I'd like to share with y'all my observations and experiences on hunting land and leases over the past 50 years.
Years ago in Orange County large parcels of land were usually leased to a cattleman, who then turned around and leased the hunting rights to an individual, who then sold memberships in a hunt club lease. In the late 1960's hunting rights were at the $5000 per member level on some units of the Mormon Ranch(Desseret Farms), 360,000 acres back then. The people who hunted there were doctors, lawyers and professionals who could afford such a place. I could share a few tales about others who also hunted some of these leases, but failed to pay the fee. I was in "smaller" lease that was controlled by the cattleman/hunt club arrangement. For several years our hunting lease covered around 30,000 acres and didn't cost but $300 per year. Back then I was making about $120 a week. Most of that property is now covered by houses and shopping centers. Where did all the people come from?
After moving to the panhandle in the early 70's, hunting land was not a problem. Back then you could just about go anywhere without ruffling somebody's feathers. Dog hunting groups were everwhere and always had a lot of controversy going on. A few years later, the lease idea caught on in this part of the world. There were some real issues over locked gates and no access to the open lands that families had hunted for years. Large tracts of land are usually owned by a timber company, bank, or an insurance company, as farms are usually not thousands of acres, more like 40, 80, 120 acres under one owner. The name of the game is getting a return on on your investment and hunting rights is a BIG business all across the state. Folks used to be on waiting lists to get in a lease. Somebody had to die or move away for a vacancy to occur. Now there are clubs begging for members because of the economy.
I've not had to hunt a WMA for over 40 years, but I am still thankful for the WMA's that are available for those who don't own land or are unable to be in a lease for what ever reason. I've been blessed to be in a small lease of just over 300 acres for almost 20 years. 5 or 6 members, each has his "own" 40-50 acre stand site , food plot, whatever you want, as long as it doen't violate the timber company rules. The highest we've had to pay per year was $243 per person and that included the insurance that is part of the lease agreement. We've had to put up with a lot of logging, clear cutting, chopping, and tree planting, during hunting season, over the years because if we complain , hey there are folks in line....None of us involved in this small lease could by any means be classed as an "elite". We all work or have retired from careers that allows us to still afford this one little leased corner of our world. If we lose this lease or if I can't afford it next year I still have a few acres here at home to hunt on.
Times are hard and you men that are raising families and love the outdoors need to do all you can to get your children in the woods, it is something that is hard to recapture once their up and grown. It's well worth the sacrifice of time or money or both to provide hunting and fishing experiences for your children, whether it is on a WMA, a private lease or your own piece of dirt. Treefarmer
I am not in a lease this year due to financial reasons. I hunted amass for turkey and actually had a great season. I am definately not elite as I am just a milkman truck driver who loves the outdoors but I will be in a lease again. If you can find a lease with good people the friendships made are hard to replace. The best friends I have are guys I have been in clubs with. The hunting may not be that much better in reality but the relationships made are not replaceable. I hunted with dony1 on this forum for a couple of years and no matter what happens he is a Friend that can't be replaced. That's what being in a hunting club means to me.
I personally don't think the Florida regulations and quota system is difficult to understand. What I find is difficult is the FWC's jumbled website. For me, I have been doing it all my life. For a newcomer, I can see how it is not easy to decipher as nothing is in one place on the website. There is a tremendous amount of clicking to do to figure everything out. Their web designer needs to be fired, IMHO...and have told them that.
Florida is a unique state. If one put their mind to it, they could literally hunt from the end of July till beginning of March. Take a weeks break and hunt turkeys for 6 weeks. Personally I think we are fortunate to have such long seasons. Some states get 1-2 week deer season and thats it.
The lease prices in So Fl ans East Fl are the ones that are mind boggling to me. I can't fathom paying $7000(on the low end) for a lease to hunt. I quite honestly don't know what these people do for a living.
And I will agree with Dave on the scumbags in leases. I think every lease I have ever been on has had a bad apple. The worst was the three old retired guys we got about three years ago. They had hunted WMA's their entire life. They stole, lied, etc and we kicked them out. right now I despise the people in the lease I am in. I don't trust anyone in there
Just don't put anyone who is in a lease into an elite category. I dang sure aint. I have a cutoof $$ amount I am willing to spend and save all year for it. This coming from a guy thats just a bug man for a living
I 2nd that. I am no computer genius by no means, but I have no problem navigating the website. Its all there. You just have to have patience when searching. A guy in my bible study group was complaining about seasons and applications (he's from NY) and said they keep it a big secret. Application dates and instructions are all listed on the FWC site. I don't get my choice every year, but that's the way it goes. And I'm currently not in a lease or hunt club, but I go up to PA for a week when God allows me.
Beaverdam Hunt club in Sylvania Ga. And make two trips to Ohio to hunt public land.
Poor Boys Hunt Club - Marion County
