outfitted hunts on your land

[bwoods11]

I let several people hunt my land for free every year. No chance I would let an outfitter on though. That'd be extremely hypocritical of me.

I do as well, but mostly pheasant, turkey, & waterfowl. Bucks (I’m usually a no) unless they help me do habitat work .

Does are fine I let guys hunt them in the late season & I’m usually with them .

 

[ksJoe]

Aside from all the other good points people have brought up, be careful on insurance.

Our insurance company is creating some hassles on our renewal (its an industry wide trend right now), so we're shopping around. The broker had questions about people hunting on our land. She was ok with the answer of: "just immediate family and sometimes a couple friends, never strangers and never anyone for money" I don't know what would it would affect if we gave a difference answer, but the broker was asking.

 

[Mortenson]

^^^ Yep I just tell people the lawyer says no. Convo over.

 

[gjs4]

So do any of you sell a hunt or 2 on your land. Reason I ask is I have a swamp that when it's got water and if you like to duck hunt it can be a very magical place.I have a few friends and my daughter that likes to duck hunt so we do a few hunts every year.The last couple years it has dried up but this year it's got water.A waterfowl outfitter saw the ducks coming into it and contacted me about leasing for some hunts. I won't get in to exact numbers but it was over 5K for them to hunt 4 times and have 8 hunters per hunt. I have a neighbor that also has some of the water on them and they turned them down also. I told them I wanted to keep for us to hunt and they have raised the offer and text me everyday but I think I will stay just so we have a great place to hunt with family and friends.It would be nice to get most of the years land payment taken care of but the crops do most of that anyway.Thoughts?

Outfitters are soulless. I might have a harder time deciding how Id feel about my wife having an OF where 10% went to a new land property fund?

 

[Bill]

Aside from all the other good points people have brought up, be careful on insurance.

Our insurance company is creating some hassles on our renewal (its an industry wide trend right now), so we're shopping around. The broker had questions about people hunting on our land. She was ok with the answer of: "just immediate family and sometimes a couple friends, never strangers and never anyone for money" I don't know what would it would affect if we gave a difference answer, but the broker was asking.

You can get hunt club insurance through the NWTF (Wild turkey federation). It’s underwritten by Lyods of London. Pretty cheap to get $1M in coverage.

Even covers accidents when food plotting. Worth checking out.

 

[hillbillyfab]

I’m a no to allowing guides/outfitters onto our places. I’m not against letting family and or friends enjoying a day, weekend hunt on our place. Sometimes we barter it for something they can offer.

 

[Natty Bumppo]

I don't. But down the road when I retire and can manage it a little better, I would consider offering, not selling, a hunt or two to a hunter with disabilities or a veteran with disabilities. Would love to share with others less fortunate what I have been so blessed to be able to do my whole life. Bringing that kind of joy to somebody else....man, if that's not what it's all about I don't know what is. Going to make it happen.

 

[buckdeer1]

My neighbors that have some water on them also said no and they don't hunt.I'm not going to and they even text upping the offer.I was just there and standing in the timber listening to the greenheads talk to each other.

 

[Ben.MN/WI]

My neighbors that have some water on them also said no and they don't hunt.I'm not going to and they even text upping the offer.I was just there and standing in the timber listening to the greenheads talk to each other.

Turn it around and ask the question a different way. How much money would it take to say yes?

Unless you are wealthy enough that money doesn’t matter, there has to be a yes dollar amount, so I’m curious what that would be.

This is assuming the outfitter is a decent person and will do exactly as agreed upon.

 

[Ben.MN/WI]

A $5000 check would get about 2 days of “free” bulldozer time where you could dig a pond, open up a food plot, clear logging roads, etc. I’d say that the property could be better long term with that bonus $5k worth of work done.

 

[buckdeer1]

I really don't need anything done except buying equipt.I get enough of farm ground to almost make the payment and have been adding to my original piece for over 30 years. I don't know if I would lease it out even if I didn't hunt ducks.

 

[Howboutthemdawgs]

Yeah and $5k isn’t game changing money for most. If you don’t need it, I’d argue the benefit to wildlife by keeping an outfitter out is worth way more than that

 

[gurgalunas]

So do any of you sell a hunt or 2 on your land. Reason I ask is I have a swamp that when it's got water and if you like to duck hunt it can be a very magical place.I have a few friends and my daughter that likes to duck hunt so we do a few hunts every year.The last couple years it has dried up but this year it's got water.A waterfowl outfitter saw the ducks coming into it and contacted me about leasing for some hunts. I won't get in to exact numbers but it was over 5K for them to hunt 4 times and have 8 hunters per hunt. I have a neighbor that also has some of the water on them and they turned them down also. I told them I wanted to keep for us to hunt and they have raised the offer and text me everyday but I think I will stay just so we have a great place to hunt with family and friends.It would be nice to get most of the years land payment taken care of but the crops do most of that anyway.Thoughts?

If you do this, insist on cash payment up front. Ask for references of other landowners they've hunted on, and proof of insurance/release of liability. By the time a check bounces, the outfitter has vanished and the ducks have been pushed out. I know several landowners this has happened to...

 

[Ben.MN/WI]

I really don't need anything done except buying equipt.I get enough of farm ground to almost make the payment and have been adding to my original piece for over 30 years. I don't know if I would lease it out even if I didn't hunt ducks.

What about $10k. Or $100k?

Im more curious than anything. If you are a duck guy, it makes sense that you want world class duck hunting. Im not a duck guy, so I’d probably give up 4 days of hunting on my place if it bought me a new atv or some bulldozer work.

 

[Catscratch]

What about $10k. Or $100k?

Im more curious than anything. If you are a duck guy, it makes sense that you want world class duck hunting. Im not a duck guy, so I’d probably give up 4 days of hunting on my place if it bought me a new atv or some bulldozer work.

Been thinking of your question of "how much?". I don't have an amount for cash but I'd consider time. If I could sell a couple of hunts a yr and partially retire early it would be worth considering for me. I would view it as a part time job and to be honest if I could help someone get the buck of their dreams it would make me feel good.

 

[Ben.MN/WI]

Been thinking of your question of "how much?". I don't have an amount for cash but I'd consider time. If I could sell a couple of hunts a yr and partially retire early it would be worth considering for me. I would view it as a part time job and to be honest if I could help someone get the buck of their dreams it would make me feel good.

I think that duck guide would like to see your pond pics during the migration!

 

[Howboutthemdawgs]

Yes they would. Cause they are strictly takers who give nothing back to the resource. Cancers

 

[Catscratch]

I think that duck guide would like to see your pond pics during the migration!

Lol, probably would! When I say "sell a couple of hunts" I'm referring to on my own stuff, not leasing to an outfitter.

 

[Ben.MN/WI]

Yes they would. Cause they are strictly takers who give nothing back to the resource. Cancers

I’m not a duck guy, but I’m building a duck (and soil erosion) pond next spring. Maybe my kids will want to duck hunt in the future. My portion of the cost share is about $5k.

If the guide gave you $5k or more and you turned it into habitat, wouldn’t that be a net positive for the wildlife and future additional revenue?

I get that guys generally hate outfitters, but ducks are migratory so whatever you shoot a few days this year won’t really change what flies through next year.

 

[Ben.MN/WI]

Lol, probably would! When I say "sell a couple of hunts" I'm referring to on my own stuff, not leasing to an outfitter.

Yes, I think doing it yourself would be a way to keep more money in your own pocket. That could be a part time retirement job that could bring in some decent money.