Outfitter vs leases
Contributors to this thread:Whitetail Deer
From: goyt
21-Jan-21
For about 10 years we have had an outfitter on hundreds of acres adjacent to ours. He says that he is putting out about 10 - 12,000#s of his special feed blend a week. His hunters mostly hunted in blinds over bait. We have had to increase our efforts with food plots and feeding to hold deer on our property. The last few years we have gotten to the point where we are competitive. Now the outfitter has announced that he is going to stop outfitting and start leasing out the land. I think that he controls about 6,000 acres. I am not sure if this is good news or bad news. Any first hand experiences in hunting in areas where most of the adjacent land is leased? How do people who lease usually hunt if there is a normal way?
From: lv2bohunt
21-Jan-21
All depends on where you are at but most people that lease especially in areas where leasing isn’t the norm are serious about management. It shouldn’t effect you any more than the outfitter did.
From: Grey Ghost
21-Jan-21
Is this in Ohio? If so, I hope an Amish hunting group doesn't lease it. ;-)
Matt
From: goyt
21-Jan-21
It is Ohio. Prior to the Outfitter the Amish did hunt it and they shot everything they could. However with all of the hunting pressure the mature bucks learned how to avoid them. There are areas with multiflora rose that are extremely thick. I had some of the best hunting of my life. Those were the good old days. However they did not lease it so were competing with everyone else with permission which was a lot of people. If they were to lease it they may get better at killing the older bucks. I can let some bucks live if the hunting pressure keeps them on my land. I have a harder time if the hunting pressure is extremely low on the adjacent land and the mature bucks are being cropped off like it is with the outfitter.
From: LBshooter
21-Jan-21
Well, maybe get a group together and lease the property. 6k acres you could have one heck of a group. Not sure what Ohio land leases for but I'm sure with all the press on big bucks it's a lot. With the rott group it could work out. Good luck!
From: Thornton
21-Jan-21
Lots of Kansas ranchers have stopped allowing outfitters and instead find a group of return hunters to lease to.
From: Missouribreaks
21-Jan-21
In areas of limited drawings it is difficult to find individuals to lease to. They cannot count on getting a license. Speaking more of western hunts. Outfitters then become a great choice for some landowners. Broad brush painting is seldom beneficial. Many options work, under the correct circumstances.
