Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Hunter's Campfire Deer Lease Tx Hill Country -

Is anybody as tired as I am of the route hunting has taken.

The Texas Hill Country is just a mess...Use to be back in the day a person could lease some property in the hill country for 500.00 year round ..I remember when people started to lease land for deer hunting to pay their land taxes with ..300.00 to 500 per gun was the norm..Just look at this crap today !!There are so many Zoo's now between Kerrville and Fredericksburg and Johnson city it aint even funny..What in the world is happening to hunting ?? Those of us who "hunt" are getting pushed to the side by those that kill for horns or for the write off for " Company " entertainment - its a sad state of affairs-

Yup, yup & yup. I have watched Texas turn into horn farms for those who are willing to shell out the money. Then again, if it were my property I would probably lease to the highest bidder as well. Times change. It would seem that some of us don't.

BP...

While I do agree, you have to remember too that "back in the day" the average person propably made $18,000 to $25,000 a yr. (or less) The average middle class person makes considerably more than that now. Taxes has also gone up significantly.

All that said, I do agree with you that corporations etc. have driven some prices to the point of stupid on alot of places.

BE PATIENT! There are still good year round leases to be had for $1500 and well below.

But they are not going to jump out at you, it make take a year or two of looking hard to find the one that fits your budget and needs.

Bill

At least high fences, blackbuck and zebras are keeping some places ranch land, and undivided. For now at least.

Appalling how much of the Hill Country has been subdivided into high dollar residences.

I could not agree more, makes me want to puke.

Bill

I was so mad last weekend I could have spit nails - I will leave the name of the ranch unnamed - but this was the conversation:
"I got rid of all my cows - I'm going into the hunting bizness".I'm going to cater to the non-resident hunter- "really" said the man at the other table (small hill country cafe) I just had my nieghbor throw up part of his Zoo fence and now the north end of my property has a High Fence - Deer use to come across that north creek of mine - now they have been diverted by your High Fence--it got so quite in there you could hear a cricket fart -

Small cafe owner removed Mr.High Society horn hunter and told him not to come back...needless to say - he got the hell out of there when he realized there were more " hunters " in the cafe than he figured.
He was asked by one of the locals what did he do to get all the deer and game out of the 1200 acres before he threw his fence up - Mr.High Society replied..I pay taxes - they belong to me now...

ps.We still have not found a deer lease west of I-35 for less than 1200 per gun...same deer and same land that use to be 500.00 just 5 years ago !! Its all about the dollar -

One word for you, ALASKA

You dont know how many times that has crossed my mind - seriously.Alot of plus vs alot of negative.

If he "thinks" that tell him to shoot just one more than the state says he can. With the game warden right there. He will find out that the state still thinks those deer are theirs.

Actually in Texas...

You can go about in two ways. You can fence and purchase the deer from the state and do what you want to afterwards.

Or

You fence and then apply for management tags and and I've never seen someone turned down for more tags.

I hear ya Chris - good point..

I tell ya another thing that just chaps my ass- in our area they have come up with this new - 13 inch restriction rule..they made like 22 counties that way..not all of us are horn hunters - but somehow Texas did not take that into consideration prior to coming up with the new law...Dont get me wrong - I like a good 10 pointer with a good 21-22 spread and 14 inch G2's..but I also like my sausage ...

Just leave the Hill Country. Drive to East Texas and hunt NF land for free a few times and go out of state for a week of Muley hunting. I did it last year and will again for sure.

Just go up there and buy all of that land you want, it's only about $8000 - $12,000 per acre.

Alan

Five years ago $500? West of 35?

No offense but I don't think you've priced deer leases in several years.

Bill

Thats what does are for.

Yes Sir - Five years ago -right between Doss and Cherry Springs..after leaving there we went to Coleman - paid 500.00 there too..Deer - Turkey Hogs -Ducks & Quail..I have not paid more than 500.00 dollars for any lease..its also been 5 years since being on a deer lease..hence the drive to the hill country - I know where there is a lease in Meanrd of all places - for 600.00 a gun- but somebody has to DIE for a spot to come open..

I have no problem turning a spike into sausage..yum yum..

I'm a $1K/year in Mason County and I'm not complaining. Not great, but not bad neither.

East Tex - been there done that- from Woodvile on...lots of hogs..lots of timber trucks and lots of road hunting..

I have a place in Sanderson (little place called Hells Half Acre )to chase Mulies on..damn Mt.Lions are putting a hurt on that area bad ...not just deer either.