Iowa Deer Hunting Lease page 2

Choices

Of Interest

Deer Scouting

Administrative

Non-Resident

The non-resident deer hunter issue refers back to the Co-Op and coffee house landowner discussions of how out of state hunters are willing to pay more for a deer hunting lease than resident hunters.

The issue returns to the basic of the landowner wants maximum money for the hunting rights and the hunter wants maximum hunting from that ground. The dynamic continues and is typically a cascade effect.

That cascade effect is the non-resident when he does get an Iowa deer tag seeks to enjoy that tag and has been more willing than local hunters to pay higher costs for hunting rights. The end result is either a non-resident pays the higher than average cost, the landowner holds out to just before the season and takes any payment (limited scouting and selection opportunity for the hunter), or the land goes un-hunted as the landowner wants payment or nobody hunts.

Maximum money for the landowner to sell his hunting rights to the land typically means leasing to more than one hunter either from year to year or to a group that works out who hunts when and where when one or more successfully draws an Iowa deer tag. It does not take much experience to now see how this deer lease issue begins to get complicated fast when dealing with more personalities. How many golden nugget spots will there be on any one deer lease? And, how much deer hunting pressure can that one spot receive before the shine wears off?

Jon, John, & Shaun,

Bow season isn’t over yet, but the best of this year is more than likely behind us. The time I spent in [deleted] this season was outstanding. To watch bucks that I normally only see in magazines and on television doing their thing in the woods near my stands was a surreal experience. I’m very pleased to have harvested the animal pictured. But, as it always seems to go when bowhunting, I saw a couple that were bigger. If only they had come a little closer. Anyhow, I just wanted to take the time to say thanks for providing the opportunity for a bowhunting addict to get his fix. Any success we have in the field is partly due to Mid America’s efforts to provide quality habitat to hunt and fish. Time off from work is a precious thing, and I’d much rather spend it in the field as opposed to knocking on doors just trying to find an opportunity to get there. It’s a neat thing that our buying power as a group allows us access to big leases that none of us could achieve alone, and you guys are where the rubber meets the road. Thanks for making such good use of our resources. It is much appreciated.

[name deleted]

Congratulations on a fine archery harvest. Thank you for the compliments and sharing your pictures. It is very much appreciated by your Association staff.

For all deer hunters we keep silent their hunting location and their names to further keep anonymous where they hunt. We also respond to those that send in their pictures and letters with a by lease number listing of our recent deer sightings. As both Jon and John are out on the leases 12 months a year they cover far more ground than any one member could and the observations we pass on do occasionally payoff.

Money

Anther option that some have executed is to continue to pay for their Iowa deer hunting lease to include years when no tag is drawn and then offer that land up as a sublease. This option may initially seem like a good idea until examined from a liability standpoint.

In this case the liability more than doubles simply due to product liability on top of the safety issues involved when pay to hunt replaces free access.

We ask all to keep in mind that Mid-America Hunting Association is not a deer hunting club. We are a business with a customer service attitude that seeks return deer hunters for years to come.

Once payment or compensation of any type is exchanged be it cash, whisky or labor for hunting rights that hunter turns from guest to an “invitee” (a legal concept term defined as the provider being responsible or liable for the invitee’s performance not just to himself but extends from that invitee to others as well).

As an invitee the landowner even if unknowingly has a sub-deer lease holder on his land is liable for the performance of those the lease purchaser brings onto that landowner’s property by any means of a sublease or as simply as a friend that comes to have a look. Is this likely to result in losing the farm in a lawsuit? Probably not, however who wants to be the first. After all, there are probably thousands of deer leases offered, sold and purchased by a multitude of different personalities in a lot of states and the courts are not yet choked with deer hunters and landowners over lease liability issues.

Contracts

Deer lease issues continue and are especially difficult as those written out with a number of provision cause landowners to rethink their offer and deer hunter accepting a lease agreement without provisions rarely gets what he true has in mind. No deer lease is universal. They all have limits imposed by the sellers and expectations of the buyer. How to get these two sides of lease provider and consumer together is the crux.

The hunter always desires a full deer hunting lease as he wants to develop deer attaching habitat, stands, blinds, shooting lanes, mineral spots, year round access limited to him alone and freedom of access at all times on and off season.

Busy with life landowners want a hunter on their place as often as a suburbanite homeowner wants an evangelist knocking on his door.

Landowners want the highest bid for the shortest amount of time and hunters know full well it will take three years to develop a whitetail lease to fruition or prove it worthless. And, at this point is when the hunter as a stereotype begins to show hypocrisy. This hypocrisy is between the pay to hunt and the “average” hunter that believes deer hunting is becoming a rich man only activity.

More discussion about Iowa deer hunting lease