I’ve been on this forum for a long time and have offered season leases through the bow hunting page on our ranch in San Saba for 20+ years.

I’ve never been into the short term lease weekend type hunt scenarios but I hear there is a demand for that. I own multiple properties in Bell County that range from 100 to 500 acres that are absolutely overloaded with deer. I’m considering selling one hunt per property on youth, and or opening weekend. It would be one buck and 2 does and I don’t care what is shot.

Every property has numerous bucks in the 120 to 140 range and every property has produced a buck over 150.

What’s the going rate for hunts like this? It would be a Saturday morning, Saturday eve, Sunday morning self guided hunt. The properties have stands and feeders and I’m happy to share pictures. These are basically my private hunting properties and I just got more deer than I need even after taking 45 kids hunting later in the season. On the last day of season last year, one property had 260 are in 100 acre Wheatfield. 55 of them being eight pointer or bigger. Once I figure out a price, I’m going to put up a post showing pictures of the deer that made it through the season last year. Several of these properties are on the edge of the city limits with zero hunting neighbors.

Basically, I’m looking to offset the cost of Feed, food, plots, and other improvements we do to the properties.

I'd be interested in a youth hunt for my son. Please PM info once you have pricing, details, etc.

Taking you at your word on game and quality, you could get $250-500 a night, accommodation dependent and a kill fee of $1250 up to 129", $2000 to 139" and $2500 to 149", $3000 to 160". Would seem reasonable to me.

These are all average deer that will be seen.

Every one of these made it through the season.

If a youth hunter killed one of these bucks it would take a week to wipe the smile off his face. Very nice deer.

These are the best deer from the last 7 years.

I would love to see the hunts be youth hunts. I’m thinking about doing them opening weekend and the second weekend. That chubby little kid is 16 now 6’4 190 and competing for varsity QB so gotta see how that factors in. He will be running the hunts since he’s earning $$ for a mule deer or elk hunt.

Maybe bump my pricing up a little, some nice deer there! Out of curiosity, what county and what high school I'd your son competing at? Good luck to him and you on the hunting operation.

Lake BELTON high school in temple. We hunt bell/Milam counties.

I’d pay $2500 all day for a buck like those. All. Day.

I like DQ kid's pricing range. IMO I would go with (if no accomodations) $1500 for the weekend including the two does, and bucks start at $1500 kill fee. Since you are over-run with deer and it seems your intent is to get some killed, you might consider requiring them to kill at least one if not two does.

Nice looking deer!

We are not in town the early youth weekend but the late youth weekend is actually better. I have one farm with a 100 acre wheatfield and its common to see 50+ deer in a hunt. Last year we shot 3 culls and let some really nice deer walk. I would do 1 buck and 3 does for the late youth hunt for $1650. If you could get a second youth hunter for the same weekend, I'd do $1500 each. This property is 450 acres with three stands/ feeders and the wheat field. It also has a few hogs and the most bobcats of anywhere I've ever hunted.

Looks like you've got a good many trees. There are some big deer in that farming country in eastern Bell county, even on a lot of places that don't have much cover. Definitely an overlooked area.

To not be a headache like the other member trying to score deer I would make it a fixed $2500. $2000 to you $500 to your boy. Or $2300 so they can pay for their hotel and meals and be all in for a simple $2500. My .02. Could probably get more but make it a nice opportunity