Lease hunters question

[Knox]

Trying to get an idea of everyone’s lease rule when it comes to who all is allowed to hunt on property under each paying member. Specifically talking about family. So example, if dad is paying member. Who else in that family gets to hunt without being a paid member. Wife/kids? And if they are do they hunt off of dads tag? Not saying each doesn’t have there own license, but like Oklahoma is 2 bucks 4 doe. So do other immediate family get to just shoot out of his amounts or each get what state allows? Do others get to shoot trophy too or only culls?

Also what age does it stop where kids are not allowed to hunt and have to become paying member?

Please include number of hunters and property size also.
Hope that all makes sense, thanks in advance.

[Walker]

It all depends on lease rules going in. Some leases allow family to hunt off your allotment. Some leases allow zero guests. Know before you sign.

[Hockley]

On our lease we can bring whatever guests we want, but they have to hunt off our allotment. They are also supposed to hunt with the lease member, but this rule gets bent. Granted our lease is by no means a trophy lease and is very family oriented. All rules we have are pretty much common sense and nothing is in writing. I personally think we should have rules in writing, but I'm not the lease boss and came into an existing group so I keep my mouth shut.

That being said, I can't imagine a structured lease where guests did NOT shoot from the lease members allotment.

[AntlerCollector]

A membership on my lease is a member, spouse, and children under 18. Guests are also welcome. The member is allowed a certain number of deer. Family and guests come off that allotment.



Number of hunters and property size will greatly vary depending on where you hunt.

[jt400]

Immediate (Mom, Dad, Wife, Kids) family 100% but off of hunters tags. Nonimmediate Family or friend culls and does only. Don't want some dudes buddy or cousin coming out after never having lifted a finger and killing the biggest buck on the place after the paying members have passed on him for years. If someone's kid does that's great.

[S-3 Ranch]

Trying to get an idea of everyone’s lease rule when it comes to who all is allowed to hunt on property under each paying member. Specifically talking about family. So example, if dad is paying member. Who else in that family gets to hunt without being a paid member. Wife/kids? And if they are do they hunt off of dads tag? Not saying each doesn’t have there own license, but like Oklahoma is 2 bucks 4 doe. So do other immediate family get to just shoot out of his amounts or each get what state allows? Do others get to shoot trophy too or only culls?

Also what age does it stop where kids are not allowed to hunt and have to become paying member?

Please include number of hunters and property size also.
Hope that all makes sense, thanks in advance.

Couple years ago, we had a guy who showed up every weekend
With wife, grown son , and grandkid.
I told the son I would call him when we had a spot open up but he
Needed to stay home till season was over or stay in camp after he
Helped his father fill up feed
14,000 : 20 hunters, I shut down guest after one weekend we had
40+ people in camp ( guest are a pain and should be with member 100% of the time)

[jt400]

Couple years ago, we had a guy who showed up every weekend
With wife, grown son , and grandkid.
I told the son I would call him when we had a spot open up but he
Needed to stay home till season was over or stay in camp after he
Helped his father fill up feed
14,000 : 20 hunters, I shut down guest after one weekend we had
40+ people in camp ( guest are a pain and should be with member 100% of the time)

It can definitely get taken advantage of.

[Uncle_Milty]

Membership covers the Member, Spouse and dependent children.

All deer come off the members allotment.

Guests are not allowed from Archery opener until the end of the second weekend rifle. They are welcome the rest of the year as long as you give the lease President a heads up....He is rarely notified though. They can shoot anything other than deer and are supposed to be accompanied by the member (that doesn't always happen either.)

3600 acres with 31 members......way too many but only about half the members hunt. The rest just fish the ponds and river bottoms.

[Hockley]

It can definitely get taken advantage of.

Yes. When my kids get of age to start hunting my goal is to buy a second spot on our lease so we are not such a burden on the others. My wife likes to hunt as well so we would both be taking a kid hunting.

[SaltwaterSlick]

Each member can bring one (1) person with him/her anytime. If a member wants to bring wife and kid, he'll have to borrow a guest pass from another member... This is the only way we have ever been able to control the total number of people on the property at any one time... Years ago, we had a member that as soon as we paid our deposit for the upcoming year, he was asking folks to borrow their guest pass for Thanksgiving weekend!!! He made it a family vacation trip each Thanksgiving... finally had to just put a stop to his abuse of the privilege of bringing guests... Fortunately, he got all twisted off and got off the lease... Greatest thing that ever happened to our group!! Guess he showed us!! This one guest rule applies when any deer season is open (archery, gun, MLD, etc.) During September, we allow multiple guests during dove season/work weekends. Number is limited by how many you can directly supervise in one vehicle... Guest is not allowed out of camp without being escorted by a paying member. NO EXCEPTIONS... doesn't matter how many times a guest has been to the ranch, he is not allowed out on the property alone. Our camp is 3 miles from our property boundary. All guests must be escorted to/from camp to gate (which is locked). We do not REQUIRE a member to be in the stand hunting with a guest, BUT the member assumes ALL responsibility for what the guest shoots. If he messes up and shoots the wrong thing, whatever consequences there are, fall on the member of record for that guest. Goes without saying ,the guest hunts on the membership allotment of harvest limits for the member of record.


Any child not in the arms of a parent (baby) is a guest... Heck, we have 5 year olds hunting and killing animals !! Wife comes and does not hunt... She's still a guest... Anyone who passes through the gate onto the property is either a paying member or a guest.

[DuramaxDude]

I've been on and seen leases doing it different ways. The last one we were on was a family lease. So dad was a paying member and per "membership" there was 1 trophy 1 cull and 1 doe allowed. Family was allowed meaning my stepmom, me, or my sister could hunt under that membership and that allotment of deer. We had to check in all deer shot with the ranch manager also. I have been on others that anyone that hunted had to be a paying lease member period. Others I've been on or had buddies on were allowed family and a guest but guest had to sign in and all hunted under the members allotment of deer. Last scenario is a more of a club that allowed immediate family and 1 guest per trip but they all shot off the MLD tags that were split equally among members.

[Muygrande]

We have had the same basic group for 30+ years on 4 sections. 10 total members. Most members are second generation of the same families. All immediate family can hunt off the member tags. One trophy per membership and no exceptions. Family hunts with you unless there are open blinds. Members always get first choice. Guests can fish and bird hunt but no deer. We are not MLD and it works out well for us.

[bullets13]

5 guys on 450 acres. All family. My uncle owns 250 acres, and we lease 200 next to it. We all pitch in to pay for the 200 acre lease, and throw in some extra to help my uncle with feed, upkeep, and electricity in his cabin. We get a very good deal because he's not trying to make money and enjoys having us out there. My dad and I each pay a spot, and my cousin (uncle's son) pays one. His brother in law paid a spot for years, but got off this year and was replaced with a family friend. My little cousin (uncle's 15-year-old grandson) hunts for free. We all make up the difference for his spot, and nobody minds because we're all paying half what we would with a similar setup anywhere else. I've brought my girls out to hunt a few times, but they're not old enough to kill yet. When they are, they can shoot on their own tags, and I could still kill on mine, but only because it's all family. All that to say, every situation is a little different. Lease rules vary from place to place depending on things like deer numbers, relationship of the members, lease managers, MLD requirements, etc. etc. etc.

[jds247]

We have a small 4 person lease . The family is welcome, guest if we all approve. Guest and over 18 shoot off our allotment.
Landowner wants kids involved in hunting and allows them to shoot what they want.. being 6 hours away my kid only gets to go a few weekends a year because of school football etc .. I never fill all of my tags so it works out ..
We are bow crossbow only.

[sharpstick35]

all these reasons, good or bad, is why I bought 320 ac for myself. I don't have to worry about someone else's guests and when/if I want something different I can make my money back.