What would you pay for an Eastern Ontario Deer Hunting Lease?

greenjeepguy100

greenjeepguy100

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Hey all,

I have a few questions. Do any of you pay for hunting leases in Eastern Ontario? If so, how much? for what length?

I've got a small woodlot (132 acres) on a private lake located 2 hours west of Ottawa. I was entertaining the idea of leasing out the property by the week or month to one or two select hunters. It is located in an area that has no crown land. All surrounding lands for miles around is private.

The property has two off-grid cabins, apple trees, deer plots, trails, an artesian well, a small stream, two box blinds, and three chair stands. My wife and I have caught our deer already (early bow hunt)(she got a 300 lbs, 4.5 year old, 143-inch, 10 point bruiser that we had caught on camera three years in a row). That said, there are even nicer (10 points+) mature bucks still coming to feeders.

I'm not willing to rent it out to large groups as I'm actively managing the deer through QDMA approaches. Ideally i'd find someone that would be willing to help around the property on a weekend or two in advance of the hunting season (installing stands, feeders, cutting shooting lanes, firewood, etc..) I figure someone may be willing to pay more knowing that apart from my wife and I, no one hunts the property.

However, I'm not sure of the effort is worth the extra money. I'm not sure I want strangers knowing where my cabins are and what equipment I have there. How do you guys vet people? All the guys I know that hunt already have their own property and cabins. None of them lease out to other hunters!

Also, does anyone have sample lease agreements and liability waivers? I was also thinking or requesting that lessees get CSSA insurance.

Thanks you all in advance for any help. Your thoughts are appreciated.
GJG
 
Personally, I wouldn't do it. If you don't need the money and you don't have a close friend you trust to help with the property who in turn may want to hunt...not worth it.
 
Berger,
I think you're right. I had a kijiji ad up and no-one responded when I had a price up. Since I took off the price, I've gotten sketchy responses from people who want the moon!
 
I agree as well, as nice as it would be to have someone else hunt on and respect your property. Unless it's within the family circle or your known and trusted acquaintances, I wouldn't be to eager to lease to anyone either. Could be a total nightmare.
 
Agree also. Leasing it out for cash to someone you don't know is risky.
If you need some assistance with the lot prior to hunting season, ask here with an invite to hunt with you. No funds involved though you get free labour and you get to know the person prior to hunting season. Toss in a disclaimer that you have final say on whether the person hunts or not in case there happens to be a conflict in personalities. I'd certainly consider it. Nice to hunt somewhere different for a few days.
 
I owned and have access to multiple hunting properties, money never be mentioned..

I even have my hunting partners drop a camper at our farm and park their boats at my house.

Either you are family, friend, hunting partner or GTFO. There are better ways to make money.
 
My two cents.

A friend would help you with the property.

If someone is paying you... they'd expect you to take care of it all.

Take a look at the prices others charge for guided hunts. That is the absolute max price. If you can get half, is it worth it? If not, I would suggest you don't bother with it.

That being said... The best bet will be OFAH. Everyone will have insurance so that will at the very least cover most potential issue. Also most of us will have at least half a mind toward conservation and leaving things in good condition.
 
Thanks Guys,
Although it would be nice to have the land earn a few extra bucks, I decided not to lease it out. It seems that the risks outweigh the benefits.

I'm not from Ottawa and initially after moving here from Northern Ontario, it was hard to find good hunting opportunities. The limited crown, municipal forest, or conservation authority lands resemble pumpkin patches during the gun season. Over the years I've found some secret bow hunting spots 20 minutes out of the city and gotten various permissions to hunt on farm lands (usually in exchange of engineering design work). But it took time and effort. Now that we have our own place, I liked the idea of paying it forward.

I'll put the effort into converting a non-hunting buddy into a hunter instead! Peeps beware.

Your insights are appreciated. Thanks.
 
What about your kids? Take them out and show them the lay of the land. With all the years of experience they will have a prime hunting spot that isnt crowded with renters for their lifetime! :)

PS: jealous!
 
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53Izzy744 said:
What about your kids? Take them out and show them the lay of the land. With all the years of experience they will have a prime hunting spot that isnt crowded with renters for their lifetime! :)

PS: jealous!
Click to expand...

Sigh! if only. I'm raising indoor kids. Although my daughter is good with a recurve bow, she has no interest in hunting. My son is glued to his computer. Both are teenagers that would rather stay home over going to the cabin. I usually get two sulky teens that stay in their bunks, glued to their screens, the whole time up there. Sure, they come out to eat. but that's pretty much it. I can sometimes get one to do some shooting or ATVing.
 
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