How to Form a Hunting Lease

[ChiefBubba]

The family is looking to form a lease on some family property. Was looking for a few ideas on what kind of rules and by laws you guy's that have or are on leases may have? Any ideas would be appreciated, Thanks, Chief.

[Neill_Prater]

I've never been involved in a lease, they aren't popular in this area, but one thing I'd certainly want is a guaranteed renewal option for several years. I've talked to so many people who had good leases there in the South, and perhaps put lots of time and money into improving them, then get knocked out by some professional guy from the city with deep pockets who offers the landowner more money. Good luck. Neill

[paradis1142]

What matters more than what the rules are is making sure that the people on the lease all go by the rules.  That seems to be where most of the problems come from.

[Neill_Prater]

What matters more than what the rules are is making sure that the people on the lease all go by the rules.  That seems to be where most of the problems come from.

You are probably right. My good friend in Alabama was considering getting out of a lease he took primarily for deer hunting because some of the members insisted on driving the roads all day. Said it really ticked him off to be sitting in a stand at sunrise and have a pickup go rolling by.

[Wingbone]

Get it in contract if you know the property meets your needs. There are generic hunting contract forms all over the net you can download and modify to your liking. This is so important because you don't want a landowner raising the price on you every year or selling it out from under you to the highrollers down the road. Draw it up for at least a few years with the price locked in and have your guys and the owner sign it if agreed upon.

I have lost so many good tracts of land due to good ole boy handshake deals that were worthless once the landowner realized he had a cash cow in the making.  After we put in the work and fixed it up only to have leased out from under us without giving us the option to lease first. There just some kind of electrical arc that shuts down the brain's logic process when someone flashes a wad of cash in front of elderly landowners.