How To Go About Finding A Hunting Lease

1. How To Go About Finding A Hunting Lease Thousands of Americans are keen hunters and wing-shooters. These pastimes – passions for many – are often instilled at a young age as hunters introduce their teenagers to hunting. Therefore a healthy interest in this age-old tradition is often developed from a young age, as today’s youth will be tomorrow’s hunters. Not every hunter owns their land, though. In fact, there are few landowners but many hunters. So, hunters and wing-shooters have to find a hunting destination and a suitable lease agreement with a landowner or their agent that manages their leases. In a state such as Alabama, for example, where whitetail deer hunting is extremely popular, as are some wing-shooting activities, hunters will always be on the lookout for a good hunting lease. In essence a lease is a binding agreement between a hunter and the owner of a tract of land whereby the hunter is allowed access to a specific tract for a specified period, at an agreed upon rate – and with both parties’ rights and responsibilities written into this agreement. Hunters may be allowed to hire the land on, say, a per acre basis which, in most parts, ranges between $10 and $50 for whatever period is agreed upon. The agreement also stipulates what is allowed and what not in terms of number of buck, how the land is to be treated and any other important issue that may impact a successful agreement. In many cases landowners also allow hunters to make certain improvements (within limits) on the land, which benefits both parties and which could form the basis of allowing the same hunter the right to hunt there season after season, for example. So how does the hunter go about finding that piece of land that suits them, in other words how is the best hunting lease assured? One way of finding a lease is to look at the region you are interested in then look around the internet or local press to see what is advertised. Another, quite popular approach these days is to contact an agent known for managing leases on behalf of landowners. In Alabama there are such options. For example, the well-known wildlife conservation services company Westervelt Wildlife – and others – offer this service to both landowners and the public, i.e. the hunters. They act as go-between in arranging leases so that both the hunter and landowner can benefit. It is estimated that by the end of the 1990s, i.e. approximately 20 years ago, hunters were already spending more than $600 million on leases, and today, of course, that figure is much higher as rates have gone up. This shows how big a business leasing land to hunters has indeed become, whether you lease directly from an owner or through an agency. Good agencies are well prepared to help hunters and landowners achieve their goal in this regard. They also offer and administer hunting clubs, which is a properly organized system whereby you are offered and allowed memberships, obviously with certain limitations and with regulations and rules that pertain to membership – and the use of the land. Well administered leases create a relationship of trust between landowner and hunter, with the agency acting as middleman to ensure the lease is honored by all. This also leads to future trust and cooperation. Not every hunter will like the idea of joining a club and will, therefore, look around on their own, but those that do join clubs have a lot to look forward to: camaraderie among the members, sharing of responsibilities, even the opportunity to negotiate for more favorable rates and conditions. It all depends on what the agent can come up with and at what level hunter and landowner are happy to meet. There are indeed great benefits for the hunter that joins a club. That is why there are so many of them in the South these days. About Us : At Westervelt Wildlife we manage nearly 700, 000 acres of hunting leases across a few states in the southeast of the United States in conjunction with our main activity, which is timber production. Our expertise allows us to manage our activities to incorporate good management capabilities with high quality wildlife practices and excellent hunting opportunities for the enthusiast. We have been known for many years for the hunting leases we offer and the wildlife services that we believe form the backbone of proper, responsible hunting activities. We are proud of our history and the ethical behavior we are known for in terms of the land and wildlife that we are responsible for. For more about us, please visit https://westerveltwildlife.com/.