Well its looking more and more like we are gonna be moving to central Texas in the near future,and I am curious about what deer leases are costing these days down there. Can some of you from Texas chime in on the acreage and average cost you are seeing these days. Thanks

Varies from a little to a hell of a lot. If you want to hunt in Central TX they are out there. A lot of the leases have a lot of stuff that go with them that don't really have to do with hunting.

There is public land in TX, just not much of it located in Central TX. But even narrowing it down to Central TX still leaves a lot of area.

What kind of work do you do? Best way to locate a place to hunt is word of mouth. Any place that gets advertised or listed somewhere normally gets another premium.

But if your goal is to hunt and go kill deer and not go out and try to shoot the biggest deer in TX it's not as expensive as a lot of people will make it out to be.

TXPW has a website that connects landowners with hunters for leases in every kind of way from day leases shoots to year round hunting leases with accomidations.

It's down right now however.

I live in East TX and either hunt on my own land or public land (either one of the 4 national forest or about 1 million acres you get access to for $48 per year), and I have a season lease outside San Angelo of 13,000 acres that has 10 hunters on it and I pay $1,250 per year for an entire family and that includes a place to stay, deer, turkey, and hogs. I really just hunt there to hunt with friends and turkeys since turkey hunting here in East TX is really limited.

Anytime other time I hunt in Central TX, West TX, or South TX it's normally from an invite.

Any other questions please feel free to ask. I'm sure someone from Central TX will chime in soon about what they pay etc....

TXPWD Lease info

Dont' forget TX has limited access draw hunts for some of it's WMA as well. PM for some info on those once you decide where you might move to and I can shoot you some good spots that odds are you can get drawn either the first or second year (and every other year after that) and have a chance on a 4 day hunt to kill some really ungodly deer. Not neccesarily where a lot of people think they are either.

Believe it or not there are places (I know shocking) where you can hunt for free on someones property or nearly free in Texas. People just don't talk about that and it doesn't make the outdoor channel.

But your best bet is to make friends, find out where they hunt...people you work with etc...Timber buyers and oil lease guys consistently shoot the biggest deer in TX for free I'm convincend, it's also where most of my invites come from.

Thanks for the link. It looks like we are either gonna end up in San Anton or the Killeen area, not 100% yet on either. I would be willing to drive a good ways to hunt, guess thats an Alaska thing, we drive the equivalent of an entire lower 48 state to hunt most of the time. Those links show some good promise, I joined one of the sites and it seems that from $1500-$2500 oughtta get a guy into a decent yearly lease, on a decent sized property.

San Antonio and Killeen area has a large population of deer, and leases run about $1500 to $2500 and that would be group rates. A 4 day deer hunt can run you $2500 for a decent lodge and baited blinds on a non fenced ranch to as much as $5500 on average or more on a big fenced ranch with 180 plus bucks and 5 star accomodations. Lots of options out there, you need to carefully shop around once you get settled..Some real good hunting is available and its not all high fenced as some seem to think. You also have some real good Mule Deer in West Texas.

I'm right down the road from Killeen. Several good Campfire guys around here.

If spending $2500 is in your budget, you'll be fine. You can spend a LOT more, but can do pretty good for a little less.

There's some big deer (to be had for free) in Nathan's part of the country and I can get there in 4-5 hours.

There's deer friggin everywhere around here. I and the boys have killed 9 or 10 in the last few years for free on little places. It's not terribly exciting to hunt 50 acres, but it's better than watching TV. If you do a little asking around you can probably find somewhere close to home, which is handy. I hunted a place for two years that I could hunt the first and last hour of daylight and still not miss any work.

The problem with living in San Antonio is you are too close to the brush country. It can get pretty addictive just driving around watching that many big deer.

I have a video from the early 90's where I drove some public paved roads around Cotulla, TX for about 2 hours during the rut. Just on the freaking highway I think we counted over 30 deer over 125" and had a few bruisers that were really up there. I need to convert it over from tape. And that was pretty much going around the outside boundry of a ranch that was a day lease lol.

I've worked with a number of ranches in South Texas and it's a nice change of pace. Used to work with the Chaparosa, low fenced operation that was running center point irrigation for the natural brush. Crazy.

I've seen some monsters down there, killed some decent deer down there. Used to get opportunites out the wazoo when I was a biologist...having said that the biggest deer I've killed (actually the top 2) came off public land in East Texas...well one was on public land and the other jumped the fence from it onto my property 0.5 seconds before I hammered him. This last year my neighbor killed a 176" gross with sorta semi drop tines (they went back instead of down), I run a pretty intensive camera program and never caught a glimpse of him. Starting to really pull some big deer out of pineywoods now that we have antler restrictions.

A guy I went to college with killed a geniune non typical book deer on a lease he paid $300 for on a timber lease. He skipped school in the middle of the week, but then got caught when he wind up calling us at the college and we went down and took a seamen sample from it.

Just pointing out not all big deer or on big money leases or high fences. My friends dad shot a deer that neetted out 168" typical around Brownwood and he didn't pay a dime to shoot it.


I'm moving and I'm sure I will be giving up my lease around San Angelo. I'd have to ask but I'm guessing there is a list to get on however.

I'm not far from Killeen either, about 18 miles. Let me know if you end up coming this way.

I've got a good lease in Llano, but we're all filled up. I'll keep an eye out. Llano county is an easy drive from SA or Killeen.

Bill

Cub,

Why did you decide to move down to the lower 48?

San Antonio seems like a really nice town to me. They have a very low crime rate as compared to other big cities. A couple of guys in my reserve unit live there and really like it. The times I have been there I have always been impressed with how friendly everyone was. If you choose Killeen, you can probably hunt Fort Hood for free. You will have to put up with the military rules and area closures but it beats not hunting at all. I don't know what the rules are on Fort Hood for civilians being allowed to hunt, but it shouldn't be too hard to find out. I saw lots of deer on Fort Hood when I was there in preparation for deploying to Iraq. In addition to lots of deer, Texas has Aoudads, Mulies, tons of hogs, Javelina, turkeys, good quail and pheasant hunting up in the panhandle and good waterfowl hunting in certain areas.

I live in Louisiana and see ads in the classified section for leases in texas on a regular basis. Lots of folks from LA go to TX to hunt. You might consider looking at www.louisianasportman.com for the occasional opportunity in Texas. Just go to the classifieds, then click on hunting and then click on clubs or leases.

Let us know where you end up.

I know a lot of guys think that Alaska is some sort of hunters paradise, but it surely has its share fo downfalls. First off, everything up here is expensive, from food,merchandise,fuel,energy costs it all cost a hell of a lot more than living down there. The winters in the interior part of the state are downright brutal, even if the winter isn't as harsh as previous winters temperature wise, the lack of sunlight, lack of things to do,and the length of it wreaks havoc on the psyche. The hunting IMO has really gone downhill in the last 10 years. From reductions to available land per ANCSA, the increased number of hunters, and the cost to get anywhere to do anything, its just not what it once was. Lots of guys think there are trophy bou,moose,sheep and bears behind every tree, when in fact the numbers are really pretty skinny. The fishing has also really detereorated in the last 5 years pretty much statewide IMO, from lower numbers of fish to more restrictions to fishing em. Add all that up with the cold dark winters and the increased cost for everything, and its just not worth living up here anymore for me. Alaska has been fun, and I have accomplished many a things, and had some great adventures over the years, but its time to go back to normal year round living, for my family anyway. It will be bass fishing and deer hunting for me, just about year round you can do one or the other.....grin

If you end up Killeen you can hunt on Ft. Hood for about $100 a year. There is some public land(WMA's, State Parks) but the odds of getting deer permits aren't great but I have been drawn numerous times. If you're willing to shell out $800 - $5K you can get on a lease depending on what you want. The average price is somewhere around $1500 for the hill country and more if you go to the "golden triangle" of south Texas. You can also do day/weekend hunts for less but most of those are for does/management bucks.

Welcome to Texas. The summers are rough but nothing like the winters in Alaska.

That would suck.

Mountain Home, Tx in Real county costs me $2500 annually for a 5000 acre Exotic game ranch.

??? isn't Mountain Home in Kerr County, just outside Kerrville?

AC
From what I know, 5-6 grand per gun is not unusual for whitetail, turkey and hogs on leased ranches where people don't want to feel crowded. Not allowed to take bucks under 10 point either.

stx
I don't know where the county line breaks but I think you are correct. I think it is 30 miles or so west.
Last time I was there the only building I saw identified as part of Mountain Home was a volunteer fire dept. garage. Maybe I missed downtown.

Go through it all the time when hunting with Bart, nice area.

All Alaska ain't that way, SE is the bestest part of the state. [bleep] that 50 below crap and hunting right outside the door.

$2500 buys a lot of beef and pork.

Texas is still one of my favorite states but like Alaska it aint what it used to be. Ever since the "Cult of The Whitetail" or whatever you want to call it things have gotten ridiculous here for hunting.

I used to have dozens of places to hunt for free and now I can't even find a lease that I would be comfortable on without taking out a second mortgage. The congestion and vanishing Rural areas are appalling. I have to drive 6-10 hours to get that big sky effect due to light and other pollution.

It is still a great place for the outdoors man but opportunities are limited. Fishing can be good but not like Alaska is/was.

My ideal would be a place here or in Montana and one in Alaska but not likely.

About $1500/$2000 for my leases.

stumpy

What ruined the prices with private land hunting in Texas in my view is corporate entertainment of executives.

If a ranch is in a big buck area, regular hunters have to compete with corporations as to who will pay the most to get the rancher's permission.

Good leases can still be found for $1000-$1500, but you have to look for them.

We pay $1500 a gun, year around. Deer, hogs, turkeys, dove, quail, predators and the occasional (but rare) exotic. Got a two bedroom cabin with all the amenities. Llano county.

After we gave up our lease near Mertzon it took two years of hard looking before we found this one.

So they are out there you just have to be patient.

Bill

Hey Cub if you are looking for someone to go in on one, let me know. I'd make a few trips over that way a season but turkey is a MUST.

So cub is moving from Ak to Texas for better hunting and fishing opportunities?

You could easily get enough guys off the campfire to put a lease together.

Problem being most of them hunt too damn much lol. I always liked getting in on leases where guys showed up once a year (or less in some instanecs) and shared the lease fee just the same.

Nope, moving to Texas for better living.....period! This 6 months of hibernation crap is for the birds!

Will keep that in mind Scott. The prices for leases hasn't changed much from 10 years ago, on decent leases. We paid between $1000-$1200 for year round leases back then in Texas for a section or less. I am not looking to win the Muy Grande competition or anything, just a place to go and get away and possibly whack that leary buck that you get a glimpse of from time to time and of course fill the freezer with fresh venison (does). I have friends and family in Utah, New Mexico, and Colorado and will most likely be putting in for tags in all 3. I got really into the BASS fishing circuit when I used to live down there, and I have a 18' Skeeter sitting at my inlaws in Utah that I will be picking up on my way south. The thought of spending the day on the boat flipping for chunks in Mesquite bushes does appeal to me. Caught 5 Bass that weighed over 10 lbs when I used to live down there, and one that went 12lbs 12oz and nearly made the Share Lunker program. Plus its a heck of a lot closer to Miami when I want to go fish for sailfish in Jan and February with my kin. Lots of doors get opened when you can drive just about anywhere and the distance is within reason. Chit I drove 900 miles to shoot one wolf in March, how many states is that across in the lower 48?

There definelty is the appeal of being to hunt "something" 365 days a year. I kinda made a similar decision here. Live/work somewhere you can at least hunt everyday all year and make enough money to be able to afford to hunt out of state for other stuff that have a limited season.

I had always heard about the high cost of living in AK, but it never really sank in till I visited there and on the way to go fishing on the Kenai I stopped at a gas station and bought a coke and a candy bar and those two items alone were double what they were down here.

Yep! I for one would be interested in a lease with guys from here. Just got off the lease I was on - too many people and too close to folks, kids riding 4 wheelers on it, etc., when no one around.

I've got family in central TX - we love it over there.

Oh yeah , hows about averaging $800 a month in heat and electric. Gas is $3.65-$5.09 a gallon at the pump and everywhere you go to play is at LEAST 450 miles round trip, a box of Federal Premium 30-06 165grain TSX's is $62, yeah it adds up real quick!

Move to Ketchikan, you couldn't drive 450 miles in a year on that island.

Public hunting in TX is tough...I've done it some and it's too much trouble for me. I was lucky enough to marry into a good size ranch in West TX, so I only pay for feed and improvements to the land.

A good round number for a decent lease is $10 an acre. It can be alot more in South TX and the hill country, but at the same time deals can be had if you look hard enough.

$10 an acre........wow!

But it won't buy much therapy.

BTW I pay $4.00 per acre for my deer lease. That seams to be average in the "one buck" county.

$4 an acre......wow!

How big is the place?

Well in Texas' case......1

Cub,

I lived near Killeen for a couple of years. If you wind up there, find a place well outside of town. The town itself is trashy: it's mostly strip clubs, pawn shops and used car lots ripping off young GI's. Some of the countryside, especially out west, towards Lampasas is nice. You can hunt on Ft Hood, but they drop you off at a box blind and have to stay in it until the return to pick you up hours later.

San Antonio is a big city and has some nice areas and there's lots of very good hunting and fishing in the region. San Antonio's being 2 hours closer to the coastal fishing than Killeen is a huge plus in my book. Trout and redfish are fun to catch and taste great. For a big city, SA is relatively cheap.

Public land is limited and seems hunted hard to me.

Hope that helps.

I have 100 acres in deep South Texas (Starr County) that I lease to a hunter for $10 an acre. It has a one room house (with bathroom) on the property.

My Company leases a 7,000 acre ranch in South Texas (2 hours south of San Antonio) for $10 per acre. It is full of BIG bucks.

These deals are probably on the low end, but I bet you can come close or equal if you put alot of effort into looking...

Don't forget, if you live in San Antonio: you could drive 2.5 hours to the coast and do good duck hunting and on public waterways. You can also find plenty of hog hunt day leases that go for about $100 per hog... or you can befriend a rancher that will beg you to shoot as many as you possibly can.

AlaskaCub, I'd be happy to help you any way I can when you get down here. There are deals to be had in out of the way places for way less than $10/acre. We pay about $1.50/acre on our whitetail place (3200 acres).

One thing I can't emphasize enough is the cultures, costs, terrain, and deer vary significantly accross Texas. Examples: Austin is full of flaming liberals.... then drive 70 miles South to San Antonio and the folks are mostly all conservative. Hill country deer run pretty small in body size... drive 2.5 hours south and the bucks run 200 lbs. with much heavier antler mass (less deer per acre, but much bigger deer). Leases convenient to San Antonio, Austin or Dallas will command a high price... but drive 3-4 hours West and you will find vast stretches of scrub brush for very low prices. Don't get me started on the differneces in terrain. Thorough research is key.

After reading this thread I can't believe anybody actually thinks Texas is a good place to hunt. A lot of you guys must make a heckuva lot more money than I do.

Don't forget land that is leasing for $10 per acres is carrying a deer for every 5-6 acres and producing trophies at that density as well. You can easily kill 30% of your herd a year and not even scratch what you really need to kill every year.

I've worked with several ranches in that price range that have to bring people in to kill does in the late doe season after buck season has closed because even with permits people either can't/won't kill enough deer or they get tired of killing deer and quit coming for the year.

But like I said earlier in my post even with my access in the past to some of the best ranches in TX I've wound up killing my biggest deer on either public land or land that can hunted for $48 per year.

Even in big buck areas not everything leases for $10 per acre, and normally that includes extras such as a house with electricy/water etc...to stay at during season and that includes deer season (that last 4-5 full months), dove season in September, spring turkey season, year round hogs/varmits etc....not just a days or even weeks of a season that some other states have.

So when you divide out $1,000 to $2,000 per year by 52 weeks/weekends it's pretty damn cheap.

It's not perfect and not for everyone. I really don't mind spending $1250 a year for 13,000 acres with 9 other guys when we have exclusive hunting access year round and I can kill a damn near unlimited number of deer. Nearly any place in TX that has a lease is eligible for extra tags. I write the management plan for our lease and get extra tags like nearly everyone else. I can nearly get tired of killing deer before I run out of tags. The number of deer a hunter can kill here with management tags might/probably shock some out of state people.

Hunting in North America is not a cheap hobby, hasn't been for a long time!

Been thinking about a moose hunt over to Becharof Lake, an hour west of home, but also $3000 worth of plane ride. Split 2 ways, well...... still thinking about it.

Chit if you timed that right , you could do a moose/brownie combo. Seen Becharof from the air, and yeah $3,000 is what we split between 3 guys, but it also cost like $400 for the Ferry from Homer to Kodiak, and then there was the gas money for the 1200 mile roundtrip drive from Fairbanks to Homer, hotel in homer, hotel on Kodiak....yeah $1500 for an annual deer lease dont seem like much!.....grin

Wait, I can hear the Texans now..."If you live in eastern Orange county, and hunt in western Brewster county.....by golly, it is more than 1200 miles round trip".

Yeah but remember.....gas down there is over a 1$ a gallon cheaper than up here!

Cub we just had two guys get off our place its in your price range. I didn't read the hole post so I don't know when you may be here. let me know

$10 per acre

For me part of the equation would be.... How far is it from home. Travel costs also add up over time.. plus you only have so much time in your life.

Yep, closer to home by hours is worth hundreds of $ over a year. I like to make as many trips as possible before, during and after season. Especially when birds, pigs and turkeys are available.

stumpy

I am still working mojo on trying to get to Texas, but nothing definitive as of yet. Will know something in the coming week, I suspect. The house is sold, and thats a huge Relief!!!!

Yep. It sure is. The ranch's mailing address is Mountain Home but it resides in Real county.

www.leasehunter.com

I'm currently moving out of TX so that makes room for 1 more and I won't be taking a fair number of deer this year as usual so more for you.