Skip the lease and do day hunts??

[txdukklr]

I always get comments on the deer I shoot . . . but candidly I pay more too shoot sub 30's deer. The way I hunt offers me the ability to hunt multiple areas and see a variety of places.

I do have a lease in victoria that I take kids and first timers to and by the time I'm done with gear, feed, lease fees and so on it actually costs as much if not more then if I go on a day hunt. I'm blessed to be able to do both but if I had to chose one it would either be a high end lease or a day lease.

[LeanMachine]

I could see it if you just don't have the time. However, killing deer from a spot i scouted and setup is what i enjoy most.

[Shane]

I've done both. If it was just me, the day lease deal would probably be cheaper. But I've almost always done a lease so I'd be able to take my kids as well. If I was buying at least 2 day hunts every time, that would add up pretty quick.

[Brinkley]

the other option is pay more for a quality lease I guess. Where the chances are greater. If it is too much of a drive then it won't work with my schedule at all. If we have to drive I can hunt family land up in Coleman but 8 hrs is a long way to go haha. Not sure what to do.

[Limbwalker]

Anyone out there ditched the lease route and find a place to take the whole family for maybe a long weekend or week?

With the busy schedules of six kids, both my wife and I having careers and just the responsibilities that come with a large family with no family within 6 hours!! it seems like having a local lease for the last few years (we have taken 3 deer and a few hogs) is a large drain on my capacity. I go on a day hunt (chambers ranch) each year myself, will probably do an out of state hunt next year and put in for a few TPWD draw hunts. My wife and I are talking about not getting on a lease next year and just spend that money and time and take the whole family (three of the six kids hunt) to a ranch somewhere that they odds of seeing critters is high, not worried about trophies necessarily just something that we could have some good family fun!

Anyone else out there do this? Maybe me going on probably 15-20 sits so far this year and not seeing a deer has me re-thinking everything but it sure seems like a better idea! haha

Actually makes perfect sense to me. Good luck.

[fishingsetx]

I enjoy having somewhere to go ride around during the off season so I lease. It's cheap compared to what I see posted here quite a bit but it is pretty cramped. (4900 acres, 50 family memberships wie, husband, and kids under 18, $500 a year). We get on it because it's cheaper than paying storage for our camper, we have somewhere to go ride the ranger, hunt hogs if we want and just to get away. It's 15 mins from the house. If it were just me, I'd be paying for a hunt or two at a ranch and just hunting public land. There is 4800 acres of national preserve that is 5 mins from the house. They give out 400 hunting permits for free every year so I use that to squirrel hunt and make some deer hunts out there as well. The wife likes to hunt out of a box blind so she doesn't do the public land hunts.

[Mike D]

I've looked at it. For me and my situation there's no way I would enjoy the day lease route. I spend many weekends at the lease both during season and the off season. Our lease is only about 2.5 hours away so it's easy to make a weekend trip any time we want.

With my wife and son going almost every weekend I do plus my daughter going a couple times a year the lease makes more sense for us.

[Brinkley]

Ttt

[Brinkley]

ttt

[TXhoghunter94]

My main lease is an hour away so I think that makes a big difference. Most years I don't kill a nice buck but I always have a great time being out there. I spend quite a bit on my lease so it's not really about the cost. It's very rewarding for me though to be able to work and do all the scouting before hand and then finally having it all fall together when you kill an animal. I love being able to go out there on my own time and relax without having anyone getting in my way.

It is still fun to go out to a friends place or on a paid hunt but to me I just don't get the same enjoyment because I did not put in the work or time to kill the deer. I understand though that many guys have a limited amount of time to get out in the woods and I also don't have a wife or kids so that makes a big difference I know.

[X-Ring99]

Great thread... I'm having this same debate myself right now. We've got a family place in Rocksprings, but its terribly over hunted and a 4 hour drive. I can either hunt there 2-3 times a year with the kids and pay for a few day hunts (2-3k), or get a lease (2-3k). My son is 5, so he'll want to get out as much as possible.

I think for next season I'm going to try the lease route for a few years and see how it goes.

[Clark]

the other option is pay more for a quality lease I guess. Where the chances are greater. If it is too much of a drive then it won't work with my schedule at all. If we have to drive I can hunt family land up in Coleman but 8 hrs is a long way to go haha. Not sure what to do.

You have family land?
To me, that's a no-brainer.

I drive 7.5 hours to hunt family land in the panhandle.
We all work hard to improve land and manage a herd that will someday be passed-on to the kids.
I just don't think it gets any better than that.
Good luck.

[Burntorange Bowhunter]

NO.

Did it the last two years.

NEVER again.

Having a lease is 10,000 times better.

[Rchr]

I've looked at it. For me and my situation there's no way I would enjoy the day lease route. I spend many weekends at the lease both during season and the off season. Our lease is only about 2.5 hours away so it's easy to make a weekend trip any time we want.

With my wife and son going almost every weekend I do plus my daughter going a couple times a year the lease makes more sense for us.

x2

[BrandonH]

I'm definitely considering it. My lease is 35 minutes from the house and loaded with game, but last year we hunted about 3-4 times and haven't been this year.