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what are some suggestions yall would give a leasor to better accomidate out of town hunters to make the relationship a good one?

A small shack or camp with cooking utensils.

Any good relationship starts with honesty and the prospect of true friendship. I think that you have already realized another important factor and that is the attitude of open mindedness and the willingness to learn from others. Ask the prospective "friends" what they expect or would really appreciate and go from there. From what I have decided in some 40 years of hunting is that there are 2 basic types of people that lease. First there are those that desire to hunt in an area that has more game and better conditions than available near home, so they pool their money and lease a better area to hunt as a group. Then there are those who simply have enough income to be able to afford to lease the best places. The expectations and needs of one may be vastly different from the other.

If your guests are from out of state then they will appreciate your local knowledge of where best to eat and sleep. You may also consider providing additional information on game such as doves, geese, quail or snipe that would be of interest after duck (or deer) limits are filled.

Last, I would say that finding the right people to lease your property and be responsible for the condition it is left in during and after the season is MORE important than finding the right lease. Sorry to be so long winded and am not even sure I helped. Good Luck. the INJUN

Most important - work with them to assist in attracting wildlife. They can stay in a motel if they need to. There is nothing more frustrating than a land owner who will not help create a good hunting scenario for the folks leasing their property. Bake the cost of food plots and duck grub into the equation and make them pay for it, but don't rent them a moonscraped piece of property and expect them to make the best of it. Just my .02. Good luck with everything!

As an outofstater, I hunted with a farmer in AR this year. The BEST thing he did was to be honest with us. He told us there were very few ducks and he was right!!!:D:D:D

We went anyhow! I had never met the feller before. He treated us like family, we treated him like family and took care of his property like it was our own. I WILL go back to visit him next year at least.

I would expect for you to tell me the situation good or bad and let me decide from there. To me honesty is the BEST thing you can give them. They can do the rest on their own.

hide in the bushes and throw ducks in the air when shooting gets slow

provide a quality duck hunting opportunity ---you cannot guarantee ducks, but you can quarantee that you will provide quality habitat ----provide the opportunity to pump water if needed ----no one appreciates a dry duck hole -----provide some food for the ducks ---- provide a comfortable and stealth pit blind if leasing a field; treehouse blind if leasing a timber brake and the water is often too deep to wade -----help the lessee with water management ----it is very difficult for out-of-towners to properly manage water levels -----provide a suitable place to park a vehicle or two as far away from the hunting area as possible which will allow legal access to the hunting area without having to trespass ----provide/offer lodging if such a suitable structure already exists on some of your nearby property ---or allow lessees to place a trailer or mobile home on some of your nearby property ----give them directions to Mt Moriah in Memphis ---do these things and I guarantee they will keep coming back

Ole Buffelhead,

You mean mark beaver runs and give directions to that purple palace in Mempho.

Low duck,
Just set it up as if you were going to be hunting the property

1. I like the honsety part: Is the lease sure enough Duck Country in a sure enough local flyway, among the very best - price the lease accordingly, and honsetly, based on management costs and the realistic history of quality hunts. Decsribe the water conditions and duck numbers honestly, not based on that one memorable day that every mallard in Mississippi descended on the area 7 years ago when everyone else froze out and the field was full of unharvested crops.

2. Does the lease include housing? If not, no one better than a local to help locate somewhere to stay. I'd rather stay in an old farm house or camper than fool with a motel. What about a pole shed or locked equipment shed to store equipment?

3. Help develop habitat and quality hunting conditions that are generally consistent with your farm plan. How much crop can you leave if they leasees cover the cost? What about pit blinds - who pays and installs? Who do they belong to after they're installed? Pulling up/repairing levees? Pumping water? Water control devices? Crop harvest timing? When is teh field generally planted and harvested? When can it usually be pumped and to what depth? How much of that quarter section actually holds water? Etc...

4. Put it in writing - everyone's expectations written on the hood of the truck or around the kitchen table to where everyone involved is committed to the agreed terms and to a mutually beneficial and enjoyable partnership.

I have to agree BE Honest....a couple of years ago I worked a deal with a huge farmer for a place to hunt using sweat equity...I dug pits,cut cane, laid out decoys, pumped water and when He had buddies wanting to hunt I played guide and walmart for them....then all of a sudden I hear from him you know you hunt here all the time and maybe you should pay...I told him we agreed that if I did all of the above and kept the pits pumped out and the cover in good order I could hunt all season there...well he changed his mind and I did not get to hunt the remainder of the season...Guess we all learn....

i appreciate the input, it is all helpful. it was my first year to lease last year and i gave the guys another two year lease. i was hoping to come up with something a little different next year, just to add alittle umf to the hole deal.


takem high duck first

You won't have to add any UMF if you are being straight up and treating them fairly. Trust me, there are too many dickheads on both sides out there. Getting a good land owner is worth a hell of a lot!!!!!!!