My brother in-law, a close friend, and I are looking for tips on finding leases. Used to have a lot of access to free private land but lost all of it after moving away from college. Just from my past experiences getting private permission was tough unless it was thru friends. Most of my colleagues do not hunt or solely hunt public. Mostly looking for help on where you find it and how much can we expect to dish out. Saw some saying we need liability insurance, where do we get that and how much per month. I was browsing some of the lease websites but seems fishy?
Good leases are tough to come by and cost a pretty penny. We've found most of ours through word of mouth, networking with friends, and good old-fashioned door-knocking and pounding the pavement. There are lease websites you can use, and they have some good leases from time to time, but they're typically the most expensive way to go. A lot of people fight over a limited amount of resources, so the prices can get pretty high pretty quickly. The cost will vary depending on where you are, how big the property is, and how aware the landowner is of its value. Here in Illinois, if you're under $50/acre, you're doing pretty well. I've seen stuff go for $75-$100/acre in the past, which is pure insanity to me. I'd rather go hunt public land than pay those prices. But to each their own. My biggest piece of advice when it comes to leases is not to overpay for a spot that isn't very good. I've seen people pay through the nose to have a private spot to go hunt that totally sucks, when they would have been better off hitting public somewhere. Just because you have private access to a property doesn't automatically make it good.
The price of a lease for a couple guys is about the same as the cost of doing a outfitter hunt for a week.
To find hunting leases, try websites like Hunt Lease, Base Camp Leasing, or The Hunting Lease Network, but be cautious and check reviews to avoid scams. Lease prices can range from $200 to $2,000 per year per person, depending on location and property size. You can also network with local hunters or landowners for potential opportunities. Many landowners require liability insurance, which you can get through companies like USCCA or Hunting Insurance, typically costing $100 to $300 per year. Always ensure the lease comes with a formal agreement to avoid issues.
Base Camp requires an insurance thingy .... did a lease thru them for 2 yrs ..... 130 acres/$3000/myself and a buddy ... gave it up after the 2 yrs.. in those years I killed 1 'yote, 1 Turkey, 1 decent buck (yr two) and a big doe (yr 1) .... my buddy got zilch ... there were some 140"+ we had on cam, seen a few nice ones on the hoof.. hard place to enter at times with wind, trespassers and damn dogs and a 100+ mile drive one way for me .... for that crap, I'll stick with State Lands, and I have waaay more acres to roam and hunt... the pressure there, I'm use to ... there is a good lease out there some where, just have to be willing to pay the $$ for it ...
