Lease frustration

[hoythitman]

So I have to vent little. I am a very management minded hunter, I've been that way since I was about 18 years old. I have seen the benefit of proper nutrition and selective shooting play out before. A small group of friends and I spend about 9 years managing a public land unit and it is now turning out some very nice 150"+ deer. Since I moved back to Texas I've been searching for a lease, and haven't been getting anywhere. I'm a single dad of 2 kids so I don't have tons of extra cash, I know my budget and I know what I can afford. I can do 2500 plus I supply corn and protein, or 3500-4000 feed supplied. I do understand that this will not land me on a lease with a 150" trophy slot, and I'm completely ok with that. That being said, do the cheaper leases not understand what management can do? I've spoken with 20+ lease bosses on these $2500 ranches and they either have no program in place, or not a very good program. (example) LB. Our lease you get 0-2 does depending on count, I'll let you know before season, but usually just one doe. Me. Ok, how about cull / management bucks, what are the ranch guidelines there? LB. Well you do get one of those, I make the call on all of them.. Me. Ok can you give me an example of a cull, anything 4.5 years plus that's only an 8 point, 1.5 year spike, etc... LB. Well it just depends on what I think. Me. So you don't have anything on paper? LB. No, I've been doing this for a long time and I know what works. Trophy slot is 120" deer.
I have a problem with answers like this, am I alone here?

Am I wasting my time? Are there any leases out there for that price range that understand what a good management plan is and how to stick to it? Please chime in if you are on a lease of comparable price with a solid management plan in place. Give me some hope, please.

[Darton]

The reality is that leases that cost a hunter several thousand a year makes most not willing to go home empty handed. There are leases out there with the criteria you are looiking for, but they are few a far between. Its a tough spot and I have been there. My only advice is to network because the type of lease you are after is generally by word of mouth and not listings.

[hoythitman]

The reality is that leases that cost a hunter total of the money you are talking will not go home empty handed. There are leases out there with the criteria you are looiking for, but they are few a far between. Its a tough spot and I have been there. My only advice is to network because the type of lease you are after is generally by word of mouth and not listings.

I'm pretty new to the area, I have family in Corpus but outside of that the green screen is my only networking. lol. I'm going to make a road trip through a bunch of small towns and stop at every feed store I can to see if I can find anything out.

[Mex. Bowhunter]

Yep. Mine is working and in the range

[jkelbe]

I think I have heard of a few places like that on here. Keep up the hope.

[hoythitman]

I'm checking the green screen about every 30 minutes, all day, every day. I went last season without arrowing anything and I cant do it again.

[jebsvitals]

There are leases out there that fit your criteria. Just like others have said its by word of mouth and lots of places have a waiting list. Im the lease manager at our place and every person I know wants to get on our lease and every person that I talk to about our lease wants on it. Going to feed stores is a good idea. I have also seen at the feed stores in san saba people posting they are looking for a lease just in case some one coming in decides they want to lease out there property.

[mexico70]

Sounds like you just need to form your own group and get your own place.

[KR-oldmexico]

Sounds like you just need to form your own group and get your own place.

This^^^^^^^^^^!!

My advise would be to maybe give one of these places a try and maybe try to ease into changing folks ways of thinking by leading by example rather than trying to tell so called LB what and how he should manage his heard on a place you've never stepped foot on or seen the quality of deer he has..

There is no cookie cutter approach to deer management other than age and nutrition IMO. Different geographic areas and different genetic areas vary with what culls/management deer qualify as. There are a heck of a lot of places/hunters that would be thrilled with a 120" very year especially with their bow!

I'm sure you have the best intentions but I bet you with a slower approach to joining a group, again lead by example, communicate your ideas and get the group onboard about improving their heard..... i bet that would would be helpful in you not having to go another year without arrowing buck this upcoming season.

Good luck!

[Patton]

Last year my dad used LeaseHunter.com and found us a 1000acre place for 4100 a gun.
Pros
2 8pts or 1 trophy per gun plus unlimited does
Axis deer-bucks count as trophies, does only taken out when numbers are high
Protein from January to when they run out in early November
Protein and corn included
140 class 8pts possible
Usually a 160 taken off every other year
Protein and corn included in price
10 acre fishing lake
House to stay in w/ satellite tv and gas/electric in half of it.
Full kitchen
Great lease manager /ranch owner

Cons
Can only hunt Friday afternoon-Sunday morning
Mainly gun only, gotta prove your worth to bow hunt, only 3 kids bowhunt there, everybody gun hunts
13 members- however 2 never come, 2 come once a year, 1 only shoots does, 1 doesn't shoot at all. The rest are mainly dads with kids ages 9-22


So yes it is possible just look

[talltexasshoote]

Sounds to me that you have the first step mastered. You know what you want. Second step is keep communicating on here. There are lots of people on here that are on leases like you discribed. Sometimes they loose a member. You might just be in the back of their mind when that happens.

[El Coyote]

Have you checked locale bow shops?

[dfkoon]

It can be tough and the best bet is to go in with folks you know. I just left my old lease for mainly this reason. I'm hopeful on my new lease but still have concerns. What is a cull to one hunter may be a trophy to another. And more than once I'd let a buck walk just to hear it shot 5 minutes later.

[BIGTERRY75]

Can reserve you a spot on my lease for next year.

[Todd-ty729]

So I have to vent little. I am a very management minded hunter, I've been that way since I was about 18 years old. I have seen the benefit of proper nutrition and selective shooting play out before. A small group of friends and I spend about 9 years managing a public land unit and it is now turning out some very nice 150"+ deer. Since I moved back to Texas I've been searching for a lease, and haven't been getting anywhere. I'm a single dad of 2 kids so I don't have tons of extra cash, I know my budget and I know what I can afford. I can do 2500 plus I supply corn and protein, or 3500-4000 feed supplied. I do understand that this will not land me on a lease with a 150" trophy slot, and I'm completely ok with that. That being said, do the cheaper leases not understand what management can do? I've spoken with 20+ lease bosses on these $2500 ranches and they either have no program in place, or not a very good program. (example) LB. Our lease you get 0-2 does depending on count, I'll let you know before season, but usually just one doe. Me. Ok, how about cull / management bucks, what are the ranch guidelines there? LB. Well you do get one of those, I make the call on all of them.. Me. Ok can you give me an example of a cull, anything 4.5 years plus that's only an 8 point, 1.5 year spike, etc... LB. Well it just depends on what I think. Me. So you don't have anything on paper? LB. No, I've been doing this for a long time and I know what works. Trophy slot is 120" deer.
I have a problem with answers like this, am I alone here?

Am I wasting my time? Are there any leases out there for that price range that understand what a good management plan is and how to stick to it? Please chime in if you are on a lease of comparable price with a solid management plan in place. Give me some hope, please.

This is going to be the case for the first year until you proof to the LB that you know what you are doing.

LB likes his deal and does not want to turn loose a FNG to make decisions.

He understands how hard it is to find a decent place and wants to protect it.

Some bucks are not going to fit into a guideline that is written on paper.