Aldeer.com Forums Alabama Deer Talk Serious Deer Talk Forum Westervelt Letter

If that is a one time fee, that is not that bad. Just saying. We had to pay a contractor thousands to come clean up a camp that a group left after their lease was terminated for breaking the rules.

I am not saying that some things are getting a little high these days but it is capitalism at its best. If you don't pay it, someone else will. That is not the company's fault, that is the markets' and your peers' fault.

Many times when you see fees incurred, it is response to an event that cost a company money. These companies are not The United Way, they are for profit companies. They are not going to lose money on a lease. I am not sure where the entitlement thought process comes in. Yes, you are our customers and should be treated that way and should be treated with respect, but we can't lose money just to make you feel good. When we lose money, you lose your place to hunt...

Me choosing a company that doesn't charge me a $500 deposit is also part of the free market capitalist way of life.

You're going to find they all charge for something like it. I can promise you. If it is not the litter, it is the camp, if not the camp, the food plots, if not the plots, the power and water rights and so on and so on...

Just the way it is...

I wouldnt pay it.
Corse I wouldnt pay good money to listen to loggers in Nov, choke on control burn smoke in Dec, watch Mexicans stomp cutovers planting trees in Jan, to hunt overpriced ground where the only hardwoods were on property lines or smz's, be made to pull jowbones and record kills for lease rate increases, eeerr I ment "deer management".

Im just weird like that.

Westervelt is the worst.....no doubt about it!

Sadly, others 'in the business' see them as front-runners and quickly follow suit.

agreed.i wont lease from them again.i was surprised when i went thru rayonier and how helpful they have been answering my questions.also being use to dealing with all the westervelt bs and not having to deal with it rayoniers side was another plus.did i also mention rayonier allows you to purchase clearcut areas for food plots.thats a huge plus when your trying to better your lease on timber plantations.

I am not just taking up for Westervelt here guys... I am just saying that it will be rare that you find the perfect circumstance to lease property. Every company is going to have thing you don't like. It is just the way it is in the corporate setting. I along with the Westervelt lease managers must operate within the means they are allowed. These are not decisions we necessarily make. We have supervisors and stockholders we answer to.

Just remember that no lease is perfect and if you don't own the land you have very little reason to be consulted as to what operations take place on said land. Just like the road work issue that is often brought up. Lease revenue rarely will cover 50% of the amount of road work cost a club wants done annually. Companies can't justify that cost. We have to do what we can, when we can or we would always operate in the red on hunting leases...

How is that different?

BOYCOTT them!!!!! If we would all stick together!

Not really following what you are asking.If westervelts goal is to improve habitat for wildlife why do they do everything opposite to do so?I thought the purpose of there company was to assist timber investors in creating good habitat for the people they lease to.Not saying any names but my biologist never offered anything.we was pretty much on our own.And i know hunters are paying big money to lease these properties.They should treat us a little better when you look at what we pay per acre and what they bring in over a 10 year period on a lease its alot of money compared to what there selling in timber.If it wasnt for us people would run all over there properties and dump trash,do illegal activities that would cause fires and a bunch of other things.I dont personaly think westervelt is doing everything they can.I think on there third party leases there just collecting money for doing a whole lot of nothing besides posting the lease on a website..the investment companys would be way better off creating a hunting department and letting them collect all the money.The bear creek propertys they manage in florida are the worse.Thats why there are 20+ leases down there available that never get leased or renewed.

I agree TatSoul , the agent/biologist I had handled both properties I was in and he told me to my face that they were a (timber company) that also did wildlife management , they sold alot of timber to paper companies. I understand its capitalism which is fine but when you pay as much as what they charge at least 1.give you something to hunt besides cutovers and pine thickets and 2. be courteous to your tenants to let the season end before you come in and butcher the place. Just my opinion .

Uhhh, what are the mills they supply supposed to do for wood during hunting season?

Nighthunter, I wasn't trying to run down Westervelt, mainly just wanted to know if others got the letter. I don't think its a reasonable policy for this lease, but its their land and I can take it or leave it

I've already tried to get my neighbors to lease it and they don't want it; it isn't huntable. It has no food plots, no road, and no trees big enough for a stand except along the property line. It would be OK for an outlaw to lease and use for a base area to hunt other people's land, but that's about it.The lease was already too much; an extra $500 is probably gonna end my involvement with them.

every land owner knows the timber that needs to be cut a year before its cut so whats so hard about cutting it in the off season.why lease to hunters than ruin the hunting with the timber activities during the season.Its because they dont care.they feel like the lesees are an afterthought and there is nothing there gonna do about it anyway but deal with it.

No problem with timber harvest.....I have put a LOT of meals on my table through the Forest Products Industry!!!

But, what is the role of the biologists????
What do they REALLY do in the day to day management of their leases???
Why do they think their property is more valuable than others?
Why is their turnover rate so high???

poorcountrypreacher:
Is your lease up for renewal? I ask because I have one year left on my current 3 year lease with Westervelt and I have not recieved the letter you described.

Yes, my 3 year lease has to be renewed this year. You will get your letter next year. I sent them a long email and asked for a waiver. I'll let everyone know how it turns out.

I guess that's why I haven't gotten one yet.

They might have had problems some place, but I've been on a LOT of different lease land and the vast majority of it has been very clean of litter. It is usually a plus to have hunters as they take care of the property.

they know someone will lease the land ! thats why this game mangement is so popular. they use that HOOK to get top dollar for the land !