Are you on a lease, and if so, how much acreage is it and what's the bag limit? It's probably a Texas thing to ask (we don't have the public land a lot of other states do).
I have no concept of leases. We have mostly private land up here in New England. I knock on doors and check landowner reports. We just moved in here last August. I already have 9 spots to hunt, haven't gotten turned down once. I printed some 3x5 cards with all my info on them and give them to landowners, it puts them at ease. Name, address, phone #, email and vehicle info. Most people here will let you have access if you talk to them face to face. I got a local farmer first that everybody knows, Idrop his name and it's smooth sailing after that. Good luck, Al Baker
I hunt my Brothers farm and a couple of his neighbors. Ive hunted the same places for almost 2 decades.I usually always give them anywhere from a hundred to a couple hundred dollars,drop off smoked whole chicken,pork loin,and also deer sticks. Also an appreciative and sincere Thank you. They tell me I don't need to do anything,but I let them know it's a small price to pay for great hunting and a years worth of memories and anticipation of my next season.
Here IN Mississippi me and a buddy pay 6 grand for sole turkey rights on 1300 acres. Down here in the south you hunt public or lease land if you don't own any. Public land is way over crowded in my neck of the woods 7 days a week and a lot of out of staters. A lot of the non residents lease land here and pay some unreal prices , so you either compete or battle over public land.
1000 acre lease in South Texas $1200.00 a year and $200.00 per turkey after 4.
North Texas and OK $200.00 a bird.
$250 a year for a total of about 72,000 acres. Lot of members on both leases though.
Lots of public land in Western SD but if you want to hunt prairie turkeys in the western part of the state you've got to knock on doors. It's a 50/50 chance on most days. Usually slip them $50 or so with a handwritten thank you and on my way. They don't ask for anything. I just appreciate their kind gesture and at least like to give them a something to go get a nice steak dinner and some drinks with.
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I'm in a hunting club in West Georgia. There are 5 of us and we pay 1100 a piece a year for 408 acres. I am the only turkey hunter on the land. My Dad hunts with me at times but is not a member.
The 1100 covers dues, insurance, food plots and keeps the feeders full in deer season.
Georgia is primarily "pay to play or don't play" type of hunting environment. I do have access to a large plantation and a smaller club in mid GA that I do not pay anything to hunt, but that is rare in GA unless you want to compete with hunters on public land
Quote from: Sixes on April 15, 2018, 07:02:40 PM
I'm in a hunting club in West Georgia. There are 5 of us and we pay 1100 a piece a year for 408 acres. I am the only turkey hunter on the land. My Dad hunts with me at times but is not a member.
The 1100 covers dues, insurance, food plots and keeps the feeders full in deer season.
Georgia is primarily "pay to play or don't play" type of hunting environment. I do have access to a large plantation and a smaller club in mid GA that I do not pay anything to hunt, but that is rare in GA unless you want to compete with hunters on public land
Enjoy that while it lasts. I had a spot similar where I was the only turkey hunter until they saw pics of my dead Gobbler's. Before I knew it , everyone wanted to be a turkey hunter lol. Imagine trying to hunt 500 acres with 5 turkey hunters. Good luck.
One roll of venison summer sausage to each.
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I have two lease here in Ms? One 500 acres for 500 bucks and the other 600 bucks for 1100 acres this year the smaller lease is paying off, before this I was in a club that had 5500 acres and paid 1000 bucks, it was good hunting until timber company cut all the trees
Quote from: fallhnt on April 15, 2018, 09:23:41 PM
One roll of venison summer sausage to each.
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Plenty of good public land turkey hunting here. I do almost all of my deer hunting on private though.
I use homemade deer jerky and fried crappie fillets. Once in a while one of my land owners asks for a deer that he can take to the processer. That's it for me.
Quote from: Spitten and drummen on April 15, 2018, 07:31:10 PM
Quote from: Sixes on April 15, 2018, 07:02:40 PM
I'm in a hunting club in West Georgia. There are 5 of us and we pay 1100 a piece a year for 408 acres. I am the only turkey hunter on the land. My Dad hunts with me at times but is not a member.
The 1100 covers dues, insurance, food plots and keeps the feeders full in deer season.
Georgia is primarily "pay to play or don't play" type of hunting environment. I do have access to a large plantation and a smaller club in mid GA that I do not pay anything to hunt, but that is rare in GA unless you want to compete with hunters on public land
Enjoy that while it lasts. I had a spot similar where I was the only turkey hunter until they saw pics of my dead Gobbler's. Before I knew it , everyone wanted to be a turkey hunter lol. Imagine trying to hunt 500 acres with 5 turkey hunters. Good luck.
Not to worried, they are fishermen. We've had the lease for 22 years and they've never shown interest.
Zero, I am amazed how some areas of the country can have enormous amounts of public land and others none. Here in the liberal entrenched New England woods we have countless acres of productive state forests and management areas. I cringe at the thought of paying for access to hunt. You would think a state like Texas would have countless open spaces. Even in CT where my farm is ,has thousands upon thousands of state land options to hunt. New York has way more, crazy amount. I feel for people that have to pay for access, hunting land should be available to all or soon there will be no one hunting, and that would make Liberials way to happy.
800 acres for $175.00/yr. x 20 members.
Access year round for anything legal, bear, deer, turkey, etc.
4 wheel riding, mushroom picking, berry picking, pretty much anything you want within reason.
Maxed out at 20 members + sons and daughters under 18 free with paid member.
About 10-12 guys avid archery deer hunters, 12-15 during deer season. Handful during Turkey and small game. Only have about 3 or 4 guys hunting in the spring. Most days I have it to myself. We have a "waiting" list about 40 deep..........LOL. Only way you get in is if someone moves or dies!
:fud: :OGani:
Quote from: Spitten and drummen on April 15, 2018, 07:31:10 PM
Quote from: Sixes on April 15, 2018, 07:02:40 PM
I'm in a hunting club in West Georgia. There are 5 of us and we pay 1100 a piece a year for 408 acres. I am the only turkey hunter on the land. My Dad hunts with me at times but is not a member.
The 1100 covers dues, insurance, food plots and keeps the feeders full in deer season.
Georgia is primarily "pay to play or don't play" type of hunting environment. I do have access to a large plantation and a smaller club in mid GA that I do not pay anything to hunt, but that is rare in GA unless you want to compete with hunters on public land
Enjoy that while it lasts. I had a spot similar where I was the only turkey hunter until they saw pics of my dead Gobbler's. Before I knew it , everyone wanted to be a turkey hunter lol. Imagine trying to hunt 500 acres with 5 turkey hunters. Good luck.
Id take those numbers! I only own 40 acres! Its like hubting in your backyard! Come deer season there is 2-3 guys on every 40 acrr parcel around me. Illinois is not all it was cracked up to be.
I have:
350 acres - only turkey hunter, no charge. I get the land manager some stuff at cost whenever he wants it, not very often. I have killed 1-2 birds there per year for the last 10-12 years. Nothing in the past 2 years though. Got some new landowners nearby that I think are shooting them in the fall.
125 acres - just got this year. Called one in close, but he would not finish. No charge. Nice creek and surrounded by well managed land. If he roosts in that creek, I have a good chance. If not, I move on.
125 acres - deer hunting lease with family. I don't deer hunt, so it is turkey for me. We usually take 1-2 per year for the last 4 years. It is all family, so if they kill one, I am as happy as if I killed it. I have called in birds for most of the family members, there or elsewhere. 300 a year. Pretty much a deer hunt for turkeys if they are not roosted right in the creek which runs through it.
Trying to get in to a 2000 acre lease with 20 members, few of which turkey hunt. 1150 the first year and 950 each year after. we will see if it works out.
The rest of my time is on public.
Edit: I am in North Florida. 20 miles from georgia line. South Florida is another world!
Leases run $8 to $10 per acre around here.
I own 115 acres and it adjoins 280 more my family owns. I also have access to two more places that are 600 and 900 acres. I have exclusive rights with a friend on those two places.
I count myself as very fortunate.
Most leases around here are $8-$12 and acre and most I have seen was $20... We have quite a bit of public and I also have access to 2000+ acres of private.
MK M GOBL
Ive. Never paid.No need.Great free hunting.
I only hunt Public land where I live in Orange County,NY. I am also just 18 miles from the New Jersey border. I hunt a total of 4 Public land areas in New York and 3 Public areas in New Jersey. All are within 22 miles of where I live. Easy to get away from other Turkey hunters. I guess if I lived in Texas - I probably would not be hunting much if there is little public land. Landowners in states like Texas should open up more land for hunters or there won't be too many hunters!!
States like TX, MS and South Florida and South Georgia the land owners have figured out what their land is worth and are charging what people will pay. getting access to large tracts without a cash exchange is pretty rare these days unless you have lots of friends and family. I know folks who hunt public because their family members are leasing big tracts out for big $$. Can't blame them. Does Holland Ware have any daughters?
$3400.00 for 409 acres of different age class pine timber in South Mississippi lease.
I can't believe these outrageous prices people pay to hunt!!!!! I might buy the guy a 6 pack old Milwaukee. I will never pay to hunt.Thats rediculas.
Quote from: High plains drifter on April 17, 2018, 03:22:26 PM
I can't believe these outrageous prices people pay to hunt!!!!! I might buy the guy a 6 pack old Milwaukee. I will never pay to hunt.Thats rediculas.
That is a very bold statement and you must have no clue about hunting in the southeast. If you really think that any of us enjoy having to pay for land, then you are wrong. It would be great to have free access to hunting land, but it is not readily available in GA. We have lots of WMAs but all the ones near me are way over pressured and way too crowded to hunt.
You seem to act like we are fools for paying but if you want good hunting and private land, you will pay if you hunt here.
So you would quit hunting if you had to pay?
Quote from: High plains drifter on April 17, 2018, 03:22:26 PM
I can't believe these outrageous prices people pay to hunt!!!!! I might buy the guy a 6 pack old Milwaukee. I will never pay to hunt.Thats rediculas.
If public land isn't available you'll pay to hunt or you'll sit on the internet and read about it.
I dont hunt any public land.
EasternShore of Md is within 3 hours of Baltimore, Washington and Philadelphia so land leases are a way of life for most hunters. In my area hunting annual leases USUALLY go for go for $10-$20 an acre for deer/turkey but some places go much higher. If it has a good population of sika deer or good waterfowl then expect to pay $30 and UP an acre, not unusual to see $50-100 an acre or thousands of $'s per blindsite. Then you have to buy liability insurance. There is thousands of acres of public hunting both state and federal in the area but expect to have a few new hunting buddies often within site. Now saying that there I do have some small parcel that are freebies that are friends, family or door knock properties(still happens but more rare). The usual ham or turkey at Christmas/Thanksgiving with venison, fish fillets offered is still WELL LIKED! Oh yea almost forgot a few widows and elderly wives got some flowers for mothers Day not kidding LOL
Quote from: High plains drifter on April 17, 2018, 03:22:26 PM
I can't believe these outrageous prices people pay to hunt!!!!! I might buy the guy a 6 pack old Milwaukee. I will never pay to hunt.Thats rediculas.
Lol. Different strokes for different folks. You pay to play around my parts.
I pay $835 a year for a membership on a 5200 acre lease with 42 memberships. Some members have two so there is probably 35 guns on it. It's timber company land and we now have probably 20 gas wells on it. P
This makes me feel better about what I am paying but in all honesty it is hunted as hard as public and has easier access to boot. I really do enjoy public land hunting though. I haven't been around a lot of states but I have hunted land that gets hammered and it still is very doable to kill birds if your willing to work. Plus there's a sense of satisfaction that comes from taking game regularly on places that many would just stay home instead of hunting.
Come to think of it I have an offer from a farmer to turkey hunt his 500 acres and haven't set foot on it yet and that was three years ago. It's ten minutes from home too.
I pay $1400/yr in texas for 1500 acres. Deer, turkey, axis. 4 turkeys and 3 deer allowed per member. Im the only person that spring turkey hunts. 10 members. Here in LA i hunt public land.
Quote from: High plains drifter on April 17, 2018, 06:44:31 PM
I dont hunt any public land.
You hunt in a different part of the world. I have only been turned down once in Saskatchewan for duck hunting in 12 years, other than someone already speaking for a spot. Around home, I pretty much wait for an invite or only ask good friends. It is the way of the southeast for private land. I am very lucky with what I have available as most don't.
There are probably very many people who would love to Spring Turkey Hunt in the South and the SouthEast-- but cannot afford to as their is just Private Land in their area. Money will always talk- but if people cannot afford to pay to play-- the number of hunters will just drop every year. Something that the people on the left are watching now . Probably there are many would be hunters out there who like me do not make a whole lot of money each year. Again-- TG for Statesville my home state of New York that has PLENTY of public Hunting land. New Jersey also and PA has State Game Lands all over their State.
Quote from: quavers59 on April 18, 2018, 08:47:01 AM
There are probably very many people who would love to Spring Turkey Hunt in the South and the SouthEast-- but cannot afford to as their is just Private Land in their area. Money will always talk- but if people cannot afford to pay to play-- the number of hunters will just drop every year. Something that the people on the left are watching now . Probably there are many would be hunters out there who like me do not make a whole lot of money each year. Again-- TG for Statesville my home state of New York that has PLENTY of public Hunting land. New Jersey also and PA has State Game Lands all over their State.
Ive always thought the demise to hunting would more be access to land to hunt than anything else.
Use to a farmer had a few hundred acres and wanted animals thinned out so they could make a living and if one happened to say no you went to the next house. Now in my area everyone farms several thousand acres and are more worried about the possibility of an accident and getting sued than animals eating up profits. Also they may hunt it themselves or family which use to it was only the few hundred acres now that locks up thousands of acres.
I feel fortunate and have plenty of ground to hunt but feel for others that don't. If I had to pay to play I definitely would. Hunting especially Turkey's only comes after God and Family..Life wouldn't be the same without any of them in it.
I had no idea that hunting land access was so limited in some areas of the South and SouthEast until I read this thread. I understand that Texas has one of the highest populations of wild turkeys in the nation. Why can't their State Game and fishing Dept make a deal with Texas landholders that hold very many thousands of acres to open up (some) of their land for Draw type Spring Turkey Hunts. Just curious why this has not been done and perhaps the landholders with vast acreage can get some money from the State of Texas. I might move South in the future--Bill but it will be to an area with vast amounts of Public hunting like the Washington and Jefferson National Forests in Virginia. Sorry about hitting some wrong keys here.
3 of us pay pay $500 a year total for about 200 acres. It's a friend of ours and we used to hunt it for free. Eventually we got sick of him telling anybody that asked to go ahead and hunt so we worked out an agreement so we had exclusive rights.
I leased a farm in NJ this year (turkey only), I paid $500 for 250 acres. It's still cheaper than joining a hunt club, and a lot closer to home. If I only had state land in PA/NY/NJ/VA to hunt, I'd be a whole lot less enthusiastic about spring turkey hunting.
Here you pay to hunt, try for quotas, or hunt a no quota WMA. I live in a highly populated part of Florida, and the closest public land is over an hour from my door, and millions of people live closer to it than me. Quota hunts in this state that are any good can take years to draw, with none near me. So I pay to play. I'm on a lease with 22 members, 5,200 acres, 2.5 hours north from my house. $2500 per year. Most don't turkey hunt and its loaded with birds. If you go east or south, lease memberships below $7,000 per year are very rare, and most are in the $10k range.
If you have good, free public hunting near your house, count your blessings!
Hello Uncle Nicky! Luck to you this Spring! I tune in to Hunt tingny.com a few days a week. Hiking in North New Jersey this past weekend days on public land, I created a short ridge and came within. 20 yards of a nice Gobbler. A good 10" beard. No putts and a slow walk away with the rest of the flock. Plenty of wild turkeys on public lands in my area. Can't wait for April 23rd!!!
Quote from: quavers59 on April 18, 2018, 01:36:21 PM
Hello Uncle Nicky! Luck to you this Spring! I tune in to Hunt tingny.com a few days a week. Hiking in North New Jersey this past weekend days on public land, I created a short ridge and came within. 20 yards of a nice Gobbler. A good 10" beard. No putts and a slow walk away with the rest of the flock. Plenty of wild turkeys on public lands in my area. Can't wait for April 23rd!!!
Good luck to you this spring also Bill! :gobble: :gobble: :gobble:
Quote from: Sixes on April 17, 2018, 05:35:18 PM
Quote from: High plains drifter on April 17, 2018, 03:22:26 PM
I can't believe these outrageous prices people pay to hunt!!!!! I might buy the guy a 6 pack old Milwaukee. I will never pay to hunt.Thats rediculas.
That is a very bold statement and you must have no clue about hunting in the southeast. If you really think that any of us enjoy having to pay for land, then you are wrong. It would be great to have free access to hunting land, but it is not readily available in GA. We have lots of WMAs but all the ones near me are way over pressured and way too crowded to hunt.
You seem to act like we are fools for paying but if you want good hunting and private land, you will pay if you hunt here.
So you would quit hunting if you had to pay? I'm not saying anybody is a fool, but hunting is expensive in itself, without paying to get on the land.I hunt by myself usually, and I don't pay these guys anything.I can't believe there are no farms in the south, that don't charge money.I just can't fathom that.
I have no problem paying to lease land here and have done so in the past. Right now I'm hunting mostly public land with a few farms thrown in. I have gained access to these by trapping the beavers in the winter, which the land owner really likes. Our problem is a few people with more money than most normal working people, offers the land owner a ridiculously large amount of money for land access. Next thing you know it's being leased to someone else who already has more land than they'll ever hunt. Like I said, I have no problem with leasing, but I can't go broke doing it. And I can't keep up with these guys. Mostly just for deer, but won't allow turkey hunting in the spring. Now, the public land is hunted more and more each year. Frustrating at times, but I usually find a way to make it work.
.I can't believe there are no farms in the south, that don't charge money.I just can't fathom that.
they exist. For most people, they never meet the owners of those farms and cold calling (knocking on doors) is highly unlikely to result in an invite. Mostly because if they are in a populated area, they are either leasing, or they have friends or family already hunting their farm. I have 2 such farms where I met them through work, I am lucky to have met these folks and gotten permission. I also live in a part of the state where there actually are family farms. Not big mega corporation ranches like down south. If you live in Osceola country and have access to private land for free, you are very fortunate and very unusual.
I am fortunate to own some of farms I hunt on here along meherin river and Roanoke river in north Carolina. there is public land hunting here but it is tough and overcrowded. these two counties have very high turkey population densities per square mile as compared to other counties in state. we currently lease some of our lesser farms out at 15.00/acre for deer and turkey. better farms lease for 20.00/25.00 per acre. ten years ago these same farms were priced at 6.00 and 13.00 per acre. it is sad but big money usually prevails around here unless you are family or friends of landowner. we also used to do 3 day guided turkey hunts with food and lodging for 1200.00 but have stopped that practice few years ago. I hope to pass these farms and hunting legacy on to my children when I am gone.
Yeah if you don't live in the southeast you just don't understand how difficult it is to get access I know several people that would like to pay for turkey lease but can't even find one. With the increasing turkey hunters land is hard to find even when willing to pay. And of course public is crowded as heck there are permit hunts here you can go 6 to 7 years and not draw
Here in Illinois I've heard of a $10k/yr lease for 200 acres for deer hunting. Use to have plenty of turkey land to hunt. I said I would never pay for land to hunt. Guess what? I now hunt public that gets more and more crowded every year. The out of staters and up staters have driven prices through the roof on hunting land. The sad part is most don't turkey hunt, only deer hunt. I've asked people in the fall that I've seen walking out because I never see anybody there in the spring and the response I get is they don't want anybody on the land and I could never afford to pay my fair share of what they're paying. If I want on private land it's $350/day. I would rather get lucky on public every once in a while and do a DIY hunt out of state so I get to see more beautiful country.
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It costs me a lot of sweat, some of my free time, and effort, to access a couple of the small horse farms I hunt. I help maintain the horse trails, fix fences, and cut downed trees when needed. There's quite a bit of hunting pressure around them too, but I can usually expect to tag birds there.
There are a couple of big pieces of public land surrounding two local reservoirs that are only open to hunting by drawn permits. I've put in for permits to hunt those lands for 6 consecutive years and haven't been drawn yet.
I know a few folks who allow me to hunt their land once or twice a year, through that is unpredictable at best.
I am starting a door knocking campaign next week at a couple more places I have my eye on.
Jim