Hunting leases VS buying your own property

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The subject has come up within my circle of hunting partners about looking into buying a camp next to or near some state game lands so we can have a decent place to hunt. It will most likely be in a neighboring state such as PA or W.VA.
I'm thinking of checking into hunting leases as a less expensive and less committed alternative.
How does an hunting lease work? Is it a fixed price or a price per acre? Do you have to have attorneys involved?
Does anyone have any experience with this, good or bad?
 
Leases around here are usually a fixed amount per hunting season year for a certain parcel and there is a set limited number of hunters.
This number is often around the property tax amount.
Lease terms can be as different as the person. One lease I know is good til the ground freezes, then I get to hunt it.
 
Thanks, paying the taxes would be a great reason for someone to lease their property. It's getting harder and harder to find property to hunt these days. The State Parks are GIVING our land and our access away to special interest groups like crazy, and the landowners are dying off or selling their lands to developers. It makes me sick to think about shelling out thousands of dollars every year just to have a place to hunt but that's what it's coming to apparently.
 
If you buy you still have the property taxes as well as all the other expenses and if there are problems later (taxes go up, neighbor problems, member dies and the kids turn out to be a problem in any way, you name it,) you have to deal with it one way or another. Lease the exact same property and the same problem comes up you can just walk away.
 
Out of state ownership might be hard to guarantee that you guys will be the only ones hunting it, unless someone moves there.
 
I would lease before I would buy land with partners. What if one or more of the partners won't pay their share of the taxes, won't do their share of the work, or suddenly decide to sell their share to someone that you don't even know. The potential for problems is endless unless you have a good contract and are prepared to buy them out yourself.

As far as a lease goes, I lease my land for about what the taxes are. The guys have full year round access and can hunt anything that they want to except turkeys. They do have to maintain the trails and keep it bush hogged. I am in Southern Virginia and down here hunting leases don't command the premium that they do in other places.
I know that up around the Northern Virginia Area land is at a premium and is commonly leased to one guy for agriculture, another guy for waterfowl, another guy for deer...
Some leases might specify no ATV's, no year round access, no tree stands, etc. Look at all of that before you commit.
If you lease from a timber company be sure to find out when/if they plan to cut. You don't want to pay a lease only to find out that they will be harvesting the timber during hunting season.
Like what was said earlier, with a lease if you are unhappy after the first year you can walk away.
 
Lease land in Oklahoma is ridiculous expensive. I've seen ads for lease land at $15 per acre. I saw 300 acres for $5000 per year. Last year a guy had 80 acres and wanted $500 per person per season. Archery, Primitive and rifle and was going to put 4 people on it. I would give some thought on buying if you can afford it.
 
Thanks guys, I think we are going the route of leasing, at first anyhow. We have a fairly large tract of land we are checking into in PA., we are awaiting details from the fellow in charge of the lease.
I appreciate all the replies.
 
I am in the same situation, I hate leasing but I do agree with everyone above with walking away if there is an issue you don't like. I have come to a point where I think I am going to buy land, I am wanting to stay some what local and that will be the challenge. here in Florida land is not cheap and when a deal comes up it goes fast. I am looking in a specific county and will not give up, although someone said this earlier and I have to agree with them " be careful if you don't live close you will not be the only ones hunting it".
 
I think if you make yourself seen often enough on your land, people will soon learn its off limits to them. Keep it posted with new-ish signs. Let the neighbors know your the new owner and there is NO HUNTING on your property. You can't keep all the fence jumpers out but its nice knowing you always have a place to hunt.
 
Originally Posted By: pyscodogI think if you make yourself seen often enough on your land, people will soon learn its off limits to them. Keep it posted with new-ish signs. Let the neighbors know your the new owner and there is NO HUNTING on your property. You can't keep all the fence jumpers out but its nice knowing you always have a place to hunt.
All good points, these are a few of the reasons I would like to buy land somewhat close to where I live so I can spend a good amount of time there and builddecent relationships with the neighbors.
 
I been looking lately for property to buy or lease. Seems everyone wants to get rich off their land, selling or leasing. A few years ago, land suitable for hunting was $6 per acre. Now its $10 and up. They want $40,000 and up for 30 acres to buy. I've seen 80 acres for over $200,000. Crazy prices.
 
Yes, land has gotten expensive to buy or lease depending on where you are looking. I bought hunting land forty years ago and never regretted it. It served as a vacation getaway for me and my family for many years as well as a hunting paradise. When I bought the land the annual taxes were very affordable but over the years that changed. When I built my cabin there were no neighbors nearby but that changed to. Due to advancing age I sold the camp and land for a price that made it all very worthwhile. If you can afford to buy without depriving your family I would advise that you do it. The rewards can be great in terms of memories. No, I do not sell real estate!
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