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Lease Prices?

S

Steve-O

World Member
I did a search and looked for this thread but couldnt find. If anyone can find the link that would be greatly appreciated.

But I will ask the question again.
Ground I hunt on, guy wants to get some cash out of it besides the small crop ground on the farm.

It is 84 acres and 25 of it is crops.
Southern Iowa.

Average lease price for hunting rights only going for?

Thanks for any input
 
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Average lease price for hunting rights only going for?

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I think it varies widely by area...40-80 bucks an acre over my way.

That's for all ground not just timber...hunting rights only.
 
Well, let's see.
I am VERY luck to have a best friend that has just under 1000 acres that I hunt( he and his son also). I'll even low ball the price. 1000acres X $10/acre = $10,000/yr
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I can just imagine that conversation with the wife.
Why yes dear, I would like to keep the house too, but you see I just HAVE to pay for my hunting lease so I can go kill a dozen or two pheasants and 6 or 7 deer this fall. I really hope you understand. Honey, please stop and think about it, and by the way, put down that chainsaw!
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Yah, I don't think so
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my thoughts exactly, I cough, gag, and puke on leasing

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I also do the same when I hear the words, but I am proactive and the way things are going if I dont start doing it, someone will beat me to it.

Not to far away from home and I have hunted it in the past.

You have your opinions but it is part of the day of age. Man 40-50 per acre. Holy crap. I wish I owned ground in your part of the state
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That would be a wise business choice
 
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my thoughts exactly, I cough, gag, and puke on leasing

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Why?

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Because 90% of the hunters out there do not have the financial resources to buy or lease ground. The die hards that frequent this site would try everything possible to continue to hunt including leasing or buying. The other 90% wouldn't think it is worth the money so they throw in the towel. Then their kids don't get exposed to our hunting tradition. The number of hunter's/gun owners decline. Then 20-40 years down the road the anti-gun advocates and anti-hunting groups have more power than the hunting groups and it's GAME-OVER for all of us die hards. Everyone needs to take a step back and realize what's best for the future generations of hunter's and sportsman (our children). If all we worry about is ourselves then we might as well take our kids golfing and forget about the hunting heritage we have grown to love. Plus, you may think hey I'm gonna lease this prime piece right now because I can afford $10 dollars per acre and I want it all to myself. However, next year a city slicker may come out from New York and lease your prime piece for $40-$60 dollars an acre and your out. So you go down the road and lease a not so prime piece for the rate of $20/acre then lose that one the next year and now your out and can't afford to lease your own ground. So now your only option is to join a hunt club where your one of 40 guys that hunt a 1000 acre lease and you only can hunt certain days during certain seasons. The worst part is now you pay $5,000-$10,000 per year just to have a place to hunt and the real puker is the best buck you see is a 120 class 8 point. How's that for a reason?
 
Because 90% of the hunters out there do not have the financial resources to buy or lease ground. The die hards that frequent this site would try everything possible to continue to hunt including leasing or buying. The other 90% wouldn't think it is worth the money so they throw in the towel. Then their kids don't get exposed to our hunting tradition. The number of hunter's/gun owners decline. Then 20-40 years down the road the anti-gun advocates and anti-hunting groups have more power than the hunting groups and it's GAME-OVER for all of us die hards. Everyone needs to take a step back and realize what's best for the future generations of hunter's and sportsman (our children). If all we worry about is ourselves then we might as well take our kids golfing and forget about the hunting heritage we have grown to love. Plus, you may think hey I'm gonna lease this prime piece right now because I can afford $10 dollars per acre and I want it all to myself. However, next year a city slicker may come out from New York and lease your prime piece for $40-$60 dollars an acre and your out. So you go down the road and lease a not so prime piece for the rate of $20/acre then lose that one the next year and now your out and can't afford to lease your own ground. So now your only option is to join a hunt club where your one of 40 guys that hunt a 1000 acre lease and you only can hunt certain days during certain seasons. The worst part is now you pay $5,000-$10,000 per year just to have a place to hunt and the real puker is the best buck you see is a 120 class 8 point. How's that for a reason?

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Great points Iowaqdm.

For most of you that know me, I dont make a lot of money or have a money tree growing in my yard (that I know of)

So me doing it because I have a lot of money is not the issue. Im doing it because it is so close to my home. I bet a lot of you would dream of hunting a place where you can see 150 all the way to the 170's minutes from your back door. Well this is a reality for me and this piece being leased out to someone that lives two hrs away or more would make me drive farther to hunt, I like to sleep in a little
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I have hunted this piece of ground for 3 yrs now and someone brought it up to him that he should lease it out. I have talked to the landowner already and from my take on him doesnt seem like he is trying to earn a living by doing this. He doesnt use it so it might as well make him a little bit of income in the process. He has told me what he thought was to high.

If you want something bad enough, you try and go get, if it doesnt work out you try somewhere or thing else.

I was just asking for average prices around the state so I had some knowledge of lease price when I shoot a lease price. I dont want to low ball the guy at all.

Why, you ask, because if I dont someone else will
 
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my thoughts exactly, I cough, gag, and puke on leasing

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Why?

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Because 90% of the hunters out there do not have the financial resources to buy or lease ground. The die hards that frequent this site would try everything possible to continue to hunt including leasing or buying. The other 90% wouldn't think it is worth the money so they throw in the towel. Then their kids don't get exposed to our hunting tradition. The number of hunter's/gun owners decline. Then 20-40 years down the road the anti-gun advocates and anti-hunting groups have more power than the hunting groups and it's GAME-OVER for all of us die hards. Everyone needs to take a step back and realize what's best for the future generations of hunter's and sportsman (our children). If all we worry about is ourselves then we might as well take our kids golfing and forget about the hunting heritage we have grown to love. Plus, you may think hey I'm gonna lease this prime piece right now because I can afford $10 dollars per acre and I want it all to myself. However, next year a city slicker may come out from New York and lease your prime piece for $40-$60 dollars an acre and your out. So you go down the road and lease a not so prime piece for the rate of $20/acre then lose that one the next year and now your out and can't afford to lease your own ground. So now your only option is to join a hunt club where your one of 40 guys that hunt a 1000 acre lease and you only can hunt certain days during certain seasons. The worst part is now you pay $5,000-$10,000 per year just to have a place to hunt and the real puker is the best buck you see is a 120 class 8 point. How's that for a reason?

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I'm not trying to stir things up, I was just curious why so many are against leasing. I will say, I am spoiled, I was born and raised in Missouri, which we have hundreds of thousands of acres of public land. My family and I lease ground, own ground, and will continue to buy and lease ground. I do realize that Iowa doesn't have much public ground, but in the same aspect, if I was hunting a place for a few years, then decide to lease it, I really don't see how I am "pushing" someone out of a hunting spot. But I do understand what you are saying about the "money men" leasing ground up, it really makes it hard for someone who doesn't have bottomless pockets (I know my wallet seems thin all the time).

I've seen it all before, my mothers side of my family all live in Kentucky. My dad and I starting going over there and hunting in the 80's. Not a problem in the world gaining permission to hunt anywhere. There is no public land in that county, so it was knocking on doors and gaining permission. Then, in the early 90's, a few record book bucks were killed, then all hell broke loose. All land was leased, then with no public ground, we decided to lease some ground ourselves.

Since my uncle lives there, he ended up buying 640 acres, so we have a place to go now, but we did lease ground for about 10 years, and still lease 150 acres, just for turkey hunting.
 
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All land was leased, then with no public ground, we decided to lease some ground ourselves.


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That's exactly where we'll be in 15 years or less unless something drastically changes. Enjoy what you've got now. The way this happens is what is so dissappointing. One guy does it and it gets to the point where the next guy has to do it or loose out. Essentially forcing hunters to P on each others legs. It'll be a tough road ahead. If anyone has doubts, do a little research on where the English have ended up. We are walking the same road they did.
 
Not to sound to snipity fellas, but it's simple economics - supply vs demand. As hunters continue to lease ground and join hunt clubs the prime ground becomes less available to the average Joe. It's tough to compete with deep pockets - hunting has turned business and like it or not it's a reality we'll probably all face at one time or another in our hunting career. I've had good ground that I've hunted for over ten years go to a lease and trust me it wasn't because the landowner "needed" another source of income, he saw the opportunity of his "supply" and sought out the "demand". Now, throw in some outfitters in your area and you can see large tracts of land be leased for their operation as well. I'd like to think we control our own destiny here but I'm afraid natural human greed is a force to be reckoned with. I just hope and pray that my two young boys will have half the opportunity that I've had to hunt and fish and enjoy the outdoors. We could all well be our very own demise if we don't play our cards right. These are simply my opinions on the subject and it's a great debate to have here because we have members who have valid points from both sides. Good dialogue so far but I hope this thread doesn't take a wrong turn
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If all we worry about is ourselves...

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I think this also works the other way, if you want to hunt- who has the job to make sure you have a place to hunt?

What is wrong with a landowner deciding to lease? It is his land, he pays the tax and mortgage.
 
Most of the good land in WI in places like Buffalo County and Dane County (pre-CWD)has been leased for nearly 15 years.

Its big time economics with guides running 2/3 of the ground to non-local hunters and the remaining ground hunted by family groups with a snowballs chance in hell that you or I would ever get access to any of it.

The same will happen in the prime spots in Iowa over time and I am sure some of you are already experiencing it.

Having the priviledge to hunt both states that past decade, Iowa is about 7-10 years behind WI IMO, but I see similiar trends developing.

Going rate is in the 20-40 dollars per acre in WI.

Our prices are high cuz we are close to Chicago, Twin Cities and have unlimited non-resident tags which compounds the problem.
 
I think if I had the money to spend $50 an acre to lease ground then I would be looking into buying some real soon. As far as I am concerned, renting is like throwing money down the toilet. Save and buy If possible.
 
another possible solution offer to trade labor to help offset the cost of ownership. If the owner is a small farmer the extra help might be more valueable than money. As to the price of leases 10 dollars an acre is about average for the Monroe/Appanoose Co. Most of the really good hunting farms are not the most productive Ag farms and I don't blame the owners for trying to make some income, with the strong interest in this area it is better to lease your favorite spot than to have it sell. I think that all hunters will have to revaluate their priortys in the future.
 
This is why I promote QDM... Land is going to get leased, but if we practice good management and hunting on the grounds we do hunt, then we will always have healthy and quality game to get after.
 
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