Hunting/Land Leases

[janesy]

Curious how this works? Is there a set financial exchange, is there paperwork, insurance?

The concept is foreign to me, in my area, hunting permission is more often then not a handshake deal. Sometimes it's exclusive, sometimes there are others allowed. One farm I had access to before the owner passed was exclusive to 3 guys, on a first come first allowed that day basis.

[Reinyrooster]

I have never required or been asked for anything beyond a handshake.....although I try and get exclusive rights to the land whenever possible for safety reasons. Hate to be walking into the bush in the dark and have some idiot mistake me for Bambi. I mean, I know I'm cute and all.......LOL.

[janesy]

Its definitely a USA thing, I'm curious of the details surrounding it.

[xcaliber]

In the good ole USA if you go through a hunting lease organization you get up 1 million in insurance per person on the lease from two that I have used. A typical lease allowing 4 hunters is $3400.00 USD & up. There is a 2% price increase annually if you keep it, and the owner has the right to sell in the middle of the lease. You also have to sign documents listing any vehicle you will be accessing the property with, and sign off any legal rights you have to sew the landowner. You deal only with the lease agents, and insurance companies in the event of any mishap.
The handshake in Indiana does not absolve the landowner which makes it hard to gain access. Indiana DNR has forms the are legal & binding that you can fill out to ease tension for the landowner that claims they not responsible for any hunting accidents including tree falls, etc. That still makes it very hard to gain access.
I prefer to lease because it does admit ONLY the named persons on the property for the duration of the lease exempting only the farming rights & crop / land maintenance.

[janesy]

In the good ole USA if you go through a hunting lease organization you get up 1 million in insurance per person on the lease from two that I have used. A typical lease allowing 4 hunters is $3400.00 USD & up. There is a 2% price increase annually if you keep it, and the owner has the right to sell in the middle of the lease. You also have to sign documents listing any vehicle you will be accessing the property with, and sign off any legal rights you have to sew the landowner. You deal only with the lease agents, and insurance companies in the event of any mishap.
The handshake in Indiana does not absolve the landowner which makes it hard to gain access. Indiana DNR has forms the are legal & binding that you can fill out to ease tension for the landowner that claims they not responsible for any hunting accidents including tree falls, etc. That still makes it very hard to gain access.
I prefer to lease because it does admit ONLY the named persons on the property for the duration of the lease exempting only the farming rights & crop / land maintenance.

Thank you Dan, that's exactly what I was looking for.

So who decides the value of the lease?

[xcaliber]

Usually the leasing agent.

[janesy]

Usually the leasing agent.

So there is a "black book" for lack of a better term that basically lays out a value, based on size, location, land use, that sort of stuff?

[xcaliber]

Good question, it’s more to do with locations, access to parking, the amount of woods to crops, etc. In Indiana if the area is in a reduction zone you’re allowed more tags, and an extra buck tag. Those properties go fast and are extremely expensive. Base camp Leasing is one that I have used a few times to lease through, and they offer leases in several states.

[tcwild]

I have never really used an agent really. Years ago I was in a couple of different clubs, 1 small and another much larger. The smaller one was only about 50 member and only about 15 of them were active other than opening weekends of deer and turkey seasons. It was more of a good ole boys club, we had about 1500 acres in 5 different propertys. We owned 10 acres with a clubhouse that would sleep around 25, trap range, camper hookups and walk in cooler that was within 30 min of the properties. Nice deal relatively inexpensive ( 200.00 a year ). The larger had properties ( 80 to 100 ) leased across 2 states. With this one you had to call in to reserve which days you wanted to hunt. I was lucky and got to be friends with owners and would work sport shows promoting the club and doing land evaluations and posting the land. That got me and acouple of friends sole access to a certain farm that I liked for the year. I got to be friends with the land owner and was able to put campers on it and even had electricity ran. This club ran about 900.00 a year.
I've had a few smaller handshake leases for duck and pheasant hunting. It seems to me leaseing has gone nuts here, what before could be had for the cost of property tax now might run 20 to 50 an acre. Lots of out of state hunter buying and leasing ground because of or liberal seasons and cheap permit cost. I don't blame farmers at all, seems most of the older handshake permission guys are far and few between. I'm very fortunate to have a handful of properties that I'd bet my last dollar that I'll have permission on til I can't do this anymore.

Sorry about the book here but one word of advise for the younger guys here. If you have handshake permission to hunt. Don't just show up or call the day before the season. Stop by and visit afew times a year, ask to help out while you are there. Christmas cards are a must with a THank You. Little gifts, summer sausage, a bag of crappie or a limit of pheasants go along ways. Hunting is becoming a rich man's sport. TAKE CARE OF YOUR LANDOWNERS!!

[Cardinalsfanforever]

guess I'm pretty lucky to be where I am in rural Ill. Most farmers I've talked to are glad to get rid of some deer. I noticed a neighbor posted a sign on 2 properties last year, the evening of the 1st day af shotgun season. It said" NO SQUIRREL HUNTING ON ANY OF HIS PROPERTIES DURING SHOTGUN DEER SEASON". He even had the dates on them. Our shotgun deer season consists of a 3 day weekend followed by a 4 day weekend 2 weeks later. I guess his son in law was in a tree opening day when a couple of squirrel hunters came thru. The owner never said they couldn't hunt, just not during deer season. I thought that was nice of him.