I tally up what I spend every year for hunting and it ends up usually being 6-7,000 per year when all costs are considered. My lease only runs about a grand here in the Panhandle. I could go on a very nice hunt or 3 or 4 smaller hunts for that price if I day leased, and the thought has crossed my mind before about doing a guided hunt for elk in Colorado or a trip to Africa.

I probably shouldn't even give my input on this but there might be another option. I like many do not like being told when I can hunt, what I can hunt, with what I can hunt with, who can hunt with me, etc, etc. On top of that I've heard many negative issues with owners on land leases, like showing up and your hunting area being mowed down and many other issues. Also unless you hunt in a high fence area a guided hunt isn't a guarantee. So what was the option that i choose? I chose to buy me a small piece of property situated amongst several thousand wooded acres. Now nobody tells me what to do. my property is an investment. I bring who I want, when i want. I can hunt all year long. As you can see from previous post I have plenty of critters to hunt. While I have not harvested a deer yet I have seen plenty on my cameras, I will harvest one next year after I pattern them better.

I basically believe with enough homework one can find a decent piece of property to hunt with a mortgage between $2500 to $7000 per year. I choose those numbers based on all the posts. Remember this is just my opinion. Do whatever works for you.

CheifQ!.. Good for you. You seem to have the right attitude. Me? I'm leasing and hoping for the best.

For me this is a no brainer, lease with year round access, the comraderie of camp, putting in the time to have things set up is absolutely no problem. There are those that don't like "rules" but, but mercy, where would we be without common sense rules. Any way, for me the lease is the only way to go.

I agree if your going to have a lease make it year long access one. Also I agree with common sense rules, but common sense isn't so common it seems. I do however apply them to myself as a good nieghbor. Never shoot during archery season,I never run heavy loud machinery during deer season. No matter what choice you make these are basics in my book. There will always be pros and cons no matter what you choose. It's all about personal preference.

Like some others have stated, I prefer to lease for several reasons. First, to me it's about more than just the kill or a trophy animal, it's about the experiences and cameraderie associated with a hunting lease. Second, I like having a place I can head to any time I want, whether by myself, with some friends or with my kids. I can go fishing, camping, dove hunting, hog hunting or just hanging out for a weekend and cooking out and drinking a few beers and not worry about intruding or being hassled. Thirdly, I enjoy the trips out in the off-season to scout new areas, move/build blinds, fill feeders and work around camp.

If I was simply interested in killing a trophy and the other stuff didn't mean as much, I suppose I'd find an outfitter. But a lease works for me for what I enjoy and feel is most important.

Thanks for all the replies. Did not expect to get so many. I see both sides now. I plan on purchasing a lamco timed protein feeder this year and with that have to fence it off. So cost of lease + new protein feeder would = a couple of nice guided hunts. However I do have a son and all my friends are on the lease. So I guess with that said it really is about what suits your life and time best. The lease is alot of time, effort, and money when you factor in all the trips, food, feed, etc throughout the year. However come November to be able to hunt as much as I want makes it all worth while. Thank for the input.

I think there are three sides to the discussion: Leasing/Outfitters/Owning Land.

I've done all three in some regard and see positives and negatives to each when you compare the three. However, at the end of the day it just comes down to personal preference.

I'm extremely fortunate in that I have way more options on different places to hunt than I could ever actually take advantage of. They range from small to large acreage, low-fence, high-fence, exotics, mule deer, etc.

Even with all those options, my preferred spot is our family land in Wise County that probably presents the fewest trophies of any of my options. However, there's just something about hunting where my great-great-great grandfather hunted that is special to me.

Trophies are in the eye of the beholder.

I own a small piece of land that I hunt, but I also am on a lease and go on at least one guided hunt per year.

If hunting out of state, I know that my time will be limited and that I want to be successful. Different people define a hunt as successful in different ways....my definition of a successful out of state hunt is quality time with my son, have a lot of fun, seeing plenty of game, and both of us getting what we consider to be an animal representative of a decent animal for the area we are hunting. While I am more than prepare to sit multiple times in a local deer stand and not see a thing or sit on the local duck lake wishing there was a duck on the lake, when I am on vacation I want more action than that, so I feel like an outfitter or preserve is a better investment of my time and money when out of state.

I would not, however, be happy with only hunting once or twice per year. I think to appreciate your successes you need to have those days where you hunted as hard as you could but still come home empty handed. I consider some of the smaller deer or other critters I have taken on my own hunts to be more of a "trophy" than ones shot on a preserve or guided hunt, that does not mean I did not have a lot of fun doing both.

Interest responses, but I don't think anyone has mentioned the number of hunts on a lease verse 1 weekend with a guide on private land. Did I understand that correctly? I am looking for a lease that me and my son can work on and spend time weekends hunting and fishing. So I would lean toward a lease my self but that is just me.

I said it before but it's very much a trade off with each side of the discussion having benefits and drawbacks. My compliments on a very civil discussion, by the way. Leasing is absolutely the best way to have the freedom of a "vacation spot" or the feel of "owning the land" without the tax bill in December. If you want to camp, cook over the fire, go fishing and other activities throughout the year that's definately the best way to go.

The biggest advantage of a guided hunt is the exposure to more varied, typically better quality game. My hunters this weekend took an Impala doe, which is pretty rare for a high-fence place in these parts, much less a deer lease. We also used a lull to go to a different ranch for a "camera-safari". We saw Red Deer, Axis, Sika, Fallow, Blackbuck, Oryx, Bison, Zebra, Auodad, Mouflon, Turkey and others. They had a wonderful time.

On poster said he spends between $6000 and $7000 per year on his lease. Here's how that compares with some of what we do:

Bull Elk (upper-300's) - $5500 (does not include lodging)
Whitetail, Sika, Fallow or Blackbuck doe hunt (includes all fees, but no lodging) - $250

This weekend I had two guys come up and hunt the entire day. They took 5 whitetail does and paid a total of $650. I had another group use the lodge, they brought 10 people and stayed from noon Friday until noon on Sunday. They had the run of a 2000 acre ranch and took the Impala doe and 2 whitetail does. They had a 3-bedroom, 2-bath house on a hill in the ranch. They were able to cook the fresh-killed Impala over an open fire. They were able to bow-hunt, rifle hunt, safari hunt both day and night. Their total bill (not including gas from Houston) was $1650.

I personally would love to have a lease and be able to camp and do those things. In my personal situation, though, I have a family who's not into camping or "roughing it" and I have a VERY busy schedule that does not allow for many weekends away during the year. For me, and others in my situation, a guided or unguided day hunt is the best, most cost-effective option available.

Certainly trade offs on all options.

I've never been on a guided hunt so can't speak to that. However, I've envied the guys that can go to Mexico for monster deer or to Wyoming for elk.

I haven't leased in 30 years. A GOOD lease with Good owners would be a pretty sweet deal. Assuming, of course, that it is year around access with an owner with mutual respect, it would be hard to beat. However, that has to always be considered temporary. Things always change.

I've owned my own small 200 acre place for 30 years. I can do whatever I please. I bought it right so the payments aren't killing me. It gives me a place to weekend when I want to and that is important to my Wife and I. The problem with land ownership is that it is still much more expensive than either of the other 2 options. I've often said that, if I didn't own the land, I could easily afford the great guided hunts and a yearly lease. However, I am pretty well stuck with hunting my own place. After all associated costs, I figure it costs me somewhere around 6 to 8 thousand a year. If you figure that, due to the massive acorn crop, I've seen 6 deer this year, it gets pretty expensive per deer sighting. And due to that cost I don't have the options of hunting elsewhere.

I have a lease that is extremely cheap. So cheap as a matter of fact that I am not willing to talk about it. We have been on the place for 16 years and if not for our lease group, the owner probably would not lease it at all. He was previously burned by a group of hunters that did not take care of the property. The owner has a strict no guest rule at any time. My wife does not even know how to get to the ranch. There are 4 of us on 1,100 low fenced acres. There is a surface lease guy that runs about 30 head of cattle. There is an old house for us to stay in. But probably the best thing about this ranch is that it is only 50 minutes from my driveway to the front gate. The landowner is elderly and has only one heir. She lives in Arizona and has absolutely no interest whatsoever in the place. I am sure that when her father passes her first call will be to a real estate agent. So, my time on this wonderful ranch is likely limited. Whenever that day comes I will probably have to find affordable guided hunts. That will be a sad day indeed.

I have been hunting for 15+ years now. Been VERY lucky over the last 14 and have been invited every year to different properties all over tx. The king ranch to hunting 15k lowfence in duvall county, to cotulla, to nacadoches, willis area, coleman, callahan county all the way west to the transpecos region and north tx childress. Every year it got harder with having to follow the rules of when I could and could not go. I have been on guided trips which are fun as well. With all the ranches I have hunted I have been part of the cleaning camp/filling feeders/getting stands ready for season. The experience is great but also nice to be treated like a king for a weekend and have food served to you and to be guided on your journey. This year I got my first lease ever. I figured with my son now being 4 in 2 weeks that it is time to pass on the camp experiences that I have had in my years of the outdoors. Not only do we get the family bonding time, but he also will learn the laws of the land and respect that we should be giving to what mother nature and god has given us. I would not trade it for the world but if I do ever come across extra play money, I would do the guided hunt as well as my own lease.....

There are no free-range exotics that I've seen down here in the Laredo area. That's pretty much the reason I'd pay for an axis hunt.

I have a very limited time to hunt. I hit the woods maby three times a year. I have two little ones and a horse ranch. That takes most of my time. filling feeders and such real plays into cost as well as scouting and upkeep for a year.

i would rather have a guid take me out which will increase my chance in harvisting an animal and filling the freezer. i usually hunt for meet and sometimes spend for a wall hanger.

thats why i choose a guide over a lease

I go to the woods all year long to re-charge by batteries. I love the peace and quiet that you get. I enjoy the fresh air. All the work and improvements and maintaining equipment is a labor of love. It is hard work but I feel good when I do it and can't wait until the next time I do it again. Spending time in camp with my family and friends is truly an honor. I hope that I always have the luxury and ability to have a year around lease

A guided hunt is more of a flash in the pan instant success, take pictures and go home with your trophy.

Having done the lease thing and been on guided hunts, both as the client and as the guide, I take it you have never been on a real guided hunt.

I have eaten tag soup quite a few times on elk hunts in Colorado, and had clients go home from the hunts where I was the guide without firing a shot, or missing the only shot opportunity they had.

Leasing is not for everyone and neither are guided hunts, but guided hunts, when done with reputable outfitters/guides are not "Flash in The Pans" by any stretch of the imagination.

I have options to go on guided hunts where they clean your animal for you, drop you off, etc. But I also own a piece of property that is my own. In my opinion if you even have 10 acres that is your own that is ag exempt (So taxes don't kill you)...you will enjoy it. Like right now I am at home with my daughters and my wife is at our small place with some girl friends. The entire family buys in and gets to enjoy the place and not just the "Hunters" in the family....Just my 2 cents. That also helps convince the other half.

Also, if you really want to introduce people to a taste of hunting have your family involved in cleaning the animal or at least watching you clean the animal, etc. Not just pulling the trigger like on guided hunts. Been there and done that and it is a awesome experience and treat but totally different. Also, on guided hunts sometimes you are sharing a hunting area, lodge, eating area, etc. with other people you may enjoy being around or may not. Plus on guided hunts your friends may not all be interested in paying that kind of money to hunt just one or two weekends. On a lease or small piece of land you typically can get interested friends or family involved easier whether they are a hunter or not.

Pros / Cons to all (3) options....pic the one that best fits your lifestyle. There is some maintenance involved with owning or leasing your own place to consider as well. If you want just a weekend or two..go the guided route. If you want more then that pic the other two.

You really answered your own question. I will explain in deatil using perosnal experiacnes.

We where on a lease very simular to yours animals wise, price after corn and electricity was normally 14-1600 it was one of the best leases we had been on, while on that lease I sadi the exact same thing about all the game ranches around us. Factor in Expenses traveling year round and your pushing 3K easy especaily when gas and diesil went through the roof. Again I would gladly pay it for what we had.

Year 8 9 10 on that lease where pure hell, constant BS with 2 lease members screwing all the hard work up we had achieved over the last 7 years. Landowners plain didn't care anymore.

So we got off.

We looked at several leases and finally found one that was 4hrs form home on the same amount of land but only had Whitetail, and no cabin. During my family and few of there friends setting up Rules and so forth I said F'it. As while we where 4 hrs closer to home, I now had to factor in, motel and eating every trip, plus all the set up cost. So while it 700 a gun, again factoring in trip expenses and first year set up and it was going to be damn near the same price for just Whitetail. Adding insult to injury The last 2 years I could only hunt a few days out of the year and the choice was simple I walked away.

My point is Finding a lease like I had, or you currently have is very hard price wise with all the animals you have on it, If I could find one like I had I would gladly get on it but its not a option so Guided hunts become more atractive. I'm not a horn hunter I like the Deer, Turkey Meat. So if I pay even 500-1000 dollars to shoot a Few Meat Does, and some turkey of a day lease I still come out ahead of the deal. If I ever want to take a trophy white tail, Axis, Sitka, Fallow which I do, It will still be easyer/cheaper for me just to pay the a Guide and be done with it unless I find a awesome deal.