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NR Deer Lease

I have 2 friends from Massachusetts (really I do) that are thinking about leasing a property in SE KS (Elk County) for the first 2 weeks of Nov. 2021....to clarify again for only a 2 week period (not an entire season). It is a prime 160 acre 90% timbered property surrounded by thousands of acres of adjacent prairie and about 800 acres of nearby Ag. The surrounding acres of prairie and Ag are owned by other landowners and not assoc. with this potential lease. Therefore, this prime 160 acres is essentially an island of cover with both feed (acorns) and water.

Anyway, my NR friends texted me that the Owner of the 160 acres of timber wants $15/acre ($2,400) to lease it to them for that first 2 weeks in Nov. Sounds like highway robbery to me but what do I know as I have never nor will I ever pay (beyond license and tags) to hunt anything, period!

I would like to provide them feedback on this proposed lease price but unsure at the moment what to say about it? Over the last 4 years, I have let them hunt my many places in SC/SE KS for free but in an effort to not burn out my hunting properties they are branching out to add more property for them to hunt. Any thoughts on the proposed lease cost ($15/acre) will be appreciated. Thx.

Land is leasing in Montgomery county for around $6-10 an acre. But that isn't for a two week lease, that's basically access for the full season and other times of the year to prepare for season as well. Finding land to lease though is becoming an issue for people. Landowners continue to get burnt by strangers; so they want to lease to people they know if possible. Much of the land of those willing to lease it out is already spoken for.

Higher than what I've heard about but it's a small piece in terms of a lease. Probably wants to make it worth his time, and if it's as prime as you are saying that's probably reasonable. Most outfitters charge more than that per person.

There's a lot of 5-7 day $5k deer hunts in KS. So, 2 guys for 14 days for $2400 seems fair considering everything.

I'm assuming you or your friends have seen the ground to consider it "prime."

Do it for a year and run plenty of cameras while they're there. If they don't see bucks or they're not on camera, then don't do it again.

This is so sad to see and many are tired of my rants on leasing and out of state buying. Bottom line, if we did not score antlers none of this would happen. FLAME AWAY (: (: (:.

Sad for sure. That being said, $1,200 a piece for a 2-weeks trespass fee (essentially what it is) actually seems to be right in line with all the other pimping of the resource going on around the state.

Sad for sure. That being said, $1,200 a piece for a 2-weeks trespass fee (essentially what it is) actually seems to be right in line with all the other pimping of the resource going on around the state.

Logan...cost of $5k for 5-7 day KS deer hunt appears to be catered to gun hunter(s).

Patrick....Yes the land is PRIMO with incredible habitat, seclusion, protection. However, the Owner does have gun hunters that hunt it. So, he is printing money off this property.

Dave & David.....I agree with your view point 100%.

I think my two buddies are goofballs to pay $2,400 to hunt deer (let alone anything) and to me it seems like too much money at risk for something that isn't a given as they don't bait. When they approached me 4 yrs ago to hunt my KS properties (I don't charge them anything) I made it clear to them from the start there would be "no baiting." That might be why they haven't harvested anything in those 4 yrs. They hunted in Ohio for 5 yrs prior to coming here and they know what a big buck is and isn't. Believe me, they (myself included) passed up many that others wouldn't hesitate to shoot. Primarily because trail cameras showed the potential of what they could go back to Mass with. Like me, they have high standards but unfortunately the last 4 yrs. they have wounded (2) 160+ PY on my primary place. One was hit marginally and believe it lived. The other I am sure did not survive.

Sounds about right on current prices. I've been offered $1500-$2000 for my 80 north of there. Sad thing is, I used to lease 3,000 continuous acres in Elk County back in 2005-2006 for only $4,000.

Jason....WOW approx. $1.33/acre....sounds like those were the days of early leasing? Appreciate the feedback from everyone. Thx,

That’s a lot for a lease, especially if you’re not guaranteed nobody else will be hunting it the 6-7 weeks before burning it out. I wouldn’t do it unless I was getting sole hunting rights for the entire hunting season, especially at that price

$15 is fair. Most “prime land” around here is going for between $18-$25 per acre, BUT...

that’s for a full year and can hunt anything. Turkeys, deer, duck, etc.

If I could find 5 guys to pay me that rate to just bow hunt for 2 weeks I’d be all over it.

As for leasing I agree with Dave, but you can’t win. I threw my hands up 2 years ago. Having literally spent my whole life trying to put together something special... waste of time/resources. Should have invested in better farm ground.

Sloppy outfitters and leasing right next to me for 10 years was/is a nightmare... right now I don’t regret it, I’m a lot happier overall. The straw that broke the camels back was the entire 2018 season... had out-of-state guys stopping in almost everyday asking to go Turkey hunting in the Spring. Throwing dollar numbers at me, etc... now I can say it’s leased, I can pick them out before they even get out of their truck. That fall I had 3 mature bucks killed within 75 yards of the property line... all over a mountain of corn you could easily see from the road. I had 2 kids to take hunting that year for One Arrow... only one got one, and it was a very poor 2 year old that looked like a yearling.

You are right Dave, chasing inches has ruined the sport, but that’s what most of us are looking for. Technology hasn’t helped either... I’ve gotten emails or letters from all over this country asking to lease land. Even get flyers in the mail from just about every hunting real-estate agency asking if I want to sell. It’s stupid... my address or my email shouldn’t be that easy to access, my opinion.

Fortunately, I’m still able to hunt the land, but with the extra hunters it forced me to hunt physically and mentally harder/smarter. This season made me feel like I was 18 again.

I do hate the loss of freedom I have on my own land, still struggling with that, but my neighbors can no longer hate me or talk behind my back for patrolling my property. Saved me a lot of gas money as well.

Took me a long time to understand why people lease their land out to these outfitters or out-of-staters, but I get it now. Constant pressure, sick of it.

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