Does anyone have any ideas as to how we should organize the property as far as hunting areas are concerned.
Do we divide up the property by sections?
How do you handle 10 hunters wanting to hunt the best spots on the best hunting days of the year.
How do you identify who is allowed on the lease and who is not.
Any suggestions would be greatly appreciated.
We have about 180 acres on our farm, and a total of nine stands.
The kicker is, though, five are for the same wind direction and we only have one stand for two wind directions. It's not like we have a lot of choices, either because of the location of bedding areas and crop fields.
You may have to go to some kind of drawing and/or reservation system.
I have about 14 stands on 200 acres. I try to allow for varying winds, entry and exit paths, and NEVER more then two of us hunting. One weeks hard hunting and there is a distint change in the Deer patterns.
If you stay with this gang, GOOD LUCK!!
As a landowner, I would sure care. More hunters, more liability, more trash, more ruts, more errant shots, more conflict, more neighbor issues etc.
Also, you and I have no way of knowing what the arrangement is or how the lease is set up.
I tried to resist, but I would pay to not be on that lease.
I will let you know how it works out
Hard to imagine a place that small could hunt 10. A strategy needs to be put into place for it to be successful. Along with some stiff scouting rules as well to avoid everyone stinking the place up.
One time, I hunted a big ranch in Texas and they had a map board of the property with tower stand locations marked. Prior to going to your stand you were required to hang a marker from the map so others knew that stand was occupied. When done hunting and before you left the property you were req'd. to remove the marker from the map.
With 10 hunters on 200 acres I can only imagine how fat those deer are going to be...10 deer feeders, 10 salt licks, 10 mineral stations. You may have to lace your feed with something special just so they come around to your area more frequently.
We have 1036 acres and have had anywhere from 6-13 members all allowed to bring one guest per day. It was never bad until one year first week of November we had all 13 guys and 9 brought a guest?
Now we have 9 members and refuse to allow anymore!
Even with 9 members I still think we need to reserve 1st or 2nd week of November no guest and the same for first 3 days of shotgun season?
Your comment "Now that I have that settled. I will let you know how it works out" Sounds like you do not like the answers you are hearing?
Is your landowner just charging a lump sum and saying he doesnt care how many people you have on the lease? If so I bet he is new to leasing as well and I am sure that will change. If he has HOT, HOT property to hunt he will find a new leasee who will most likely have fewer hunters.
I will tell you this the politics between 9 hunters on 1036 acres is huge for me I can only imagine what 10 hunters is on 200 acres?
We do not cordinate areas off for any particular reason? We let guys choose an area and tell others to respect it. I threw one clown off the lease because he tried to claim 385 acres of the 1036 saying that was his hunting area and at the time we had 11 guys leasing.
Have you thought about what if all 10 hunters hunt at once?
Here are some of our rules
1. if you shoot a buck you MUST have it mounted unless you are a youth or it is your first ever buck!
2. If you see a member tracking and or dragging a deer you are required to ask him/her if they need help? If they say yes you do not hunt until finished helping that member?
3. You are allowed one guest per day
4. Everyone has their so called area to hunt, if you buck out your area is open to any paying leasee member to hunt that area but is not open to any guest if that member wishes for guest not to hunt that area.
5. You can hunt with any weapon or method as long as it is defined as legal form of hunting in Ohio.
6. You are totally 100% responsible for your guest and their actions. Any improper actions of a your guest act as if you commited them.
7. The youth hunt and getting youths out to hunt shall be one of the most important rules of the club!
8. Most decisions are taken by vote, but can be vetod or made the sole discretion of the president, The last word of the president is final! if You do not like the presidents decision remember this, no one forced you to be on the lease!
9. All members will be responsible for sharing utility cost whether they used them or not. Example electricity cost for campers, Porta John cost.
10. Any member can nominate a person to become a new member of the club. The President can either send that out to a vote or the President has the right to say yes or no without casting a vote.
11. If you lease payment is not received by the exact due date you have forfieted your membership no exceptions!
12. All rules and decisions made by the president are final!
Yes I know there isnt much a democracy in this club but to be honest of the total 9 members, I have only not chosen one of those persons. I have a list of 4 individuals waiting to join so please no PM asking me about openings. :0)
Anyhoot you asked for some rules and there they are.
I do agree that 10 hunters on 200 acres this will be a short term lease or people will decide to have fewer hunters. Me personally I would have leased the 200 all for myself if the cost wasnt to huge?
Our past issues
1. people wanting more hunting area by size than allows to be shared equally.
2. Encroachment of other persons area (Biggest headache over last 7 years)
3. Members not paying on time (read rule 11)
4. People not being grown up enough to discuss issues with each other some problem turns into a nightmare!
I will say this GOOD LUCK, your going to need it.
One last parting thoughts only three things that will serve you best with 10 guys on 200 acre
1. Communicate
2. Communicate
3. Communicate
It was also very inexpensive.
I will keep you updated next November.
So with 6 weeks of Archery I was just trying to spread myself around. This lease also has an opportunity to drop in hunter #'s and a buddy and me are ready to take those shares when that happens. Who knows maybe some day it will be just ours.
....Was loaded with deer once you get 10 guys busting through that jungle. I like the idea of getting your foot in the door though. Hopefully the other members realize it's too many and move on leaving it to you and your buddy. Could be a good long term investment.
We look at it as an inexpensive experiment that 5 years from now we might be very happy about.
To each his own....
I just dont get it man. . a lot of places will allow hunting for free with permission but now its harder to find those places..
I'm starting to hope it all gets leased and over pressured.. it'll make my public land hunts better!! lol
last year i lost a piece of ground to CABH that would support 3 guys. They leased it out to 10 guys at over 30 per acre!!! I couldn't believe it. The owner is a really rich guy too, he didn't need the money, but they don't get rich by being dumb i guess.. There are some REALLY good bucks on that property but they only killed a small six and a doe or two.. over hunted for sure..
its frustrating..
I was part of a lease for 3 years and the property size was between 200-300 acres. There was only one way into the property and everyone had to pass by an old cabin where an aerial photo of the property was hanging up. Each member was allowed 2 stands or blinds and you had a sticker with your initials that you placed on the photo where your stands were located. You could have one site fixed and use your 2nd has a mobile setup if you wished or have 2 fixed locations. You were allowed to move stands also, but that had to be done during non-peak movement hours or on Sundays when no hunting was allowed.
Also, you could hunt the same area as another guy, but you had to maintain 50yds between stand locations AND if another member got to the property to hunt before you did and marked that he was hunting his stand close to yours, you had to fall back to your second location, hunt somewhere else or not at all.
There wasn't a single time that I can remember when all members were hunting at the same time, even on the weekends. Everyones schedules were different, so it just didn't happen. There was the potential for 12 guys total and no guests.
There was a size restriction as well, 16in wide min and no less than an 8pt. Does were free game and no size restriction. One of the key features of this place was it was bow-hunting only. While I hunted there, I shot a 10pt the 1st year, the 2nd no buck and the 3rd I killed a non-typical with something like 19pts. After the 3rd year, the one landowner who I got my permit from threw me under the bus to let his jail-bird buddy take my spot. It was fun while it lasted.
If you and the others guys incorporated something like what I posted above, you fellas should be able to make it work.
PA is a tough state.
We have the north central and out to the west that has expansive pieces of property and then from the south central east we have a lot of small woodlots and lots of deer running around neighborhoods on private land. All winter I had about 20 deer living in my neighborhood that can't really have any hunting on it.
Two of my other properties are under 30 acres and are really tough to get into without blowing the deer out.
This new lease is just something I did when it was presented to me. Lesson learned after this season.
Didnt spend near the $7-800 that was mentioned above
Where I hunt, I just respect the landowner or the State and hunt. I kind of like to keep it simple.
That said... 200 acres and 10 guys. I'd be looking for another place. OR... I'd figure that anyone willing to agree to such a thing doesn't hunt much or hard and I'd have the whole place to myself all but firearm season :)
The majority is where I rule the nest!
Seriously the only true rules are 3
1. If a fellow hunter needs help tracking or dragging you help them (1 in the hand is worth 2 in the bush)
2. You have a main area but if you buck out your area is open to all other members (that is members only not their guest unless you say it is OK)
3. Kelly is actually El Presidente'
4. You shoot a buck you mount it! Since this rule went into affect about 6 years ago we have not had a true dink shot! A $350.00 and higher mounting penalty stopped all of that garbage.
Good rules if you ask me!
As I tell people if you dont like the rules or dont think they are fair no one is forcing you to join the lease!!!!
