If you're looking to get in a club you don't know with people you've never met, you're rolling the dice but that's a different conversation. Here are the pertinent facts to put out there when you're advertising yourself to prospective clubs.

1. WHERE. Best idea is within X hours of home. DO NOT use directions. There are people on here who think Birmingham is Central AL and some who think everybody N of Clanton is a Yankee.

2. WHO. How old you are, kids and wife (if they hunt), and your work schedule. Personally I wouldn't have any retired members or ones who work shut downs and take all of hunting season off.

3. WHAT. What is a shooter to you? Don't join a true trophy club if you're gonna shoot every 2.5 yr old 8 pt you see, somebody will eventually lose their religion.

4. WHY. Why would you make a good member? You got a tractor, sprayer, etc? You know how to do road work, got a chain saw? Be realistic but believe me it matters.

5. HOW. You a shooting house read a book guy like me or are you Fred Bear (who's reincarnated soul I hunt with, super guy but a little intense)?



Now on to advertising your club to potential members. Caveat emptor still applies.

1. WHERE. I can't believe this even needs to be said but I've seen them advertised without it.

2. HOW MANY. How many members. How many acres. This will be asked within 30 seconds of you posting and if you don't check in relatively quickly your ad will drift down to purgatory.

3. TURKEY RIGHTS. Even if you've never considered it, some goofball who's never even hunted one is gonna ask if you sell turkey only memberships. Better to just tell them no up front. Otherwise they'll pester you till you think they trained with Amway Jehovah Witnesses.

4. WHAT. What is an allowable buck (or how many does per member etc) is a good thing to get out up front. Are there hogs, ducks, turkeys, dove shoots, etc besides deer hunting
available.

Just FYI and IMHO only, setting a number of deer allowed per membership goes a long way toward mitigating the member/brother/wife/son quartet who all want to kill something and preferably as many as they can. If you're not "family friendly" (also sometimes known as "brown it's down" say so up front.

What else should be added?

RobertD - Great Post
The other add on that I do to a potential member is:
Show them a marked up Topo map with roads, green field, boundaries.

Since we have road hours I explain them as well as our emergency routes, just in case.

Give them the written rules and the topo map and show them the land. At key map features I match the land and the map so that they see where they are.

I also tell them the club goals which is to have fun/enjoy your hunting experience. Pass down the hunting skills and the opportunities that mother nature has provided.

Treat other club members like you like be treated. Respect goes both directions.

I also give them every opportunity to ask questions at any given time.

Good info.

The other thing I would add if advertising openings would be if you have camper spots available or a bunk house. Water/Power ect... if you have camper spots. It will just save you some inevitable questions.

And we have all forgotten; How Much? List membership dues. Another first question you will be asked.

Yes you are right. I am getting old, no I am old. Membership dues questions are always the first question and when are they due. The next questions is "How many acres" "Are there any cutovers and what are there ages"? We try and keep them due the same time every year unless the timber company changes it.

Yes we do have primitive camper spots. Primitive meaning that the camper has to supply power, water, heat, and we also talk about running generators all night.


Yes, we still have a few spots open, just had to put that in. lol

If you are the leaseholder, you will have potential members multiply # of wanted members X $ per member and divide it by the total acres and then ask "so your lease is _____ dollars per acre?" Go ahead and do yourself a favor and walk away from these guys. I've seen it over and over and over...These guys have probably never managed a club, don't understands the costs with doing so, and will eventually cause you problems.

On the flip side, if you are a potential member, ask yourself if it's worth _______ dollars for YOU to hunt there. If it is, continue with the conversation. If it's not, move along. Don't consume yourself with the business side of a lease that is held by another person, as long as the services promised are being provided.

Be realistic and join a group that has the same goals and ideologies as you. If you join a group and try to undermine or push change from within, you'll be miserable and so will everyone else involved.

Does your family member have to hunt same area or can they hunt separate?

who is and how old is the family member?

Whichever side you are on the most important thing is to be 120% up front.

I've not been in a bunch of clubs in my life because I've been fortunate to be in good ones. Only 6 in my life. Two were basically for the turkey hunting when I hated turkeys years ago. Another I'd still be a member of but good ol FW ruined that.

I've only been lied to once in Colbert/Franklin county in a club off hwy247. The president was a lying, let his friends get away with murder poor excuse for a president. I guess that's why the club had to give up half their land. Between his drunk buddies and double standards when it came to rules I guess if I hadn't quit they'd of kick me out after I told him and his buddies where to shove it at the meeting.

Never an issue with any of the other leases.

The lease I run in TN we have no major problems. There is two I wish I could run off but they don't break rules so I try to be fair. We take in a new member ever 6 or so years so turnover isn't an issue.

What is wrong with retired people in your hunting club? Are you going to work to rest of your life and never retire?

LOL! You're a damn trip pal.

Same thing that's wrong with locals and guys who work shut downs and have 100% flexibility in their work schedules. Unlimited time to hunt.

Pressure. It's two four letter words in one and that's no coincidence. Too much hunting pressure is the number one problem in most clubs. You relieve that somewhat with the right number of acres per member, kill limits per membership and not allowing retired members (or the previously mentioned shut down guys). Also avoid old school Catholics who have to travel in a passenger van because they have so many children they don't know what to do. If they don't all hunt, they'll run wild at camp.

RobertD
Are you going to retire someday are work the rest of your life?

Lots of good comments above.

The two types I can't deal with are the selfish guy and the arm chair quarterback guy. One thinks he owns the place and the other never does anything but fuss about everyone else.

On the positive side, always ask how duties are divided up. I think every club should divide the minor duties and assign them to teams. The major things like planting are for everyone. But, cutting firewood, trapping, bush hogging, road work, trimming roads, spraying fields, etc.... should be divided up.