Junction Lease question

[EZ-10RANCH]

My dad has roughly 600 acres in the Junction area (Kimble County). We've had this place for about 14 years. It's all high fenced with trapping pens, very good water, some real rough country with some rolling type country as well and lots of cover. When we bought it we had plenty of exotics and for a while we sold hunts. As time went on we could never find the time to run hunts so it sat without hunters for the past 5 or so years. That in my opinion did more harm than good. There is not near as many animals as there used to be, in my opinion because of inner breading and disease. I had a biologist friend come and check out the place recently and he said as far as browse for the animals we were in excellent shape but just need to bring in some fresh blood.

Currently I have a guy that wants to lease the ranch, bring in his own campers, use our feeders and his stands and the big thing is is that he wants to bring in deer to get a decent population going again. This would be a long term lease I would imagine if he's willing to bring in deer.

So my question is, how much per acre should we lease the place for. I have no idea what places in that area are going for?

Also, any existing exotics are not to be shot. I know that will be hard to enforce but it will be part of the rules.

[TexaswBOWhunter]

Were between Kerrville and Junction and pay $10 an acre for a 1000 acre ranch... WE are low fence (high fenced on 3 sides of the property) but have lots of native and exotic game, camphouse, running water but no electricity... Hope that helps you out a bit..

If the animals are not what they should be and they are going to bring in game, etc, I would think some sort of discount should be considered...

Ultimately though, what you can get is what it's worth

[Miki]

Sound like you need to take out alot of does. Then put in new does. Does out of BIG bucks is what will reproduce more big bucks. So if he is willing to do that I would just charge him enough to pay your taxes and make some money. Its a long term improvent to you land he would be doing.

[TX Doc]

I wouldn't bring in any new animals right now in these conditions. The transport will be too much for them even if they drive at night. I think you'll end up with a significant die off of the new animals. We didn't have too much luck with it around Abilene. The last time they brought in 4 does and they were all dead within 5 months on a 4,400 acre high fenced ranch that was fed year round with protein.