How much for hunting club\lease dues?

Brunson84

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May 14, 2022
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I know this doesn't pertain to everyone especially when It comes to elk hunting (my dream hunt), just curious what others are paying for a deer hunting club or lease every year? Reason I ask, I may have the opportunity to join a club around my area that has a lot to offer outside of deer season, but also has a pretty price too. This place has sandbars and river access to an area that's secluded from public because of shallow rocks up river and down. Quality deer management, whitetail must be 4.5 yr old or better, plenty of hogs, decent duck hunting and turkeys, full cabin with sleeping quarters, kitchen, skinning shed, walk in cooler, 12k plus acres with minimal members. I can be very cheap when I want to be but I don't mind spending money when I feel that I'm getting my monies worth...
 

Brock A

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I pay $1900 per year for a club that gets me on private to hunt wild roosters and some waterfowl. Worth every penny.

I know it isn't deer hunting, but gives you an idea.
 

Sam Colt

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Leases can be rewarding. Don’t play drama games and focus on the hunting.

I bought a chunk of land to hunt; then the neighbors all sold 10 and 20 acre parcels. Now I have 10 neighbors that shoot all the deer and I get the protein bill and game cam pictures of 2 1/2 year old bucks who will never grow up.

On the lease I get memories, campfires, great camp dinners, 5 1/2 year old bucks, and a couple of meat does a year. $3500. Bargain.
 

RMM

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PA
I paid 15k over a 3 year span, and 1900 a year. Worth it to me. There are maybe 4 guys who are serious about archery hunting. Rifle season gets a little more busy but I hunt rifle elsewhere.
 

JasonT

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Apr 2, 2023
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Me and a buddy lease close to 200 acres with a couple pits. Some waterfowl but mainly deer and turkey. $15/acre/yr. This is SW Indiana.
 

Wags

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An average duck blind costs 2K per seat in my area.... I could only imagine what a deer club would cost.
 
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Brunson84

Brunson84

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May 14, 2022
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South Carolina
Leases can be rewarding. Don’t play drama games and focus on the hunting.

I bought a chunk of land to hunt; then the neighbors all sold 10 and 20 acre parcels. Now I have 10 neighbors that shoot all the deer and I get the protein bill and game cam pictures of 2 1/2 year old bucks who will never grow up.

On the lease I get memories, campfires, great camp dinners, 5 1/2 year old bucks, and a couple of meat does a year. $3500. Bargain.
This is one of my thoughts also, my kids are young and love to hunt and be in the woods with me, memories and good fellowship with family is hard to put a price tag on.
I paid 15k over a 3 year span, and 1900 a year. Worth it to me. There are maybe 4 guys who are serious about archery hunting. Rifle season gets a little more busy but I hunt rifle elsewhere.
I don't believe anyone archery hunts on this club and if the stand is not on the road its probably not being hunted, its on a swamp with large old hardwood growth.

thanks for all the replies so far
 

Stalker69

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Apr 12, 2019
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Wow, I'd hate to pay a " club" fee or lease, I wouldn't hunt any more. I know it's really just a matter of time and that is the only way any one will he able to hunt. And then it will just get more and more expensive. But hopefully not in my life time, it's more then half over now as I am 60.
 
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Brunson84

Brunson84

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South Carolina
Wow, I'd hate to pay a " club" fee or lease, I wouldn't hunt any more. I know it's really just a matter of time and that is the only way any one will he able to hunt. And then it will just get more and more expensive. But hopefully not in my life time, it's more then half over now as I am 60.

In my county it used to be the largest in the state with tons of undeveloped land that one could lease or hunt 15 yrs ago, between timber companies and sub-division developers this area has blown up, and that’s an understatement, to find good hunting land that’s not a pine tree farm within reasonable driving distance is gonna cost you.


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SDHNTR

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Aug 30, 2012
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My goodness those Eastern leases are cheap. Those of you pontificating on never paying to hunt need to get off your high horses. You can hunt whitetails on 200 acres. Out west you need to add another zero.
 

fatlander

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Feb 11, 2016
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What you’re describing sounds like a 5-10k per year at minimum. At least that’s what it would cost around here.


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KenLee

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Jun 9, 2021
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"This is one of my thoughts also, my kids are young and love to hunt and be in the woods with me, memories and good fellowship with family is hard to put a price tag on."

Ability to take family/guests is one of the biggest sticking points with clubs.
The ones that minimize the drama count the kills of everyone the member takes hunting against the club limit for the member.
Any other approach requires members with similar family situations/interests or the club will blow up.
 

Bcleck90

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Jul 2, 2017
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I’m in a club of 4 people total and it costs us about $2100 each (800ish acres here in Alabama). I’m going to try and find a couple smaller tracts to lease on my own over the next year or two. Clubs can be worthwhile but they can also be a pain in the ass which has been mostly my experience.
 

KenLee

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I’m in a club of 4 people total and it costs us about $2100 each (800ish acres here in Alabama). I’m going to try and find a couple smaller tracts to lease on my own over the next year or two. Clubs can be worthwhile but they can also be a pain in the ass which has been mostly my experience.
Great price
 
D

Deleted member 8-15-23

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Ca. Duck clubs are 25k to 50k plus dues. Wi. Deer leases are $40/acre or you can buy a 40 for $250 k in great counties.
 
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I lease land in Oklahoma, hunt public out west. I've been on several guided hunts and prefer DIY at this point. What's nice about leasing is it's the same as owning it pretty much without all the cost. Honestly if my boys don't really get into hunting then I'll eventually let my lease go because I don't find whitetail hunting as interesting now that I've killed a few different western species. Whitetail hunting is good to cut your teeth on though. If prices here get as bad as some of you are saying then I'll be strictly public as well.
 
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Brunson84

Brunson84

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South Carolina
Another thing that comes to mind is that I love out of state public whitetail bow hunting and would really like to venture further west in hopes of elk hunting one day, the size of the animal doesn't matter as much as experience, but I know if I joined this club it would really throw my chances of out of state hunting every year out the window...truly the more I think about it the more I'm talking myself right out of joining, hunting public forests in the middle of nowhere with bow in hand is real passion, I don't thank the Lord enough for the ability to go and do so much that others are incapable of.
 
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