I was and still am in your position in NC. I've got a couple of smaller properties that'll hold a couple "good" NC deer, but ever since I've got in my lease in OH it makes setting in a tree in NC less and less appealing. I'm actively looking for another lease in OH/KY as a back up in case something ever happens to this place. I'll take those 10 times a year in OH over 25+ here in NC.
I couldn't handle hunting 10 times or less a year. I put a lot of seat time in every year, I mean a lot. The reason I do it is because I absolutely love it. I love chasing them. I'm going to do my best to keep a log this year just so I can look back on how many hours I spend on stand. Most of my hunting is done before/after work so it makes for some long days but it's completely worth it. I just don't get enough days off in a row to be able to hunt very far away.
I had a guy call me with land locally. Has 3 farms that are 400 acres total that are all within 15 minutes of me. That's the good news. The bad news is, he's planning on letting 20 freaking people hunt 400 acres and he still wants $1,000 per year. These people have lost their minds. You would think this was Iowa!
In WI around me a timber co leases are going for $20.00 an acre and they have a waiting list. It would have to be exceptional property for me to pay anything over that.
is it on the country side or around the suburban area. if its country side. you got to improve the habitat and put out food plots and minerals. and its best to put out trail cams to actually be sure that theres trophy size bucks. its up to you to decide
Trust me. I've done everything possible. I've been running minerals and food for 6 consecutive years. Been hunting it since 2004. I know what it's capable of. It's a suburban place Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
Well... there is the option my husband and took: we bought our own farm. Yes, there are things we are sacrificing to do it... house is way smaller, commute to "civilization" is bit bit longer. My husband is retiring, but I'll be looking for work and I won't command the salary I could have in the "city", but we have our own land. A place to watch the sun rise and the animals graze... own own little chunk of land to manage and hunt without all the hassles we faced for the last 3 years (we never had the money to lease, we knocked doors). Many folks are facing the same issues when it comes to gaining permission and/or leasing. We have no one to blame but ourselves. Too much "gotta shoot a Monster Buck on camera" outdoor television --and if the genetics are there why shouldn't a farmer/landowner clean up?
Some good advice right here!! After hunting McDonough county Illinois the past 3 years (6days first week of November) I'm almost regretting buying my land in RI. We should have bought a similar house in the sticks with not as much land, and I'd have the extra money to go on 3 separate trips a year, to places with better quality bucks. Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
My bad lol. Where about was you leasing ground at? I'll keep you in mind next season for a leasing partner!
I'd rather hunt 3x a week in a place with "rats" than only hunt 10 times a year out of state. I get much more satisfaction hunting down deer in big timber, places where these deer spend 90% of their time, as opposed to paying a lease somewhere and only waiting to hunt deer at the perfect time. I am hunting them on their own turf. Killing a 110" deer on the 50,000 acres I hunt is a feat.
I couldn't agree more. Figuring out public and having success is a feeling that I've never experienced shooting much larger deer on private. Figuring out pressured property is rewarding but few have the determination in them.
A friend of mine here leases one of his farms for $5,000 a year. It includes deer/turkey/waterfowl. Oh yeah, it's only 150 acres.
I can't disagree with you there at all. What our lease affords me the privilege of doing is playing mini farmer with the plots. Hinge cutting bedding, make trails through the sanctuary etc. I'm really enjoying the work we put in to attract and hold mature bucks. I enjoy making a plan with the other guys about what gets taken and what walks. I'm on this lease with some hard core archery hunters, who practice the things we preach i.e. bad wind don't hunt it. It's a maturing process for me, I'd love to one day be 100% happy for another guy when he takes a deer we are all hunting. I still get a little jealous, lol
What's the location? This guy is just talking deer season. No one is going to convince me that 150 acres in southwest virginia is worth $3600. The absolute MAX it should bring is $1500 and that's if it's PRIME hunting land, which this seems like good land. My point is, you could get a prime lease in Iowa or another "booner" state for that much money. Now this is coming from a guy that doesn't have a lease or much of anywhere to hunt right now so take it for what it's worth lol Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
I pay $950 a year and have access to nearly 5,000 acres here in VA. I have found dozens of clubs all across the state with dues between 350 and 750 a year and most having anywhere from 2500 to 7500 acres. That guy will not get that $ in VA unless somebody ignorant to prices leases it no questions asked. I seriously considered a QDMA club I found here in VA this year which priced at $1,100 for 7,000 acres 2,000 of which is bow in BP only. One cool thing about it is if you want to join just the main club it's $750 a year or if you want to join the bow/bp only piece that's $500 a year. Pretty cool to have that option and the discount if you join both. I just didn't want everyone thinking there was no reasonable leases to hunt in VA not to mention the 1,000,000+/- acres of public land, but one thing that's accurate is there are definitely no big bucks here Ohio, Illinois, Kentucky are where it's at.
What part of Virginia are you in? I'm actually in Northeast Tennessee (Bristol area) and I was including Virginia in my search. I just need something within an hour of me, because like I stated before, a LOT of my hunting is done before work, or even after work in early bow season.
I live in the Hampton Roads area(Southeast VA) but hunt from the Eastern Shore to the Blue Ridge Parkway. Finding something within an hour of you could definitely limit your options though as far as VA clubs, sorry if I missed that in your earlier posts. Using the Find Game tab through VDGIF it shows about 12 pieces of VA state land within 25-55 miles of Bristol, VA so you'd have to add another 15 miles +/- to get to Bristol, TN. Of all the public land the one that looked the most promising was Clinch Mountain WMA(26,000 acres). It produces good deer every season but is rough terrain. A lot of other good land but it is public and a ton of National Forest land which can be difficult.
