Guest policy on leases ... whats up?

[slayer]

Ours is "no guests on any opening weekend, and they hunt off your tag allotment when they hunt, and must be accompanied by the paid hunter at all times"

This is what we have! Works great! Like Smart, we make it clear upfront what they are able to shoot and not shoot. Hasn't been a problem yet.

[The Crippler]

It just depends on what you want...right now I have a young family and a father who might make it out to hunt once during the season, so I have leases that are guest-friendly...when I am older and I can afford a well-managed "trophy" lease, I'm sure that I'm not going to want a bunch of other lease member's guests running around

[Smart]

because from my experience, the "guest" is normally the one that comes out and shoots the buck that has been put on the do not shoot list for the last 2 seasons that everybody knows to pass on when he comes out.

I can definitely see the concern....we combat it by having paid hunter sitting with family hunter on buck kills but I guess there could always be a doe hunter that could ruin it for the group and whack a buck.

[DHop]

Guests

We have a strict policy of no guests during deer season and I like it that way. I don't pay money to hunt in S. Texas and watch some member bring a guest and then have that guest shoot the 4.5 year old buck that I've passed on all season. Furthermore I don't want kids running up and down the senderos all day on 4 wheelers in the middle of the rut. After deer season you can bring ONE guest and shoot all the hogs and coyotes that you want.

[TexasCanesFan]

I will say this and I really do not care who I make mad.

If you choose to get on a deer lease that does not allow you to bring your kids with you to share the joys of hunting and being in the outdoors then you are not much of a father. That is about as nice as I can say it!!!!!

I would never hunt again if that is the only kind of place I could find. Heck, I would not hunt on a place that would not allow me to bring my son any time I felt like it, opening weekend, whatever.

You only get one chance to raise your child and to build memories that will be with them long after you are gone.

[Atfulldraw]

I will say this and I really do not care who I make mad.

If you choose to get on a deer lease that does not allow you to bring your kids with you to share the joys of hunting and being in the outdoors then you are not much of a father. That is about as nice as I can say it!!!!!

I would never hunt again if that is the only kind of place I could find. Heck, I would not hunt on a place that would not allow me to bring my son any time I felt like it, opening weekend, whatever.

You only get one chance to raise your child and to build memories that will be with them long after you are gone.

I'm with you.


But I also realize that some folks have deer leases because they want to get away from something......

[dustoffer]

We had a 600 ac lease with 3, sometimes 4 hunters. Rules said 1 trophy buck (130 or better), rest of your bucks had to be mature 8s, or spikes, plus does. We could bring guests and family, but anything they shot came off your tag. Never had a problem with them, and they were a big help with the feral hog control.

[MikeJ]

Guest are allowed on my lease in East Texas after Thanksgiving, but they are only allowed to shoot hogs. Immediate family--the wife and kids--are always welcome and allowed to shoot deer, but those will count against "your" tag. Brother-inlaws, drinking buddies and cousins are not allowed to kill deer under any circumstance.

Seems reasonable to me.

[Atfulldraw]

I'm all for some regulation on guests, but the most idiotic polisy I've seen was "family welcome in camp. Family members can not operate any motorized vehicle, hunt or fish." How often do you think I was going to get my family to go with me on that place. Although I hated to lose that place (that rule came in the third year of leasing the place and was initiated by a new lease manager without kids) I was glad when the place sold and the guy that made the stupid rule was out looking for a new place to hunt like the rest of us.

"Don't take my trophy fish." Gawd.

[Jamesl]

I can see why some places have strict guest rules. Most leases in Texas have way to many hunters/per acre to begin with.

We are allowed a hunting guest with us, but we must hunt with them. I like the rule. Too many mistakes can occur when you drop a person off and tell them "good luck".

[mhbaseball]

Ours is "no guests on any opening weekend, and they hunt off your tag allotment when they hunt, and must be accompanied by the paid hunter at all times"

This seems to be the most logical and make the most people happy.

[kfd82]

Ours is once deer season starts, no guests until after thanks giving weekend. One guest per member, per trip and they shoot off your tags. We are allowed 2 bucks, 3 does.
This applies to family as well.

The rest of the year its not a big deal, my wife and son go with me to fill feeders and others might bring 3 or 4 guys out to help set up a stand.
The guest policy is really only active during deer season.

[Montec man]

Having the ability to bring guests is the primary requirement for me being willing to pay for a lease. Most likely I will only bring my son or daughter, but I'd like to have the option of taking my dad or FIL on a hunt or two. I have no problem with them shooting off of my quota of deer.



Why in the world would a guest go to camp only to be left out of the hunting? Why does it matter who shoots the deer as long as only 'X' number of deer are killed?

All depends on what you want out of a lease. If you're just wanting a place to take the family, friends and neighbors to have a good time and get some meat, then by all means that's great. However; if you're spending a large amount of money trying to manage for trophy quality animals, and your fellow lesee brings his son to shoot a management buck and he comes dragging a 1.5 y/o ten point into camp how are you going to feel then? Granted, that's not going to happen 99% of the time, but why even leave it up to chance?

[Johnny Dangerr]

I will say this and I really do not care who I make mad.

If you choose to get on a deer lease that does not allow you to bring your kids with you to share the joys of hunting and being in the outdoors then you are not much of a father. That is about as nice as I can say it!!!!!

I would never hunt again if that is the only kind of place I could find. Heck, I would not hunt on a place that would not allow me to bring my son any time I felt like it, opening weekend, whatever.

You only get one chance to raise your child and to build memories that will be with them long after you are gone.

I also agree. We allow one member and one guest per trip during season. Opening weekend no guests, and big party weekend. The rest of the year you can bring out your boyscout troop. Guests are $10.00 per trip.

[holepuncher]

yes after readin the first reply, your bag limit is the way IT SHOULD BE and will be if I join a lease or I wont join that lease. So in a 2 buck county with a doe tag lets say.......u can bring whoever u want and whenever but only can shoot 3 deer in 1 season.

that would pretty much sum it up.