By U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service Headquarters (Duck Hunting) via Wikimedia Commons
A hunting lease can cost hundreds or even thousands of dollars. It’s no small investment—but if you end up with meat on your table, a new trophy on your wall, and memories worth sharing with friends, it’s more than worth it. As with any other aspect of hunting, you just have to know what to look for.
Know the Land before Signing Your Hunting Lease
Imagine driving over to the land you’ve leased on a crisp fall morning. You have your portable tree stand and your 12-gauge, and you’re ready for a day of whitetail hunting in the woods. As you drive over the last hill, the first pale blue light reveals the land you paid $400 to hunt: a vast expanse of empty pasture.
There’s no point hunting land you won’t succeed on. Whenever possible, ask the landowner for a tour of the hunting grounds before agreeing to pay for anything.
Keep your eyes peeled while visiting. Do you see any sign of the animal(s) you plan to hunt? Is there enough cover to put a stalk on your quarry?
Of course, you can’t always see the place in person. Sometimes you won’t have the time to get over there before the day of your hunt. Other times, you might sign a lease with an outfitter on the other side of the country, making travel prohibitively expensive.
Ask for pictures if you can’t make it. Some landowners provide aerial photographs that can help you pinpoint the best places to set up. Failing that, you can always use Google Earth.
Ask about Other Hunters
Let’s go back to the worst hunting day ever. As you draw closer to the enormous field, you spot three orange-clad figures wading through the wet grass. Worse, a dozen vehicles are already parked along the side of the road, surrounded by hunters who look confused and upset.
A clueless or unscrupulous landowner might sign leases with new hunters indiscriminately. This results in a field saturated with hunters, scaring off most of the game and increasing the risk of an accident.
Ask your lessor (the person you buy the lease from) whether he or she will also lease the land to other hunters. If so, how many? Will they hunt the land at the same time you will, or only at different times? Will they pursue the same quarry? Will you have a section of the property to yourself?
Sharing the land can make leasing much more affordable. Just make sure it won’t get out of hand.
Read the Fine Print
You’ll almost always have to sign a contract when leasing land. This might say that you can only hunt at certain times, or on particular parts of the property, or for specific species. Read everything and only agree to a contract that seems fair.
Remember, if you breach the contract, you might lose the rights to hunt on the land and all the money that you spent on the lease. Don’t get blindsided.
Find the Lease That’s Right for You
Make sure you find a hunting lease that works well for you. If you want a one-of-a-kind trophy, consider hiring a professional outfitter. If you want to get out in the woods whenever you have time off, ask for a lease from somebody who lives nearby.
Focus on Quality, Not Quantity
Don’t sign a lease just because it gives you access to 3,000 acres of hunting land, and don’t ignore one for a 30-acre farm. We’ve already covered what might go wrong with a big area. On the other hand, a small location might act as a chokepoint along a travel lane, creating huge numbers of opportunities.
If you follow the tips we’ve covered here, you’ll have an easy time finding a great hunting lease.