So i have been pondering this alot lately as i have been on the search for 2 years now for a lease for 3 somewhere in the hill country with what i would consider a healthy budget and minimal hunting pressure as i am really the only deer hunter and the other 2 want turkeys' hogs and so forth with an occasional deer (every other year). But it seems almost impossible to find a place to lease. I know others have the same problem by the posts i see on here and other forums. So what gives when and why did it become so difficult to find a place? I tend to think alot of it has to do with generational issues such as the first and some second generation property owners are getting to the age where if they are still alive they dont want to mess with the property anymore and properties are now getting handed down or willed to the next generation and they want nothing to do with the property so they sell it off and make their money. Curious as to what the opinions are on here as to why it has become the way it has become. Then to maybe its just me and i am to hung up on finding that needle in a haystack.
-
-
Hill country and minimum hunting pressure is almost an impossible combination. You’re making it hard on yourself. Lower your standards and there are leases to be found. Just about every hunter on here would like to hunt a place like your looking for -
The minimal hunting pressure comment was referring to our group of three. Sorry about that. Being during deer season the other 2 in the group may go out 1 time. I completely get that there is going to be pressure from the surrounding properties and i am ok with that just noting we arent shoot em up cowboys.Comment
-
Gotcha on the hunting pressure comment. That makes more sense.
Not sure if you saw it or not, but this is a thread of available leases. You may find one to your liking. If not maybe something until what you want shows up. Good luck.
.Comment
-
I think it's hard because it's an invite only party. All the good ones, cheap or expensive, close or far, have someone on the lease. That someone finds the next members. It's not hard to fill. It's a 10 walking into a bar at 2 a.m kinda thing.
Open your network or contacts and let your friends know your looking, then remind them until you find something. Customer service or sales friends are great to remind as they interact and talk to a lot of people.
You can also package hunt and let the landowner or outfitter know you're looking. Sometimes they say screw guiding and switch to a lease structure.
My .02. Hope it helps.
Sent from my SM-S908U using TapatalkComment
-
I think landowners not wanting to deal with the hassle and or kids inheriting land and wanting to sell it. I have some buddies on a 900 acre lease in junction where they have maybe taken 10 deer in 5 years. They mainly go just to get away and enjoy life and let the kids shoot animals.Comment
-
Too many people and too few available properties. Population is growing and acreage available for hunting is dwindling quickly. Plain and simple. When supply is low and demand is high the select few get to partake. That means more money, and good references. Most of the good properties have people waiting to get on, and they are all people a lease member knows or is related to.Comment
-
With the amount of people from California and New York moving to central Texas the available hunting properties are getting few and far between. Top that with windmill, solar and oil the land owners do not need hunters to pay the taxes any more.Comment
-
I contribute it to fragmentation and idiots. Landowners with huntable size tracts and who truly don't need lease money simply won't deal with the drama. Folks used to be land poor and needed that supplemental income, but many of those old timers have died off or the properties have sold because of sky high land prices. I may be way off base, but that is my thoughts on it. LolComment
-
This describes two different local guys 1 his family has 12000 acresOriginally posted by rut-ro View Post
His cousin runs 1/3 of it and has been leasing, Paul refuses to lease anything, says 1 he doesn’t need the money,2 leasing is a major headache and intrusion
Mark down the road is desperate to keep his hunters for the cash flow
But his dad & sister could care less about leasing and only do so to
Keep mark from selling off more of the ranch for lifestyle .
The new Hillcounrty is going down hill fast , expensive, high pressure
Urbanization,Comment
-
Lots of people have bought land to hunt for themselves and their families. Almost all of the people I have hunted with in the past own their ranches and don’t lease anymore.Comment
-
That new Starbucks sits on ground that great grandad used to hunt.Comment
-
Supply and demand is the east answer, especially in the hill country. Also I’ve heard of outfitters going to landowners and offering top $. Didn’t believe it but it’s happening to us and the main group has been on the lease 26 years. Landowner got offered great money from an outfitter that is gonna run day huntsComment
-
I think the Californiacation of the hill country is probably a fair guess also after reading the comments. What better way to force the masses into your tree hugger mentality than to buy up all the property you can and not allow hunting. The last lease we had was south in George west and we were on there for 8 years but the land poor comment was spot on as to why we are no longer there. LO had 3 properties all in the 300-500 acre range and he was into cattle and once he started to go broke the property we leased was his least beneficial for his cattle operation so it go put on the market and sold so I completely get that. And at the end of the day it’s LO’s property to do with it as he pleases just sucks when it works against you as the lessee.
Sent from my iPhone using TapatalkComment
-
Originally posted by hooligan View Post
Yeah I hear of this happening a lot. Seems like no matter how much you are willing to pay there is always someone willing to pay more.
Sent from my iPhone using TapatalkComment
Comment