Minimum Size For Deer Lease

[Havalon]

Guys,

I am looking for a lease, and wondering what you think the minimum size is for a productive lease? I read a joke that a guy posted some while back about a 5acre lease on Craigslist. Clearly, that was a joke, but I'm actually asking this as a serious question.

What is the minimum size, assuming it's all heavily timbered? I realize that game can run anywhere, but I'm specifically asking with regard to how close I can be to other hunters, and it not affect my stand negatively?

Thanks in advance,

[cphillips]

I think it all depends on how hard you hunt it and the location of the property. I personally don't think any lease is too big or to small. For instance I leased a 9 acre tract today, but like I said it's all about location.

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[locolobo]

I hunted a place for several years that was 1600 acres for 8 paid hunters. The landowners swore they were not hunting it but not too sure about that. 200 acres per gun seems reasonable. with regards to the previous replies, I hunted a 13 acre tract for a while and shot all the venison I needed. But it was in the middle of a ranch that was being subdivided and one of the first tracts sold. Also a 5 acre parcel that had a 3 acre pond on it and sat right next to a busy freeway. Both were in good deer area and no pressure except for ME! So hunt where you can and make the most of it.

[2B4Him]

I think what goes on around the property has more to do with it than the size of your lease.
10 acres that back up to an unhunted wilderness area would be great.

[COOLDAD1]

3 acres in Denton County is all you need.

[mastercraftka]

size will depend on location for sure and also if you are going to ever shoot a rifle you better find out if the county has a minimum acre requirement to discharge a firearm. If you are just bow hunting probably not an issue but the issue there becomes most bow shots come with a deer running and they could easily run out of 10 acre or more pasture.

My minimum in my mind would be probably 75 acres but that is just me.

[Wakehunter]

I had a 60 acre lease, all farm land except about 5 acres that was heavily wooded. It backed up to corps of engineers land. Great hunting! I wish I wouldn’t of let it go.

[gonehuntin68]

If you get on a lease with other members I would go with a minimum of 200 acres per person. If it just for yourself then any size will do, it's more about location then anything. For example, I live on 3.7 acres and could fill all my tags every year easily and it's legal for me to bow hunt my yard and I have permission to hunt from all my neighbors. I have 20-40 deer in my yard everyday. I don't shoot them though because I don't have a problem killing deer at my leases and the ones in my yard are basically tame since I hand feed them every day and I like having them around all the time.

[Jimbo47]

Location, location, location.
On a small amount of acreage you have to be careful. Neighbors don't take kindly to small acreage and people hunting although it isn't their property.
I remember a guy on another forum several years back bragging and posting pictures of huge bucks he killed, on about a five acre tract.
Naturally he caught a lot of grief from posters about taking several bucks off such a small plot.
He claimed that for several seasons he took at least 5 to six bucks with other family members and there didn't seem to be any harmful effects.
Funny thing he hasn't posted in several years since.
Don't know if he got mad at being ridiculed or maybe got high fenced, but it's not too smart to abuse a good thing, or talk too much about it.

[Havalon]

Great points made, esp by Jimbo47. I welcome any more...

Thanks to each of you. I'm asking w/ regard to archery, not gun, but all good points nonetheless.