Need GS advice on Kansas lease

[asu-indian]

We are in year 10 of a 10 year lease in Kansas and don't know whether to renew.

Here are the details:

4,300 acres that hunts about 4. Currently we have 3 members.

Lease is $20,000 per year.

No lodging included.

8.5 hours away.

We have cows.

We haven't had neighbors that hunt but now have a group that borders us to the north.

We have an owner that isn't involved in mgmt, harvest and does't bother us.

We have killed a 192, 183, 172, 165, 163, 158, 157, 155, 154, 152, a number of 140's and 130's

Thoughts please. Thanks!

[Kingfisher789]

Get a 4th hunter that owns an airplane

[bass_lander]

Sounds like a dream place.


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[Ruttin&Struttin]

I'd recommend you add 2 more spots to help divide up the $20K cost 6 ways instead of 4. Then PM me more details so I can get my wife to give the head nod for me to help relieve your financial burden. ; )

Kidding aside. Sounds like a great place. Maybe you sign a 5 yr deal with the LO? See how hunting neighbors effects your hunting before cutting bait.

[PVDT]

I guess I don't totally understand the question....unless it's the $ part of it. IMO those are pretty good results for 5k/ea. That being said, 5k/ea for this day and time isn't too bad. A few years ago I'd say it's high.

[dc1986]

I would look around for that amount. No lodging and most of your deer taken are under 160. I don’t know anything about Kansas lease prices though.

[Capt.Brown]

We had about the same size place and paid $22,500 but it had a house and barns that we used, it’s hard to find a good ranch up there, you’ve had good results I’d stay

[boy wonder]

Haven't you sold some hunts to help pay the lease?

[mdnabors]

KS isn't a guaranteed Draw anymore either...so if one or multiple in the group didn't draw it'd be a bad deal for them. I'm sure they would still pay as that's part of the deal but I hate to think one of our group didn't draw with all we've invested over the years. Kinda is what it is tho. Could always sell hunt or two to help pay too when y'all aren't there hunting

Sounds like you have a nice place. Maybe you could add an extra spot or two (5) unless it's all open ground and not feasible for another hunter. Help the $ part anyway. We fought cows forever, now we have feeder/plot pens in all good spots so cows can't be an issue. Good luck with decision

[wade]

It’s like any where else. If you do not want the place you better have your mind made up your moving or not hunting Kansas anymore. It will be leased up quickly. Wade

[kerrbow]

Do you camp, stay in town? How many trips a year? Total days you hunt? You have killed some good deer in 9 years brother. I have been driving 12 hours to Kansas for the last 12 years and really enjoy hunting the midwest. You have to ask yourself is the price fixed for the future years or will it escalate. Do you see a lot of mature deer and younger bucks for the future? If you have a lot of good bucks then I would sell a couple of rifle hunts to recoup some funds and think about putting a portable cabin if the landowner will permit it and you have a good relationship.

[romad01]

Can you PM the details? I am stationed in Kansas and looking for a lease.

[asu-indian]

Haven't you sold some hunts to help pay the lease?

Yes we have, but not lately. We have seen that we don't have the numbers to take many deer. We've defeated our purpose of growing and hunting big deer by adding that kind of pressure. (AKA "we have shot the place up") After a few years the only deer we had were the "up and comers" and we couldn't expect paying hunters not to shoot (and they did), when the biggest deer they'd ever seen stepped out in front of them.

We've always been in this to hunt big deer, not to make money. In the early years, we couldn't afford to cover the cost of the lease without having pay hunters. Now we are trying to figure out if we are over paying for the trophies that we have and the potential, if we quit taking so many.

I'd love to hunt Texas if someone would come on here and say "you can shoot those type of deer here and pay the same or less".

You need to join. We've got some great young deer. BTW enjoyed hunting with you.

[asu-indian]

It’s like any where else. If you do not want the place you better have your mind made up your moving or not hunting Kansas anymore. It will be leased up quickly. Wade

That's what I'm thinking.

[asu-indian]

Do you camp, stay in town? How many trips a year? Total days you hunt? You have killed some good deer in 9 years brother. I have been driving 12 hours to Kansas for the last 12 years and really enjoy hunting the midwest. You have to ask yourself is the price fixed for the future years or will it escalate. Do you see a lot of mature deer and younger bucks for the future? If you have a lot of good bucks then I would sell a couple of rifle hunts to recoup some funds and think about putting a portable cabin if the landowner will permit it and you have a good relationship.

We hunt about 15 days a year over about 4 trips. We started at $10k and increased every year to $20k. Landowner said $20k next year but we are trying to put together a long term offer.

We've got some great young deer right now, one that will be in the 170s next year. Rifle hunts are counter productive. Been there, done that.