheap!!!!! I currently am on a lease that is 1200ac with 9 guysthat has a lot of deer but not known for producing whitetails over 140 (they have the occasional monster)and the average descent deer is between 100-125 and I pay almost what you just did and it is 5 hours from my house. I am probablythe crazy one butI consider myself to be lucky because we have a lot of free range exotics on this lease and that is what makes it worth the money for me, I can hunt year round if I choose. It is not going to get any cheaper, that is for sure. As long as I can afford to hunt like this without affecting my family (financially) I will continue to do it but don't get me wrong if it came down to it I would not quit hunting, I would just start hunting the state land close to the house. I will always hunt, no matter what!!!!

bigcountry

Eastern Shore of MD produces alot of quality deer, but its spotty. Land looks good. Lots of sign, saw lots of deer in the one time I went thru it. Lots of crops around and soy beans. Time will tell I guess. This lease stuff has gotten out of control. And I am only contributing to it.

whitetaildreamer

I'm not trying to through gas on a fire but I just couldn't imagine paying that much to lease a piece of land for hunting. Up here our hunting numbers are dropping and I can hunt bow and ML on public land and not see another hunter (maybe a couple during ML but that is in the last 10 years). I thought I travelled far for rifle (1 1/2 hours) to hunt rifle but is in a 30 sq. mile area where you may see a couple of road hunters on the one road that passes through it but I rarely see anyone else in the bush. Lots of 110-140 class deer but a number of 180 plus cruising around. I guess hunting situations like this, and knowing the costs down south, why so many American hunters travel up here for our wilderness.

superstrutter

That adds up to $30.83 per acre. Thatis rediculous. Around my area, leases go for about $4 to $6 per acre, and there is some really great deer hunting here. If you think it's worth it, then you are not losing your mind. If you don't see any deer this year, then you lost your mind.

IL-Cornfed

WOW, superstrutter..... you can tell that folks obviously don't want to hunt your area very badly! You wouldn't dream of finding a decent spot in my region for even the $30 per acre. Times of cheapor freehunting is over, unfortunatly we all have to pay to play now.

MichaelT.

bigcountry,

Are you saying that you paid 1850.00 ( your share ) for 600 acres .... meaning the lease total was 18500.00 for the 10 of you, or that the 600 acres was 1850.00 total expense, and there will be 10 of you hunting it.

The first is outrageous. The second is no big deal. I just paid 625.00 for 160 acres, on one lease. Am looking at another one now. It is much bigger , and thus, more expensive. Here in Arkansas, it runs from 3.00 / acre to maybe 8 or 9.00 / acre .... for prime land.

So depending on the scenario above , that is correct, you may not have gottan a bad deal, but it may be more like sticker shock to a new buyer....

MET

bigcountry

Yep guys, if you want to hunt in MD, thats the way it is. Got to pay the bills however. And this is where the optical jobs are. Unless I want to move to CA, and have litterly no chance of hunting.

It wasn't that bad 12 years ago when I moved here. Actually even public land wasn't crowded. Now ever since they allowed crossbows part of the time, even public land is overrun. And for some reason, alot of X-bowers like to walk trails. Most don't get in a tree and hunt. So last year I had it with the competition.

I shake my head thinking about it. And the farmer only takes cash, you ought to see the wad of cash 18,500 makes.

Oh well, its just money.

salukipv1

It's how things are.....it drives me crazy to not have my own land, course working towards that day, but still not going to happen overnight, I just love the idea of having total control, implementing my own ideas, etc...

until that day I know, its getting to the point around here where its almost the same price to lease as it would be to just go on a fully outfitted hunt for a week in/near the rut, makes you wonder? and you know those guys are scouting, keeping an eye on things etc....cuts alot of work out of it, but half dozen, 6the other.