Leaving a Lease is Hard

[DaddyO]

Congrats on your new place!

[Jzoch]

Sounds like a great place. Good luck with the new lease!!

[AntlerCollector]

I'm happy for ya Jamie. Good luck at the new place.

[PondPopper]

Sounds like 1 heck of a deal... Good luck..

I hate to think about leaving my lease after 20 years but I feel the "wind of change" a coming...
It will be a sad day..

[vmont]

We run a family place that is about 430 acres under high fence and have learned a tremendous amount about our place and the deer over the last 8 or so years. All ranches won't have the same issues but I can try and briefly summarize what we had to do and what we learned.

In the first few years our goal was to try and achieve a better buck to doe ratio. We were heavy on the does so we only targeted does in the beginning and passed on every buck. Took about 4 years to get close to a 1:1 ratio.

Total carrying capacity was also something we focused on at the start. We had an idea of how many deer we wanted and adjusted our harvest each year based on where we thought we were.

Feed as much as you can afford and as much as the deer will eat.

Let the bucks get some age before making any decisions on what to shoot.

Watch your fences. This can be a big deal if you have a low water crossing or a fence line with lots of trees. The deer know immediately when there is a way out. We have lost an entire herd of axis and some really nice whitetail bucks.

Eliminate every coyote you can. We are using snares when they come under the fence. It is an ongoing battle that will never end.

Coons can be a problem for your feed bill if you let them get out of hand.

Our number one problem has been that the mature deer on a place that size know you are there the minute you pull in the front gate. We estimate that we only see half our deer population during an average year. If it is dry you will see more. They know the stand locations and where you travel and will avoid you.

[ReydonPete]

Sounds like a good place
I think being close to you (20 minutes) you will probably be able to hunt it more often
Are you hunting the place alone or do you have other hunters sharing the place with you ?

[bowsticker]

Sounds like a good place
I think being close to you (20 minutes) you will probably be able to hunt it more often
Are you hunting the place alone or do you have other hunters sharing the place with you ?

I will be alone...

[quackadikt]

That's a steal of a deal for sure.

[Fordnandez]

That is awesome. Close to the house and cheap, who wouldn't take that.

[nursejenn]

Sounds like 1 heck of a deal... Good luck..

I hate to think about leaving my lease after 20 years but I feel the "wind of change" a coming...
It will be a sad day..

That stinks... so I guess the landowner decided to go forward?

[Tx_Wader]

Congratulations!

[mpotts]

Congrats!!

[Kingfisher789]

Can you adopt me? That looks like a nice place. Have fun.

[MacDaddy67]

my last lease was EASY to walk away from...
no deer and a lease manager that was a complete idiot

[Etxbuckman]

Yeah that's not a deal you pass up.