I didnt know how it is in other states. When I used to go Elk hunting, that was private land with a guide. It was not free. I used to go to a couple of the state places to quail hunt. That was crowded, with lots of rude-crude A-holes. I found a guy that had lots of birds. He didnt let his places get shot out. A private lease is OK, depending on the guys . We have 3 new guys this year. They are young. Most if us are late fifty to middle 60's. I hunt in the north corner of the lease,so I have no traffic around me. Most lease BS revolves around those in the middle. It helps to have good land owner and good lease manager. Hunting on a lease with a bunch of meat hunters is not good without 8 point or better requirements. No guests is an important rule too. The meat hunters will kill everything out if you have no rules.
The rules need to fit the people leasing. There is nothing wrong with meat hunting. OTOH when I meat hunt I"m not going to shoot promising bucks. But I've alwasy been that way, meat or not just leave the promising ones to breed for the future.
We have a similar lease, but we are now down to basically 1 meat hunter amongst 1500 acres so its likely to get much better, rather than 3-4. Of course I killed the biggest buck I"ll ever seen last fall in the area we hunt, right at 160 inches gross, so I'll be a plus to the lease for sure since I'll only be killing does and culls the rest of my life.
I don't like paying the going rates, but it is what it is. Its going to be expensive when we hit semi retired in a few years though... my wife is on the lease since its stupid you can have no guests. She pays a full spot and shoots nothing, just because she likes to go out with me and the dog and watch and take pictures instead of being chained to sitting in camp.
Re no guests thats a liability thing but the dumbest thing I"ve ever seen come down the pike. You get X tags, who should care who shoots those tags? I mean follow all the rules and all of the state, but what difference if I shoot my 4 tags or if my kids or grandkids do?
I would never hunt a lease with an 8 point or better rule either, it allows no management of the herd. In fact IMHO the herd will get worse and worse with that rule. But you do have to manage correctly, IE not shooting the promising bucks.. but taking out all the trash before they are 2.5 to 3.5 years old and getting a good chance at breeding.
