too many rules?

[sharkhunter]

Welcome to the modern deer lease. We are only suppose to kill 5.5 yr old bucks and opening week two 2.5 yr old 10 points and a nubbin where killed. Rules are there for a reason and they need to be inforced.

[Atfulldraw]

I think we have three rules.

1. let the landowner know you are gonna be there
2. shoot deer that need shooting
3. clean up after yourself

quality matters .... sure when it comes to deer, but more the people you hunt with.

I now hunt with some really good folks - Rubydog, Chunky and two of those Farris people.

Sometimes I feel like I got a better deal than they did

[txnduckhntr]

I think we have three rules.

1. let the landowner know you are gonna be there
2. shoot deer that need shooting
3. clean up after yourself

quality matters .... sure when it comes to deer, but more the people you hunt with.

I now hunt with some really good folks - Rubydog, Chunky and two of those Farris people.

Sometimes I feel like I got a better deal than they did

Good rules fo sho

[Horitexan]

I've never bee a member of a lease but I would think that the more rules, the better. I mean the more specific that rules are, the easier they would be to follow? The PROBLEM would be that statement that the rules apply only to certain people. That's a huge problem; but that's about the administration of the lease, not the rules per se.

If the lease members were all made up of buddies that ALL have the same goals and understanding of their responsibilities, there's probably not much need for written rules. In that case there are still plenty of "rules" but they're not written down, they're unspoken. However, if the lease was made up of casual acquaintances or strangers, I would think that having EVERYTHING written down would be a big benefit; but that everyone would have to be subject to those same rules.

If I got on a lease and found that rules were not applied uniformly to all members, I would be looking for a different lease. That'd be a sign of trouble to come, IMO. Leases scare me for this very reason.

[Kdog]

^^^^^ good idea.

Try hunting a big lease with 10-20 hunters where you just use "common sense". It might work for a smaller type lease, but people just think too differently if you get more than a few friends on a lease. Just make sure you can live with (and still enjoy yourself) everything before you sign on.

[Smart]

Good people and a fair lease boss make for a happy lease. It takes time to get there but when it does, it sure is fun.

Rules are good if they are clear, lower in number, based on common sense and with a few listings of the season game allotment/ limits.

Rules are bad when they are switched all the time, vague and only applied to a few folks.



The most important fact in this whole deal is having GOOD people who are friendly, knowledgeable, listen before they speak and are courteous because without that, the rules are just there to be broken.

[8pointer]

I completely understand the importance of rules. The theme for the "rules" on this thread seems to gear towards what not to shoot and what to shoot. If you ever want to be able to shoot great deer on a consistent basis, then strict harvest guidelines must be in place to continue a managed property. With that said, I can definitely see your frustration of having it take the fun out of your hunting experience. What you find yourself doing, is passing on a lot more deer because of being nervous of the repercussions. When you get on a well managed lease, the best thing to do is look over thousands of pictures of bucks. Video as much as possible and talk about what bucks to shoot and what not to shoot with other lease members and the lease manager if there is one.

If that is not the type of place for you, find a family friendly lease that is more casual and is structured around the fellowship of the great outdoors. Trust me, there are a lot of leases like that available. Trophy leases get a little cut throat but paying top dollar, you can't really blame them.

[flywise]

I think we have three rules.

1. let the landowner know you are gonna be there
2. shoot deer that need shooting
3. clean up after yourself

quality matters .... sure when it comes to deer, but more the people you hunt with.

I now hunt with some really good folks - Rubydog, Chunky and two of those Farris people.

Sometimes I feel like I got a better deal than they did

If my place had rules those would be about right. I guess we do have one rule come to think of it. If you take a second buck make sure it is bigger than your first or some sort of cull.
There are 3 people on my lease but the other two guys rarely actually come out to hunt so I am pretty much alone 99% of the time.
I'd love to share camp with the guys you get to hang with

[Kdog]

Being on TBH for many years I have come to realize how good I have it.
If I ever loose my lease I doubt I will get another one for all the reasons you described.
Some places are run by people consumed by antlers and no way I could ever hunt a place run by a person like that.

Not saying you don't have it good, but I would be willing to bet the horror stories you hear in here are in the vast minority.

[flywise]

Not saying you don't have it good, but I would be willing to bet the horror stories you hear in here are in the vast minority.

I have heard a few horror stories ( friendships being ruined) but my opinion is mainly based on threads where a poster list their lease rules.

[Slingblade]

I know how you feel but there is only one way around this. Buy your own land and make your own rules. That's what I did

[offroadodge]

Our lease is simple as well,,,treat the place as it were yours. Fix what you break. The landowner didn't apply any rules other than this, we set the rules as far as deer management. I did get to hunt on the COVERTS high fence place one year and they said DO NOT shoot nub bucks...DOES ONLY. OK well I didn't shoot anything cause its to hard to tell for me, my manager on the other hand did...It was a buck but didn't have any head sign to show and was to young to tell if it had nuts. They were a little upset but understood how you could get confused. I wont hunt a place like that again. I like my lease.

[Mike Javi Cooper]

Used to be the lease rules were pretty simple.

1. If you open it... Close it.

2. If you turned it on... turn it off

3. Don't leave no trash in the burn barrel

4. If you see a busted wire in the fence... fix it

5. Give the landowner a hindquarter and a backstrap off the first deer

6. Give the landowner a 5th of Crown at Christmas

7. Don't shoot does... ever


Now nearly everyone is obsessed with antlers so the list would tax a 10K an hour lawyer to understand and drive a saint to tears trying to live up to it.

I'll probably never get on another lease cause that kind of hunting ain't no fun... Now even the state is making silly rules about antlers in a quest to worship the almighty B/C or P/Y score.

[DS_1974]

This made me laugh........

Me too. It just makes good cents.

[RLB]

Being on a lease where all the rules apply only to the hunters and not the lease manager and his buddy is something to avoid also!! The lease should be ruled by committee, vote the power away from one person.....not all, but the ones I've dealt with seem to get a "dictator" mentality and become very hard to deal with. It's always that everyone else is wrong, not him. I had that situation, but I put him in his place and decided to move on because the guy was more drama and arrogance than I could stand.....not to mention, he was a know it all!!

Just find you a good group of guys that love to hunt and will work when it's time to work!!

And stay away from the drunks......just my .02