"Guests" On A Lease

We are negotiating a new hunting lease with a group and I have a bur under my saddle about it. Help me understand the concept of "guests" as we have never allowed "guests."

[rant on]Some hunters purchases the rights to access and hunt a piece of property from a land owner while others....."friends/guest" get to free load and pay nothing ???

I not talking about your unarmed wife or g/f coming out and sitting in the blind with you. Nor am I talking about your 8 year old son sitting in your blind shooting your rifle. I am talking about your drinking buddies being an unpaid additional liability driving vehicles and 4 wheelers on the property, shooting deer off your tags, shooting quail, shooting ducks, shooting predators.......etc.

What exactly is the point of leasing a property if you can free load off your buddies spot ??? [/rant off]

Explain this logically to me as if you were the land owner in question. Please leave emotion out of it and discuss why you think that is acceptable.


Tbar

My SIL leased her pasture to 4 guns. 4 guns turned into three campers and about 20 people. They blew our breakers and dumped their sewage. Just a bunch of drama. I think this is what to expect from a "family" friendly lease. I think it shows irresponsibility of the landowner for not being specific.

This is why we don't lease.

Don't lump all leasors in together, there a bad apples on both sides of the deal. I have the utmost respect for my lease and have always, always left a place cleaner than I found it.

For me "guests" means my son or maybe even a brother who flies in from out of state. Those would not impact the total possible game take as they would have to shoot off of my tags. Other possibles would be if you need to thin the pigs outside of deer season or predator control. I think your interpretation of "family friendly" greatly differs from mine.

I think any policy needs to take into consideration safety, the needs of the herd, other lessee's and the reasons you lease your land in the first place.

If your expectation of a dad is to pay for two, three or even four spots on a lease to let his kid shoot a doe or cull off of his tags then you are going to keep most dads from being able to afford to hunt your land.

I lease 5000 acres from the landowner. We allow "guests" on a limited basis. Guests are not allowed to shoot bucks period. A member is allowed to bring ONE guest and only ONE time during the gun season. This is used by me as the lease manager as a recruitment tool. I then have a base of potential candidates in case I have a member drop off the lease. Guests are permitted in the off-season provided they are there to pitch in with filling feeders, working on blinds and other odds and ends that need be done, again giving them a feel for what it takes to maintain a quality lease. This gives me an insight to what kind of a lease member they might be. This is my rationale for a limited guests allowed policy.

I can see both sides. Were fortunate enough to have a mld lease, and had to shoot 200 does. If it wasn't for friends I don't know what we would do. We made sure everyone that came out had to sit with someone that was a paying member. It turned out great!!

I find it that you have good "guests" and bad ones. I have been one at my friends lease for a few years now and always what they say goes considering they are the ones paying. I think it depends on the respect of your "guests" and if they treat it as a privilege or not.I was lucky enough to take 3 turkey last season and this season will become a member.

Does are for guests. You need an extra person to help predator or duck hunt, what is wrong with bringing a friend if no one else can make it? They probably should not come until Thanksgiving or after the rut. They can be good scouter too and let you know what is moving at a stand.

My landowner does not allow guests and I happily comply with his rule. I believe that a landowner has a right, if not a responsibility, to know exactly who is going to be on his property. He has a cattle lease guy and he wants to minimize traffic and possible negative interactions between the cattle guy and our hunting group. To me it is understandable and wise on his part. The cattle guy stays out of our way and we do likewise.

Oh the "can I bring a guest" question. I only have a day leasing operation so its a more cut and dry awnser for me, a son,daughter, wife or companion,these days. But as far as a Yearly paid lease id still have to agree more along the lines with passthru, son, wife, brother. You ever had this happen to you? "Hey we both made it but my buddy, well hes just going to catch a nap in the truck, oh and if I see anything i may go get him and if he wants to hunt, then he can just pay if he shoots anything, is that cool with you?"
Ive had this happen to me a couple of times. Its hard when you turn down a group of 4 because you gave your word to someone else first and this kind of stuff happens.

Ours is immediate family only! Culls ok, trophy it is your buck. There are only five of us all good friends no issues.

It doesnt matter who you ask about guests on a leases everyone is going to have a different opinion.Our lease allows guests because it is up to us the group to decide and we decided to allow guests they only shoot does or spikes. In my opinion Im paying my lease spot amount and if I want one of my friends to shoot one of my deer then thats my right because Im sure not gonna shoot 5 deer and one thing about it if I bring a friend I consider him a true friend and not just aquaintance I met 1 or 2 times so I no what kind of friends I have and I can trust them granted there have been pleny of people get in a jam bringing a friend to there lease but I guess they werent as good a friend as the person thought.Just my .02

Ive never been a non paying guest on any somebodys deer lease, Ive been asked several times, but it just doesnt seem right.

I have always been on a lease where a "guest" is allowed. Normally I was always my dads guest which was always determined before a lease agreement was signed. It allowed my dad to take me hunting with him without paying a fortune. My mom also would never let my father go hunting by himself. My dad has a history of getting hurt at our ranch or deer lease.(heat stroke and Broken ankle) Luckily he wasn't alone when he broke his ankle due to the fact that he could have a guest. Then again, we have never been the type to abuse the priviledge of having a guest. We always have followed the management practices, even though we may not take a trophy for a year or two. Now that I am older and have my own job,the "guest" spot allows us to get a better lease with alternating who gets to shoot the trophy every other year. We have no issue having to sit in the same stand together, doubling our work load around the ranch, and etc. If my dad couldn't go(i was the leasee, he was my guest), I had a buddy come out with me to keep me company on a 4 day hunt. Nobody else was on the property the entire time. In case something were to happen to me, I would at least have someone close by to help me in case of an emergency.

This is one of those deals that should be hashed out and in writing before the lease agreement is signed.

Generally speaking however, on the leases I work on, the person leasing the hunting rights, can shoot one trophy buck or one management buck and does.

If the leasee wants to let a friend or sibling or child shoot their deer for them, that is their business, but once their limit is reached, they are thru deer hunting for the season.

Some folks won't bring guests, while others will let guests shoot the does that the leasee is supposed to kill during the season.

We have always done the whole "guest shoots off your tag" approach. If the person who leases and pays the money and they are willing to let someone else shoot their deer, then so be it!
But it stops there, no double dipping!

Shooting off your tag?????????? Illegal and double dipping. Jk i know what you mean.

If a lease shares blinds the guest should not be able to shoot bucks imo. We share blinds as most have been there before any of us got on so bucks are taken by chance by members. Guests only get does or a messed up buck.

There are 6 of us leasing a total of 5000 acres. It's a 250 mile drive. We are MLD and as such we have a total quota of about 10 deer (bucks and does) per hunter. We have lots of culls that need killing as part of our management plan. Our lease is in the middle of absolutely nowhere and in the boderlands.

1) Nobody wants to make that drive alone.
2) None of us can nor want to kill and clean that many deer all by yourself.
3) Guests help our management plan by taking some of our does and culls.
4) It's dangerous to be in the middle of nowhere with no cell phone service and with the potential issues of being on the border. Nobody should be there alone for safety's sake.

With that said the guest policy must be strictly enforced. No more that one or two guests at a time. They have to sit with their hosts except in special circumstances (only shooting does and hogs).

I go to the lease to relax and have fun with close friends. Taking your best bud or brother can only enhance the experience. Just don't let it get out of hand. Also, because of the distance involved you cannot depend on other members being there when you go.

Have gone to a couple of leases as a guest. Was ONLY to shoot 'other than deer' and not during deer season. I shouldn't have the rights paying leasees have. Don't most leases have a rule on how many deer shot? And most the guest shoots from that, off of friend's lease/tags? Ducks, hogs, predators would be ok, not deer in my opinion.
And what about kids? Know a guy that didn't want another guy on lease to have free range because he had 4 kids, and they all want to shoot a buck. I think kids should shoot off of allotment/tags as well. just my opinion

We allow guest, and that's other than family. They can hunt by themselves in a stand we put them in. They don't hunt "off our tags", they use their tags. They can shoot any legal game. Been doing this for nearly 20 yrs and never had a problem. Guess we just have some good friends.
I have too, been a guest on other's leases. One was a quail hunt and one was a turkey hunt. I ended up gettin on the lease that I quail hunted and was offered a spot on the lease I turkey hunted inwhich I declined. I know how to act as a guest and same with the guest that hunt with us. Some in this world just never get it, reason for rules and such reguarding guest. We feel really blessed we don't have to deal with issues such as this. May be the reason we have never had to fill a spot on ours in over 15 yrs.

we are allowed to let a relative shoot off our tags, and if we really wanted to we could let a friend shoot a doe. generally nobody brings non relatives out during deer season, that's just how it's worked out so far. I am also allowed to run hog dogs on the lease, and i frequently bring guests with me when i do. I just keep the number down to one or two at a time and don't bring anybody out that i'm not comfortgable with.

our landowner says guest allowed but cannot kill deer. we say you bring a guest he hunts with you and stays with you. family can kill whatever you can but it comes off your tags. we have a great bunch of people on the lease and we all get along. my way of thinking is you have one bad egg or two causing issues you get rid of them and not punish the the whole group.

If I were to have a guest it would be someone I know very well. My other leases were for family members only and must be w/ you in the same blind.

I have 2 leases, one allows guests and the other one does not. The one that does not allow guests does not consider my wife and minor kids to be guests. It is a family lease and my wife and kid can hunt on their own tags. The other lease I can bring anybody I want to but whatever they kill comes off of my limit.

WE where on a MLD lease for 10yrs, that allowed paid guest. 100 dollars got you 2 days hunting.

No bucks period.
All the Does, Turkey, Pigs you wanted, because they had to be harvested.

I always went at least once in general season, generally for 5-10 days. I generally only hunted 2 days, would get my fill and then just go sit with family or other lease members "minus my rifle".

I never felt bad about it for a few reasons, even if I shot 4 does they had to be shot per the MLD and Management so it took pressure off paid hunters to harvest minimum of 3 does in a year.

2. Every year I went down on spring break and worked all week, clearing lanes, fixing feeders, placing bow stands or rifle tands, welded stands for them.

3. Anytime I was in Camp and didnt hunt, I had everythign ready for dinner, or breakfast when everybody came back in form the hunt.

So I definately pulled my own weight for the little amount I took, some guest would come down pay there 100.00 hunt 5 days and take 4 does and 2 turkeys and never blink about it, and would do nothing to help keep the place running.

If I'm and guest on a lease I shoot spikes or does. I'm not going out to shoot a big buck for free on someone else's dime. Deer hunting is expensive stuff for the majority of us.

We are allowed to bring guest on our place. They always have to hunt in your blind with you or beside you. They cant shoot bucks and if they shoot a doe it comes off your tag. We have had it this way for about 5 years now and have never had a problem. Usually they just hunt dove with us and hogs before deer season, are not present during deer season unless it's to take a doe, and then after deer season we will usually have a couple of quail hunts and might bring a guest. Each lease member is allowed only one guest, and we also use this guest policy to evaluate potential new members for the lease.

Guests allow a couple of guns into many guns hunting for free. It's interesting to see some nice 10 point 2 year old culls taken by guests on their 1 weekend out there to hunt. I'm not a fan of guests on leases. If you want to have friends, buy another spot.

Wife and kids only everyone else can pay there way just like I do. You ever have the friend that loves to hunt but never has a deer lease he is called the moooooch!!! They are never good for the deer lease b/c if something happens no skin off there back did not pay to hunt anyway and you are kicked off and they will not help you move. And then have the B-LLS to ask the next lease you find.

Any body with "friends" like that has no business inviting guests.

To me, a family friendly lease is just that- immidiate family,my wife and children. I have never been a fan of "guest" hunting on a lease, as they shoot what they want or sometime don't follow rules. The lease I'm on now, we asked the land owner about bring our son's out to hunt- no problem. The other guys on the lease brought a friend down in bow season for one weekend they said. After talking with the land owner, I found out the guy hunted every weekend of bow season... for free. So personaly,I prefer only paying guest on a lease.

By the way,if you have a lease,let me know

Guest can't shoot what they want or violate rules if their host is sitting with them in the stand. Guests shouldn't just be turned loose to what they want.

I've never understood what the big deal is about the guest policy...if each member has an certain number of deer they can kill, doesn't really matter who shoots them. I do believe that hosts should be responsible for their their guests and any violation or fine should be just as if the paying member had performed the act.

I agree 100%

We own our property. There are four family members that hunt the property regularly -myself, brother sister, and BIL from other sister that does not hunt. Our guests are only allowed to shoot does and pigs during deer season. During dove season, there are no restrictions on guests. All of our guests are either family friends or other relatives. We have never really had any bad experiences with guests other than accidentally shooting nubbing bucks.

I agree with Rifleman. Doesn't matter who shoots what as long as it is legal per the TXDOW and the lesee's agreement with the lessor.

I own my own business. If I want to take a customer hunting and (if he is worthy)and I am willing to let him shoot "my" trophy buck then I should be able to do so.

The problem sets in when certain "friends" are allowed onto the lease. If these "friends" are not trustworthy in the purest sense of the word then they shouldn't be invited and probably shouldn't be classified as a friend in the first place.