Hunt clubs are a lot like girlfriends. There is the ex-girlfriend you recently broke up with (and it ended badly). There's the one you are dating now. And there's another one you have your eye on in case this one doesn't work out.

I have been managing hunting lands for over 30 years. People often ask me how to startup a hunt club. What I don't know would make a really big book. But what I do know, I'm glad to share. Here are some tips that may be helpful. First, match your budget with reasonable expectations. Price and quality tend to be inversely related. The higher the expectations, the more land will be needed and the more it will cost. If you envision a trophy managed club on 300 acres at $500 apiece for 4 members plus wife & kids, then stop right here. Wait until the alarm goes off...you are dreaming.

First, decide your overall management objective for the lease. Think of management objectives like a sliding scale. The lower region of the scale is akin to brown-it's-down. Unsustainable. The middle region of the scale shows management options for a generally improved deer herd. Sustainable and slightly improving with time. The upper region of the sliding scale shows progressively more intensive QDM options that top out with intense trophy management. The more acreage you control, the better you can meet the objective. My leases typically range 3,000+ acres and average 250+ acres/member. Can you maintain quality hunting on 500 acres? Absolutely. But you are more directly affected by hunting pressure from neighbors. Side note... if you want to improve overall carrying capacity, start by plugging the lowest hole in the bucket first. It may be food, water, shelter or space (acreage). There have been times when the lowest hole in my bucket is a 80-ac Whack & Stack Hunt Club. I will not try to bid or lease it out from under the other club, but I make sure the landowner knows I'm interested and will improve his/her land if they ever decide to lease to someone else.

Strike a balance between affordability and sustainability. In my experience, most hunt clubs accept too many members who bring even more guests and then kill more game than the land can support. It amounts to burning the furniture to stay warm. And guests add to the math. A club that allows 10 dues-paying members plus their immediate family actually has 40+ members. Conversely, higher quality clubs tend to have fewer members, more restrictive guest policies, and tightly regulated bag limits to uphold the management program.

Here is a guide to help evaluate it from a financial, pressure, and sustainability viewpoint.

Let's say you are forming a 1,000-ac QDM club. The land has 10 acres available for food plots.
$12,000 rent (1,000 @ $12/ac)
$ 3,000 food plots (10 ac @ $300/ac)
$ 3,000 stands, feeders, etc.
$ 2,000 camp utilities, miscellaneous
Total = $20,000 to divide among members

How to structure membership:
Option 1: Allow 40 members at $500. Equals 1 per 25 ac. Unsustainable unless this club is mostly a social gathering. It will likely be the lowest hole in the neighbor's bucket.
Option 2: Allow 20 members at $1,000. Equals 1 per 50 ac. If most members kill deer every year, this may be unsustainable. Clubs with this high member density tend to have high turnover and poor quality.
Option 3: Allow 10 members at $2,000. Equals 1 per 100 ac. In my opinion, this is max member density to balance price and sustainability.
Option 4: Allow 5 members at $4,000. Equals 1 member per 200 ac. Recommended when the objective is higher end QDM.

Assumptions: For conversation purposes, let's say...
Deer density = 30/square mile (1 per 21 acres)
Herd size = roughly 48 deer on your 1,000 acres
Doe-to-buck ratio = 3:1. That equates to 36 does and 12 bucks.
Of the 12 bucks, safe bet that 9 are 2.5-year-old or younger. That leaves 3 bucks age 3.5+ for members to collectively harvest.

Doing this kind of math puts you in position to make informed decisions about # of members, harvest quota, etc. My advice is to find the land, set your management objective, set max # members to accomplish that objective, set clear and firm rules in place, and then set out to find members wanting what you have.

The MATH heads will be all over this one

Good post

I have 10 members on 1000ac. Our lease is nowhere near $12 an acre. We are a group that has been hunting together a long time. We are pretty much on the same page with what we shoot. We do have a couple new members that still get a little excited and wants to shoot every deer they see. They know they can't and learning to restrain themselves. Lol. O have a good group and we hunt but it's more of the camp life and the relaxation we get to do at the camp once all the work is done. We are almost like family. We all cook and eat together every night. Each members decides when and what they want to cook. This is the best part of the whole deal we got. Not to mention all the stuff the kids get to do and learn at the camp. Some in sure their moms would want them to learn. Lol. We are not a club, we are a hunting camp.

Nothing to argue about here. Sound advice.

Seems reasonable

You’re exactly right. The less people you have banging in and around her, besides you, the more enjoyable and longer the relationship will last.

Good post!

All good info but the biggest issue I've experienced is clubs where the rules are made by the president and agreed on by members but the only people who follow those rules are those who are NOT friends or family of the president.

[quote=bill]All good info but the biggest issue I've experienced is clubs where the rules are made by the president and agreed on by members but the only people who follow those rules are those who are NOT friends or family of the president.



[/quoteFi
Very true, we had a 6pt or better rule at Brady Mill Dam hunting club and no signing out areas until 0500. Fine for less than 6pt = $100. Perez killed a forky, no fine. Thought it wa the biggun he already hit lol. Lil guy was shot in the head. His buddies tried signing out s spot I was waiting to sign out at 0440ish, i called them out on it and got my spot...

Good post and very realistic.

Pretty well sucks which ever way you look at it, dont it?

Not at all. It is possible to find well run hunt clubs at relatively reasonable prices. You have to know where to look and what questions to ask. Or you can start your own hunting club and build it like you want it.

My advice is, never buy or lease anything you can't afford to cover BY YOURSELF. At some point you will have to do just that. Never ever, never, advertise for members. Invite only friends and family who you trust. Screw a bunch of rules that only suck the fun from hunting.
You only need two rules;
1. Have fun
2. Be safe

The less people you want to hunt with the more it will cost you. The less people you hunt usually equates to better hunting. You usually get what you pay for and hunting clubs are no diffrent.

No offense, but I ain’t paying $4000 to hunt anywhere In Alabama.

Matter of fact, I ain’t paying $2000.

For that money I’m going where big deer live.

Your post is spot on though.

No offense taken. Your money. Your choice. I cannot justify $60,000 for a new truck but someone else can. One guy spends his hunting budget on a guided trip out of state instead of joining a lease in Bama. Another guy puts that same amount in a nice lease closer to home that can be enjoyed year round. To each his own.

Hunting clubs can be a great thing if everyone is on the same page but unfortunately that rarely happens. More often than not people start only worrying about what's best for themselves instead of what's best for the club.

This!

That’s really what it boils down to on whether to lease or go on guided hunts.