# Hunting Leases - A big PIA



## MackerelMan (Aug 16, 2005)

I'm always envious when I hear about guys that have been on the same lease for 20+ years. Since I moved to Texas 27 years ago have been on 5 different leases. Here are my reasons for moving, would like to hear others stories.
1) First lease was in east Texas near Crockett. I left after 5 years to get on a lease in Karnes County because I wanted to see more than 10 deer a season and got tired of my trailer getting broken into. This lease had 1 hunter per 150 acres.
2) Was on Karnes County lease for 4 years. Contract required us to pick up all shotgun empties when dove/quail hunting, said if not done the offender would get dove hunting priviledges revoked. One guy at lease opening weekend with a buddy, landowner finds a pile of shells on Monday and instead of revoking only the offenders priviledges he cancels dove hunting for everyone. I pointed to contract language and he says I'm refunding your money be off in 30 days.
3) Lease in Val Verde County for 2 years. First year great, next summer antrax hit and we saw almost no deer that season so left.
4) Moved to south of Ozona. On lease for 6 years, grat spot, great people, no non-sense ranch manger. Property is sold and we're required to leave
5) Get on never leased ranch near Eldorado. This was right after the drought and we were told they needed lease revenue to be able to feed the livestock. Before the bottom fell out on the oil industry they got $3/4 million for drilling rights. We're told they don't need our money any more so please leave after this season.

Well this does have a happy ending. I'm getting too old for this lease moving and it was a pia. I'll be retiring soon so 8 months ago I started on the quest to find my own place. I recently bought 450 of the prettiest acreage in Nolan County. Got a nice new house that sits on a hill and have miles of view. 300' of elevation change across the ranch with lots of draws, plus a couple pipelines I'll be planting as food plots and a 1/2 dozen tanks. Guess God took pity on me.


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## SSST (Jun 9, 2011)

*Here's my list...*

I'll just list the ones I was the one paying, not the Ole Man.

1989-2002
Llano Co, Granite Hills Ranch on the shores of Lake Buchanan near Tow. We had 2000 acres of this big ranch, hunting paradise, we managed it and shot some nice deer. The last year we were still paying $800 a gun. Drank a many a Bud Light and skinned a many a deer there, we had 12 family members in our camp, oh the memories! Ranch owner Bill Whitehead died in a plane crash, and that was it. I guess kids decided they didn't want hunters and we had one week to get off, bummer to say the least!
2003-2009
Gonzales Co, Harwood area. We got lucky and found 440 acres for 4 of us, my Dad, my FIL, my brother, and myself. Was a decent place, not a big # of deer, but some nice bucks. I got divorced in 2009, so that was that. My FIL found the place, so i got off, they still hunt there.
2009-2010
Mason Co, near Pontotoc. I got on a lease with 4 complete strangers ( Craigslist). Great place, very nice deer, but landowner was very involved, lol. One of the hunters drug an extra buck off the place one weekday morning, well the landowner heard the shot, went to his feeder and saw blood and drag marks. We were supposed to fill out a kill sheet, and he didn't. Landowner calls the hunter, he denies it at first, then admitted his son shot a buck. That was it for us, lol. He apologized to me knowing i was just with the wrong crew, but i didn't know how to come up with 4 hunters at 2k a pop, so i let it go.
2010-2012
Lavaca Co, near Terryville. My Dad's golfing buddy hooked us up with about 900 acres on the Brushy Creek. Lots of deer, my Son shot a giant off the place. The Old Lady who owned it passed away and the whole Ranch got divided up, we had to get off.
2012-present
Blanco Co, near Sandy. My brother found this place thru a buddy of his, the first year we had to squeeze 3 of us on 160 acres. Now we have close to 600, we also picked up another place on the Pedernales River just a month ago. We're set now, we don't pay much, have plenty of deer and a great landowner. I don't see us going anywhere for a long time, but who knows what will happen.


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## Capt. Bobby Hill (Mar 30, 2010)

*interesting*

Couple of interesting stories. Mine is more of a story about my current lease but its story non the less.

I hunted with my dad in numerous places when i was young (don't exactly remember where) one was south Texas, Huntsville area, and Austin area. We stopped when i was around 10 and we started fishing ALOT. Well in 2013 i got on a lease in Liberty County (yes high pressure deep southeast TX) and so far have been very happy. Shot one doe and spike, and have seen a few decent bucks that i let walk due to AR. On to the lease back ground... (info i got from the lease president) 
*The lease started out back in the 70's as a small 1500 acre spot of course owned by a paper company, like most are in that area.
*Around the mid 70's the current president got on this lease as a member. 
*Around the mid 80's, the land next to this lease sold the property to the then paper company, making this new property about 4500 acres.
*In the early 90's the paper company sold the land to a different paper company and luckily enough allowed for all the members to stay and hunt.
*Around the Mid 90's, the then president decided to retire his duties and leave the lease, leaving no one to manage it (big issue). The paper company decided to tell the old guy to find a replacement or tell everyone to get off the property. This is when the current president stepped up and decided to take over. He has been running this lease ever since, and personally i think he does a great job. He is one of those guys that doesn't take any ****, which is greatly needed when dealing with over 20 members. He is firm on his rules and very safety minded. Him and his son now run two leases and hope they don't plan on leaving anytime soon.

Yes i know this isn't my story but the original post started out with being envious when he hears about people that have been on the same lease for 20+ years. There are multiple members that have been on this lease for over 10 years and a few that have been around since the current president took over.


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## TxDuSlayer (Jun 24, 2006)

Yes sir they are. 

10yrs in Jasper County where I learned to hunt.
10yrs in Gonzales County until my family decided to sell the ranch 
10yrs of numerous day and weekend hunts all over Texas

Now am side lined this year with now where to hunt

PS

Do not sign up for Texas Lease Connection it is a rip off you will not even be able to log in after paying


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## kweber (Sep 20, 2005)

been watching this for close to 50yrs...
deer hunting has become big bidness...
B&C...
TTH
antler/score/pecker..(ahem) contests...
MONEY
deer hunting used to be fun, but has turned into a pzzn contest w/ high fence, contests, breeding and and just about the debacle of college football boosters...
again... MONEY...
cameras, age and score have ruined it...


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## uncle dave (Jul 27, 2008)

x2


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## wet dreams (May 21, 2004)

kweber said:


> been watching this for close to 50yrs...
> deer hunting has become big bidness...
> B&C...
> TTH
> ...


YEP but I would have put MONEY as the #1 culprit, prob #2 and 3 also is money, actually it >>is<< the reason for what we see today.....


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## Viking48 (Jan 24, 2006)

Growing up in Alabama I had no idea about deer leases when I moved to Texas. Always had friends with land and the paper companies only charged something like $14.00 a year for a permit that allowed you to hunt any of their property. First lease in Texas was near Bracketville with about 24 hunters - most of them my customers. Great guys but the lease manager was a jerk who made a bunch of absurd rules that applied to everyone but him. Tried to screw us on the power bill so we all left after the first year. Got on an East Texas lease that was only a few minutes from my Toledo Bend lake house for a couple of years then got an opportunity to get on a better lease near Lake Livingston. Great lease and hunted it for around 20 years. Sold a large portion to the Indians and a couple of years later we had no deer - virtually zero. Moved to a lease in Mason with some friends and this will be my 9th year. Great group - great rancher so I hope to be on that one until I die. Guess I've been pretty lucky all those years - only one bad lease in 40 years.


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## wet dreams (May 21, 2004)

Heres what could be waiting on you after you fill your feeder in late Aug, then return to check things out before season opens. Prob 500 acres shreared and rowed up...this is a lease next to ours in Hardin County


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## Capt. Bobby Hill (Mar 30, 2010)

*ouch*

Ouch... regarding the above post. I went up to mine this past weekend for Opening morning of bow season and we have some loggers in the front of our property. The lease president said he talked to them and they are only doing select row clearing not area. It is unfortunate as there are some members that have a stand literally right in the middle of where they are logging. Though the upside is that the land owner had came in and plowed the main road through the lease, major improvement!! No more deep ruts and puddles. So far they haven't effected my area... fingers crossed.


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## MackerelMan (Aug 16, 2005)

*clearcut*

Yes that exact thing happened to us on the East Texas paper company lease years ago. Had a feeder set up in July, planted oats in Sept, then go up for opening weekend only to find out the stand is now in the middle of a quarter section clearcut. It had been cut a week and a half earlier, without warning.


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## HuntinforTail (Mar 29, 2011)

Happened to us too, but after they cut the field they burned and burned a couple guys stands down without any kind of heads up.


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## sabiki (Aug 21, 2005)

*agreed....*



kweber said:


> been watching this for close to 50yrs...
> deer hunting has become big bidness...
> B&C...
> TTH
> ...


I was at my lease this past weekend-- we had a big discussion about the very same thing-- the $$, cameras and aging have taken a lot of the good old fun out of it and its becoming more and more expensive every year. its gotten to where (even on low fence ranches) people are just growing deer to shoot so they can brag about what it scored.


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## Flapp'n Shad (Sep 29, 2015)

I like to just go and set up camp make a fire listen to the coyotes howl at nite,teach my kids about the outdoors and how to skin an animal,let them shoot pigs,varmints and should a trophy deer show up well.I agree money,high fences and growing deer in a pin has ruined it.


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## bg (May 21, 2004)

I've only been on one lease in E Tx and was only there a few years before I was told they didn't want me back because I killed too many pigs. They didn't kill any and thought I shouldn't kill any either. Our head lease guy had some sort of affection for pigs.

Now I have my own land (well my wife's actually) in South Texas, it's only 36 acres but I don't have to worry about ever getting kicked off of it and we have enough deer for us to shoot a couple a year and still be OK. Also have quail, turkeys and dove (sometimes) and a ton of javelina but no pigs (yet). Honestly, I really like doing the work (food plots, feeders, stands, watering stations, trail maintenance and establishment, etc.) more than I do the hunting. I really enjoy dove hunting and will shoot a few quail this year but I doubt I'll shoot a deer. When I hunt along, I enjoy watching them and if I bring a friend or family member, I want to let them take the deer. I get more out of helping someone else have a successful hunt than I do out of having one myself.

I'm like that fishing as well though, I really enjoy running the boat and finding fish for others to catch but hardly ever fish much myself, unless it's night fishing under the lights.


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## Sgrem (Oct 5, 2005)

This is like anything else yall. If you don't like it don't support it with your dollars. Very simple. If you don't want to hunt pen raised or high fence then great. To say that it had ruined hunting is silly to me. 
I have never been on a lease. Never signed lease paperwork etc. Also haven't bought meat at the grocery store in 18 years now. All wild game and fish that we hunt and catch. Plenty of hunting opportunities and success. I have spent plenty of incredible camp fire times and enjoy the chores and tinkering with land and figuring out an area etc....that part and sharpening my axe is my favorite part. You know the prep....that is my favorite part of hunting. I have two Pope and Young trophys killed on public land. Haven't picked up a sack of corn into a barrel in a decade or so. Quit stalking those barrels and you will see bigger deer anyway.

Tons of public land nationwide to get into old school hunting. Sorry but most of that hunting style is foreign to Texans. Just as high fence ranches and feeders are foreign to hunters in Wisconsin and Ohio etc....so whatever your hunt style go do it. 

Why complain about a ranch that doesn't offer your prefered style of hunting? Would you pay to hunt there and not like it? Heck no.....don't pay. Find your style. Nothing is ruined at all.

Hunt how you want. Don't pay to be forced to hunt how you don't want. Pen raised deer affect my enjoyment exactly none. I wouldn't pay for em....
Simply seek hunt opportunities that fit your style. Leases can be a PITA for sure. Work weekends and lease member issues.....whatever. plan a hunt you would enjoy and try public lands. If you complain about public land hunting then go back to lease life. Very simple. I have chosen my pursuit and enjoy the incessant sharpening of my axe.


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## Sgrem (Oct 5, 2005)

I don't own any feeders or trail cameras at all. Happy for yall that enjoy hunting with them. I do not. So all the scoring and aging from pictures affects me none....zip....zero. I enjoy helping yall with yalls pics but I don't have one picture of my own downloaded or saved anywhere ever. I have never paid for a lease. Never even shopped for one....ever. I have been on plenty and glad to help amd no judgement here at all. Just my pursuit is different.

I have two 30 pound tripods, two climbers, and a hang on stand with strap on tree steps. Pack it in and pack it out. Love it and can't get enough. I have been invited on a few leases and usually I bring my stands so I'm not stalking a barrel. I'm glad to hunt w those folks and glad to help with any feeders etc....but I avoid them....just like big bucks do.


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## wet dreams (May 21, 2004)

When addressing clear cutting a timber company will tell you quick, they are not in the deer business period. I have absolutely no problem with folks hunting ANY way or place, its what folks will pay for a buck or lease> sets prices for the rest. You can agree or not BUT I've watched this and being in the Taxidermist, Deer Processing business for 50yrs and visited with hunters from ALL over. IMO $$$ is what will kill the sport for most.......it was a cheap way to get kids outdoors, not so easy nowdays....I've asked this question before and got a cpl of answers >>how many would still hunt if they could not get a 140+ if the answer is NO my next question is why do you hunt?? Does bigger horns make you a better hunter?? I've seem lots of guys who take 170+ deer that do not know the difference in a scrape or rub or why deer do it BUT they will know just how many inches the mass adds up to tho..


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## Ron Ron Murray (Mar 5, 2008)

I guess that I'm one of those guys that you really envy

Way back in 1974,I was invited to hunt a 2400 acre pasture of The Middle Verde Ranch, a 19,000 acre ranch just a few miles out of Bandera. A beautiful hill country ranch, owned by a very hunter friendly family. I hunted here until 1998, when I gave the pasture over to my hunting partners, and let me explain why.

In 1992, I was offered a 7500 acre pasture on The Duval County Ranch, a 130,000 acre ranch just out of Freer Texas. So, from 1992 until 1998, I was on both places. It got to where I was going to Bandera on opening weekend and then spending the rest of the season in Freer. 

The Killam family that owns the DCR is also a very hunter friendly family. Wonderful stewards of the land.

We have taken many 150 to 190 class deer off of this ranch.

I can see me being here,.........well, until I cant' do it anymore.

I do miss the Middle Verde,.........my buddies are still hunting there, today.

I've been very fortunate.


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## MackerelMan (Aug 16, 2005)

*Those forever things may end sooner than you think*

I too was on a deer lease that I expected to "be on forever". Great place, good bunch of people, super ranch manager that was always fair and wasn't afraid to boot off rule offenders. Was on it for 7 years. Property was owned by a foundation that used it for range mangement demonstration purposes. New Board of the foundation decided to change course and get volunteer ranches for their purposes and sold the land, retaining the mineral rights and its income. My point is things change and unless you own it yourself you can't be certain of anything. People die, families get at odds with one another, sh1t happens. If you're able to go there till you can't anymore you are probably the exception.


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## Flapp'n Shad (Sep 29, 2015)

I agree MackerelMan,i was on a place in George West for 8 years and the land owners sold it in late Sept,but said we could hunt it for season for the last time and then we had to go.Well Nov 1 came we hunted the morning and some strange truck was at our camp and this guy introduced himself and said he was the new owner and we had to get our gear off the property and go!...luckly we knew the rancher next door and stored all the gear on his place.I called the rancher who sold it and he acted like he had no clue what i was talking about needless to say i drove to his house in Dilley and commenced to stomping a mud hole in his arse when he refused to give use our money back only to be escorted off by local PD.In the end we lost all our cash.


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## Thepartsguy50 (Jun 2, 2009)

dang wet dreams that looks a lot like my old hardin county lease. one weekend I hand cut shooting lanes, set up a feeder , went back 2 weeks later to clear cut. that was Pan AM hunting club. did manage to shoot a couple nice deer and a few hogs as well. just not from that stand.


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## Auburn Dave (Jul 21, 2015)

I have read the horror stories above, and I am curious how a few of you have become so fortunate to find an honest lease. So what's the best way to find a good deer lease?


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## wal1809 (May 27, 2005)

Flapp'n Shad said:


> I like to just go and set up camp make a fire listen to the coyotes howl at nite,teach my kids about the outdoors and how to skin an animal,let them shoot pigs,varmints and should a trophy deer show up well.I agree money,high fences and growing deer in a pin has ruined it.


Right on brother! I killed my last whitetail for my lifetime 4 years ago. Aint doing another one. I will shoot my ducks but that is all. I aint even mad at them anymore hardly.


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## SSST (Jun 9, 2011)

Auburn Dave said:


> I have read the horror stories above, and I am curious how a few of you have become so fortunate to find an honest lease. So what's the best way to find a good deer lease?


In my case, it's always knowing the right person. The Blanco lease we're on now is because my youngest brother roomed with a guy from Johnson City, he called my brother one day and said a friend of his Grandma has a place open, so we called and lucked out. I think we're set for a long while, the landowner is about 65, but his kids have their own part of the ranch to hunt, so they shouldn't ever kick us off for that reason.


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## big3slayer (Jun 29, 2008)

feeding deer all year round from your feeder hahahah hunting...


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## andre3k (Dec 3, 2012)

Im giving public land hunting a try next year. I have some areas already picked out and will start scouting them in the spring. Ive been on some east texas paper mill leases in the past and never had much luck. Hunting isnt enough of a priority for me to spend 2k+ for a lease somewhere else. Lets see where my $48 for the APH gets me if I put in some pre-season work. 

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