Guest policy on leases ... whats up?

[Extremebowman]

I have been on the same property for 8 years, so I am not up to date on current lease rules and regs that others are using. My current place is being sold (part of it), so I'm on the hunt for a new place. I have talked to 14 different lease managers, and of the 14 places -

9 - Allow NO guests, not even immediate family members, period
3 - Allow immediate family guests only in December
1 - Allow immediate family and 1 guest per group at any given time, first come first serve with prior approval
Only 1, allows family at anytime, and allows you to bring a guest with you

No wonder hunter numbers are declining, and recruitment is all but impossible. I have had guest policies abused, so I understand that side of the coin, but how are we supposed to expand our numbers if people can't get out in the field?

Are these kinds of guest policies the norm, or have I just so happened to find these particular ones? I'm not saying it's right or wrong per se, if it's their land they can do as they see fit. I just thought it a bit odd.

[SmTx]

It's all about the dollar. Why lease your land to 5 hunters who are then gonna invite 5 of their buddies along every hunt thus having 10 hunters for 5 paid? Not saying I agree with it but that's how many see it.

Best lease policies I've seen are those that give you a # of deer to shoot. If you invite your wife's best friend's cousin's husband to hunt and he shoots a deer it goes off your tag, thus taking a deer you could've shot away vs 5 hunters with 5 tags inviting 5 more hunters with their 25 tags to shoot all the deer.

[netxbuck]

norm

[mhbaseball]

I have never been on a lease but to allow no family members at all seems rediculous. Thsoe managers must mean business/good hunting and have gotten abused with guest priveleges before. every person bringing someone everytime does seem like alot unless you each have 200 + acres. December only sounds good, which means doe/spikes for anyone u bring to me

[quarterback]

You probably hit the nail on the head by saying that most guest policies have been abused. Imagine if you are the landowner and you pull into camp on Saturday only to find that someone's brother/cousin/uncle/whatever has a nice buck hanging from the skinning rack. To top it off you've never seen this person in your life and he's out there hunting on your property.

The "guest" policy is probably one of the most abused of all the agreements between landowners and hunters.

[mhbaseball]

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.

[Atfulldraw]

What are you looking for?

I've got a chunk that may be available really close to you.

You could set your own guest policy.....

[Montec man]

We love guests in camp at our lease, but they're under no circumstances allowed in the pastures during season unless they're sitting with someone who's a paid hunter. Doe are fair game for guests, but aren't allowed to take bucks. Have run into too many situations where the paid members got upset because of a buck that a guest shot. I've also been on leases where a father will pay for one spot and then take his wife and three kids who all shoot their limit of deer. That makes me hotter than a two dollar pistol, and I think the strict no guest policies we're seeing now are being put in place to prevent this type of behavior.

[Jp.]

The "guest" policy is probably one of the most abused of all the agreements between landowners and hunters.

This^^^. Then to top it off you have to hear and deal with the other lease memebers gripe cause they couldnt bring uncle Joe Bob.

[tgil]

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.

[whitetailfanatic]

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"

[Shane77624]

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.

We love guests in camp at our lease, but they're under no circumstances allowed in the pastures during season unless they're sitting with someone who's a paid hunter. Doe are fair game for guests, but aren't allowed to take bucks. Have run into too many situations where the paid members got upset because of a buck that a guest shot. I've also been on leases where a father will pay for one spot and then take his wife and three kids who all shoot their limit of deer. That makes me hotter than a two dollar pistol, and I think the strict no guest policies we're seeing now are being put in place to prevent this type of behavior.

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?

[Smart]

Our policy is family shoots off your tags. (Trophy, management/cull, two doe, 4 turkeys and unlimited varmints.) Non family guests are welcome and can shoot does and turkeys on your tags. In the case of does, because the landowner wants to make sure they are taken, a non family guest can shoot a doe off another member's tags if offered by that member....

We are bow preferred so it might have something to do with it, but I have not been at our place in almost 3 years where there has been more than 1 hunting guest per member at a time during hunting season. We like guests, but we as a group, just don't bring many at a time unless its wives and kids. I think we had 5 total last year and only 2 were not wives. All guests have been graciously respectful. We just don't have any problems because we are upfront about the few rules when they get there..

[Codie]

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?

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.

[Kdog]

It is possible to enjoy being in the great outdoors without pulling the trigger or releasing an arrow.

Guests are not allowed to hunt on our lease, but we don't have any restrictions on who can come and when. There are a few rules about what they can do, but it is common sense stuff......