I have been on a GREAT family lease going on 9 years. I hunt with 5 other guys who I would trust with ANYTHING.

Problem...Over this 9 years i have hunted this property I have only seen maybe 3 good bucks taken from our lease.

Our lease (south of Abilene) is up for renewal. We currently pay $750.00 and I suspect the landowner will raise its price.

This weekend I had an invite from a friends dad to join there lease. They hunt south of San Angelo.

The lease they hunt on has been under management for quite some time. and are pulling out GREAT bucks. Lease operates under similar rules as ours.

Difference?
$2,000 vs $750

I like my current lease due to the fellowship of the other hunters...but I can go to church and my local pub for that!

I wanna see some DEER!

Last year I got a good 8pt...

But over the last few years I could count on 1 hand the amount of deer I saw. And thats not saying the were the same deer.

$2000 is pushing it but the way my friends dad talks of his place sounds top notch.

Should I stay or should I go?

Only you can know for sure but if you arnt happy and you can afford the upgrade then it makes since. I personaly would choose friends over deer but if I only saw 5 deer on a place then it probly would sway me. I dont think I could hunt with a group that I dont know. You might look into getting your current buddies and go in on a new place together instaed of leaving them.

If $2000 isnt too rich for your blood then I'd go for it! Great hunting down that way for sure. And like you said you can have great fellowship at church. For some a deer lease means seeing deer, you can always go camping with buddies for free IMO.

$2000 isn't even the relevant number. It's $1250 or maybe less if you assume your current landowner is going to raise your cost.

So would you pay an extra $1250 or less to see nice bucks every year? I hunt to get outdoors, but no way am I going to be satisfied seeing 3 good deer in 9 years. I want to at least have a reasonable expectation that I'll take a good buck every season, even if it doesn't happen.

They way I look at too is that I go EVERY weekend to my current lease to hunt. Thats $150 in gas. And yes I go EVERY weekend... thinking that maybe this weekend will be the time for some deer.

So I hope to Break-even... theoretically by only making a couple of trips to the new lease. Then again I like just sitting in the blind...but not seeing deer is getting OLD!

Depends on what is more important to you..fellowship and the hunt, or shooting big bucks?

I know.... thats my problem....
I trust these guys! and I have hunted with some TRUE SOB's

I also meet these guys getting on this lease...so its not like I was friends with them in the past....hell they are 20 plus years older than me...not that makes a difference...

Im just SO tired of not seeing DEER! LOL

You keep sayin' that your tired of not seeing any deer... I think you have answered your own question. If you want to shoot deer, go to the lease that will give you that oppertunity.

I'm on a lease south of Abilene too. I didn't take any deer this last season. I saw two good bucks during the rut and didn't have a shot at either one. I saw other smaller bucks that weren't shooters. But, the does were almost non-existent during daylight hours. The deer and hogs pretty much went nocturnal.

Now that the season is over, I see lots of sign. But, still now animal movement during daylight hours.

The previous season, I took three does but saw hardly any bucks. I regularly saw deer in the mornings and evenings.

Go figure.

I'd probably go. That said, talk to your buddy's dad and get ALL of the details of the place, including what kind of character the other members have. If its really that much better then its a no-brainer.

Why don't you and your current group of hunters look for a nicer lease together? It is hard to find a good group that you trust.

x2 this is very true, it is hard to get a good group of hunting buddies.

Well first off Angelo is a lot further than Abilene so it will cost you more to go and you will go less often (I'm guessing)

Personally I would stay, but then I've shot a lot of deer over the years and it's not that big a deal to me anymore... My lease is 100 mi from home and the great value in it, is that I can go every week end year around if I want, it's a great place to go and get away from the big city and just relax.

I'd be packing my bags and heading to the new lease. We all get comfortable and worry about the what ifs involved in a change. I owned my own property for several years, and spent a pile of money and time improving the property for hunting. I never did see what I would consider to be a good buck on that property, even on trail cams. Due to the economy, I decided to sell it and join a lease. I was concerned on how things would work, but both my son and I ended up killing better deer than we had seen in the five years we owned our property. Go for it.

Thanks for the suggestions...Im heading out this weekend to take a look at the this "new lease". I will keep yall updated

New lease for sure!!! Paying less for a bad place doesn't make sense at all. I want to see deer when I hunt!!

hell lease both for a year so you dont loose the one your on.... then if you really like the new one drop your old lease next year, and if the new lease dont pan out then you will still have your old one.... hell your gonna be in it for 2000 already so whats another 750?

I have the same situation like you. My leased is south of Sweetwater.I would rather be around my close friends on a bad lease, than leave them for a good lease. To me, deer hunting is not about shooting a nice buck, but the quality time I spend on the lease.

Couldnt agree with you more...However Im going on ten years not seeing a shooter buck more than twice. And my defintion of a shooter is anything bigger than a basket buck on low fence property.

Sounds to me like you simply want a chance to see (and shoot of course) some better deer then you have been seeing the past 10 years. If this 'new' place no doubt has the kind of deer you are looking for then to me it is a 'no brainer'!

X2 on that.

Heck i spent over 3K on a place last year and didnt see a shooter deer, for 2K that place sounds really good i would go for it. Oh and i cant afford a free lease much less that much but i want to SEE deer and enjoy it so i find a way to spend what it takes to do so.

I went thru this 2 years ago, I ended up keeping both and have not regrets dropping the money on the new lease. I mainly stay on the other lease because it's close to home and is great for hogs (like you only saw 3 shooter in about 6yrs).

2nd That

yea been doing the same thing for 6 years,seen maybe 2 shooters in that time,my buddys hunt with me and trust me drama all the time with them and land owner.but dang its getting old