Lease vs day hunt

[Mactownfuzz]

I’ve never really hunted seriously before, but have always been interested. I’ve been contemplating getting a lease and love the idea of a place for me and my kids to go, but i started putting pen to paper and am second guessing myself now. Other than a 4 wheeler and a bow I would need everything. I’m thinking by the time I find a lease, camper, blinds, feeders, corn, etc; I could just take a day trip or even two each year.

Am I off base here, or would I be better off just finding a outfitter to hunt with? My ultimate goal is just to be outdoors and get some experiences and meat for the freezer.

[icetrauma]

Take a couple trips to some day leases to see if you really want to get in to hunting. If you do, then right down your goals. If you're just looking for a place to hunt a couple times a year and don't have the time, or want to spend the extra money to put in to a lease, stay with the day hunts. Hunting can get expensive and really quick. It's not just the camper, blinds, feeders and feed, it's the upkeep that can bite ya at any given time because something is always breaking, needing repaired, upgrading or rusting.

[AntlerCollector]

You're saying two different things. A day lease and guide, and a lease for you and your family are completely different. Yes a lease is expensive. Especially getting started on one. If you really want to spend time in the woods making memories with your kids then a lease is the way to go. If you really just want to take yourself on a nice, guided hunt once or twice a year then go that route. The kids will miss out though

[AntlerCollector]

Technically you're sayin three different things. The last statement of "just to be outdoors and get some experience and put meat in the freezer" can be done hunting public land relatively cheap

[RiverRat1]

http://discussions.texasbowhunter.com/forums/showthread.php?t=676875

Try a cheap hunt like Banzai posted

Then figure how many times you would enjoy a lease. Some guys love the work while others only count the hunting rips where they don't work. If you add up all the lease costs I bet one could go on 10 cheap trips (like above) or a few cull hunts or a couple trophy hunts. This route has no work.

It's whatever you prefer.

[Smart]

If you just want to hunt and kill ****, get a day lease..... If you want to experience the outdoors and all the aspects of hunting besides just the kill, get a lease. Some folks like to just kill stuff without putting in any of the work. That's perfectly OK if that's your thing. Some folks like the setting up, the work, the sweat, the multiple trips all year, the managing the property, the building of friendships and the campfires with those friends and their families....and the killing too. One is rewarding from a blood thirst aspect. One is rewarding from a full meal deal outdoors experience.

[Efren]

One big factor as well is: how much time do you have? If you have a job where you have lot of free time then definitely get a lease. With a lease, you have to put a lot of time and labor into it. If you're busy and don't get a lot of free time, then definitely day hunts. Public hunts are fun and cheap, but they are hard hunts and not likely to harvest an animal right away. Could take a couple of trips before you can figure out patterns.

[kumathebear]

If you just want to hunt and kill ****, get a day lease..... If you want to experience the outdoors and all the aspects of hunting besides just the kill, get a lease. Some folks like to just kill stuff without putting in any of the work. That's perfectly OK if that's your thing. Some folks like the setting up, the work, the sweat, the multiple trips all year, the managing the property, the building of friendships and the campfires with those friends and their families....and the killing too. One is rewarding from a blood thirst aspect. One is rewarding from a full meal deal outdoors experience.

Very good advice....as for me and my family, sharing a campfire, the experience of the outdoor life is all part of the "hunting experience." One thing to think about....I've hunted all my life, taught my 3 son's/grandkids/friends why I love it and MOST of them love it too! Having a lease is work and the expense "up front" is significant for many. We have year round access to our lease, have RV's, cooking/fire pit area, but family and friends make it perfect...for us anyway!

Don't know where the OP lives...but screw the concrete jungle and GET OUT in the wild...teaches your kids respect for God's creations and at least for us...brings us all much closer together. Good luck and God Bless....by the way, from experience when I was much younger...day lease's generally don't produce....would not go near one anymore!

[ColinR]

I'll just echo what others said. It is two totally different experiences. I do both and they are both nice in there own way but i enjoy my lease way more. I enjoy the work that goes into the lease, working on stands and feeders, keeping feeders filled year round, work around camp. Scouting new areas or researching new tactics. And I do all that with my son. It is a lifestyle for us not just a hobby. And shooting a 130" deer off my lease that I have done all the scouting and work for is way more rewarding than shooting a monster buck at a day lease where all you do is go sit at the stand they tell you to and shoot the deer they tell you to.

[Mactownfuzz]

I appreciate all the responses. I live in the DFW metro mess and don’t have a ton of free time between work and the kids commitments. I completely understand what you all are saying about me really asking about more than one thing. I was thinking more along the lines of not being able to enjoy a lease without putting quite a bit of money and time into it, which several of you have confirmed for me. I think I’ll try to take a trip or two this year and maybe reevaluate next year on the lease.

[Hydestik]

If you want to introduce your kids to the outdoors and hunting, then a good family orientated lease is probably the best way to go .You have to figure out what your priorities are and go after them . If your looking to shoot a 150” Deer then a day hunt may be the cheapest route . If you put the pen to paper with deer hunting it will never add up no matter what.

[Mjjust]

Another option that would introduce you and your kids to hunting and almost certain to put meet in the freezer is a TYHP youth hunt. Go to TYHP.org for more info. This will get you and the kids out hunting even if you’re not pulling the trigger. They cost hardly anything and they are an awesome experience and since you don’t have a lot of time it works since all you have to do is show up. These hunts will tell you and your kids if hunting is something you want to invest more time and money into. This is how I really got back into hunting. I hunted a few times as a kid and young adult but didn’t do it seriously till my son expressed an interest. I then took him on a bunch of youth public hunts and TYHP hunts. He’s no longer a kid now. We both hunt public land now and are both consumed by hunting and I love having a passion to share with my son forever. Would love to have a lease but not in budget right now.

[AntlerCollector]

A trip or two for you and sign the kids up for the TYHP sounds like the best of both worlds for next season. By the way the TYHP costs $150. With that you will be fed all weekend and pretty much a guaranteed chance at deer.

[Double-O-Dave]

Another option that would introduce you and your kids to hunting and almost certain to put meet in the freezer is a TYHP youth hunt. Go to TYHP.org for more info. This will get you and the kids out hunting even if you’re not pulling the trigger. They cost hardly anything and they are an awesome experience and since you don’t have a lot of time it works since all you have to do is show up. These hunts will tell you and your kids if hunting is something you want to invest more time and money into. This is how I really got back into hunting. I hunted a few times as a kid and young adult but didn’t do it seriously till my son expressed an interest. I then took him on a bunch of youth public hunts and TYHP hunts. He’s no longer a kid now. We both hunt public land now and are both consumed by hunting and I love having a passion to share with my son forever. Would love to have a lease but not in budget right now.

You took the words right out of my mouth. TYHP is an excellent way to introduce the kids to hunting. Along the way, you can get an idea of what is entailed in coordinating and managing a hunt (experts always make things look easy). TBH member RGB is a TYHP official, and can provide a lot of excellent advice and information on the program. If you do a search on this website for "TYHP", you'll find a lot of good information on a truly outstanding organization.

Good luck,

Dave

[Kdog]

If I were you I would look for a family type lease, maybe east Texas not too far? I personally would do everything I could to make time though. It can be a big financial investment but worth every penny to me.