Land leasing is getting ridiculous in NC

jug

Old Mossy Horns
Contributor
I was talking to my Cousins husband last week about hunting. He said he checked on a 500 acre lease in Stokes county. The lady who was the landowner was literally leasing her land out by the season. She would lease the property out for bowseason , then lease it for gun and muzzleloader season and then lease it out for Turkey season. She was making the jack. Lady told him to check with her this summer and he might get lucky because she only leases it year to year.
What the hell has happened to hunting???
Crazy .
Is this gonna be the new norm?
I dont see many hunters willing to do this.
 

Mr.Gadget

Old Mossy Horns
As long as people pay it they will keep doing it.
We had a few that were year to year and lost one for next year may not be keeping the other as it is for sale.
It is getting there now and before long most will not want to pay the cost.
They are getting 500 to 700 for day hunts and 1000 to 3000 for club dues in eastern NC now.
 

turkeyfoot

Old Mossy Horns
Yup as long as someone is paying most owners gonna take highest amt and these days people are paying. I'd like to have that turkey lease in that county
 

Ambush

Twelve Pointer
I was talking to my Cousins husband last week about hunting. He said he checked on a 500 acre lease in Stokes county. The lady who was the landowner was literally leasing her land out by the season. She would lease the property out for bowseason , then lease it for gun and muzzleloader season and then lease it out for Turkey season. She was making the jack. Lady told him to check with her this summer and he might get lucky because she only leases it year to year.
What the hell has happened to hunting???
Crazy .
Is this gonna be the new norm?
I dont see many hunters willing to do this.

NC population growing and less hunting land available every year will do that.
 

lasttombstone

Kinder, Gentler LTS
People have been talking about having trouble trying to find land in the Charlotte area for quite some time. Now Raleigh is catching up in population so the same thing is happening. Not going to get any better. If you want a place to know you can hunt, go buy it. Now.
 

Ambush

Twelve Pointer
People have been talking about having trouble trying to find land in the Charlotte area for quite some time. Now Raleigh is catching up in population so the same thing is happening. Not going to get any better. If you want a place to know you can hunt, go buy it. Now.

I have just the investment/hunting spot. 175 acres $5K/acre Nash county.
 

darekzman

Four Pointer
People pay it because they don't have many options. If places to hunt were a dime a dozen, prices would be cheap and options would be plentiful. Nothing to choose from and many takers equals high prices and waiting lists. Classic supply and demand. I just can't figure out why the supply is so bad. Hunter population is barely growing year over year. 2017 was 573K and 2018 was around 585K licenses sold in NC. Less than 2% growth. That's nothing. I know they're not making land anymore but where is it disappearing to?
 
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Loganwayne

Ten Pointer
There is a lease near where I hunt, listed as a corporate hunting lease with a cabin and several hundred acres not sure on total acres. It came open this season and I wanted to know what it was going for. 10,000 a year. The same farmer has given us a 100 acres to do what we please with because he said the trails to the fields are to bad to get his tractor in and the deer eat whatever he plants anyways. But this property his sister owns with him and she won’t budge on the price.


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Loganwayne

Ten Pointer
People pay it because they don't have many options. If places to hunt were a dime a dozen, prices would be cheap and options would be plentiful. Nothing to choose from and many takers equals high prices and waiting lists. Classic supply and demand. I just can't figure out why the supply is so bad. Hunter population is barely growing year over year. 2017 was 573K and 2018 was around 585K licenses sold in NC. Less than 2% growth. That's nothing. I know they're not making land anymore but where is it disappearing to?

Housing developments, industrial parks, urban sprawl


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turkeyfoot

Old Mossy Horns
People pay it because they don't have many options. If places to hunt were a dime a dozen, prices would be cheap and options would be plentiful. Nothing to choose from and many takers equals high prices and waiting lists. Classic supply and demand. I just can't figure out why the supply is so bad. Hunter population is barely growing year over year. 2017 was 573K and 2018 was around 585K licenses sold in NC. Less than 2% growth. That's nothing. I know they're not making land anymore but where is it disappearing to?
Development and not just in big population areas like Charlotte and Raleigh but around mid size towns like Statesville and hickory. There are hundred more doublewide developments alone around here less timber way more people wanting places to hunt
 

turkeyfoot

Old Mossy Horns
Its not just tough finding lease in high populated parts of state even in mtns can be very difficult especially NW part of state rarely see anything advertised
 

darekzman

Four Pointer
Development and not just in big population areas like Charlotte and Raleigh but around mid size towns like Statesville and hickory. There are hundred more doublewide developments alone around here less timber way more people wanting places to hunt

I don't know if I buy that. NC is not being flooded with more population. In 2016 we had 10.16 and in 2017 we had 10.27 in millions of people. That's what 110,000 more people out of 10 million. Or 1% growth. New York state has 20 million people and a small growth rate but doesn't have the same problem we have. I have friends in upstate NY, Syracuse to be more specific, and there is no problem hunting public lands or finding leases. Hell when I still lived there I NEVER leased. I hardly ever saw another hunter when hunting public lands. You could find hundreds of acres to yourself if you looked. Even left climbers hanging in the tree all season with out worry of someone else running into it.

I don't know what it is but this really sucks that my son (ALL our NC children) will not have the same opportunity, experience and therefore love for the outdoors as I did. All because I don't have a quarter mill to spend on 100 acres to hunt? Crazy. No, just sad.
 
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turkeyfoot

Old Mossy Horns
I don't know if I buy that. NC is not being flooded with more population. In 2016 we had 10.16 and in 2017 we had 10.27 in millions of people. That's what 110,000 more people out of 10 million. Or 1% growth. New York state has 20 million people and a small growth rate but doesn't have the same problem we have. I have friends in upstate NY, Syracuse to be more specific, and there is no problem hunting public lands or finding leases. Hell when I still lived there I NEVER leased. I hardly ever saw another hunter when hunting public lands. You could find hundreds of acres to yourself if you looked. Even left climbers hanging in the tree all season with out worry of someone else running into it.

I don't know what it is but this really sucks that my son (ALL our NC children) will not have the same opportunity, experience and therefore love for the outdoors as I did. All because I don't have a quarter mill to spend on 100 acres to hunt? Crazy. No, just sad.
Your only looking at couple years you gotta look back further allveay to late 90s till now Nc population has greatly increased so and I mean SO many people moved here from other states. Like unsaid drive around or look at ariel maps in counties like Alex catawba Lincoln at all the little developments that are here I can count 20 with in 30 minutes that wasn't here 20 years ago and this is just my little neck of woods. Talk to people any where near triangle about how much worse traffic is now and how many developements have popped up. Its not just the loss of land but that combined with population growth that has made us 7th highest in country and its no brainer why the hunting lease issues what it is. You don't have these issues in say neb I could go out there tom and find a lease but even there the price is gonna be high due to outfitters and the quest for big midwest deer
 

turkeyfoot

Old Mossy Horns
Heck I can't even find a turkey only lease around here it just ain't deer hunters driving up land anymore turkey has taken off as well
 

jug

Old Mossy Horns
Contributor
The Carolinas as a whole are the 5th most populous state . Yeah NC has lost alot of land to development. More folks have bought property in NC and are not allowing any hunting. That is what I am seeing in Central NC
 

Ol Copper

Twelve Pointer
I don't know if I buy that. NC is not being flooded with more population. In 2016 we had 10.16 and in 2017 we had 10.27 in millions of people. That's what 110,000 more people out of 10 million. Or 1% growth. New York state has 20 million people and a small growth rate but doesn't have the same problem we have. I have friends in upstate NY, Syracuse to be more specific, and there is no problem hunting public lands or finding leases. Hell when I still lived there I NEVER leased. I hardly ever saw another hunter when hunting public lands. You could find hundreds of acres to yourself if you looked. Even left climbers hanging in the tree all season with out worry of someone else running into it.

I don't know what it is but this really sucks that my son (ALL our NC children) will not have the same opportunity, experience and therefore love for the outdoors as I did. All because I don't have a quarter mill to spend on 100 acres to hunt? Crazy. No, just sad.

Yep, you are looking at a very small sample of a few years growth. The population has literally exploded, in deer terms it is almost past carrying capacity, lol.
There was a time in my life that I knew everyone in my hometown. I knew at least one person in every house. You used to not be able to even go out to eat because you couldnt get away from people that wanted to stop at your table to talk. I can go to walmart for months now and not see 1 person that I know. I may occasionally see someone at the local pharmacy, but thats it. When I was younger people would actually scold you for asking to hunt each year....they would say, "you know that you dont have to ask, now go on."
I haven't been able to find a place to hunt in my home county for quite a while now. Last deer I killed in Alexander Co. was a 4 pt. buck I shot with a muzzleloader, I was 16 years old. That was 35 years ago......
 

Ambush

Twelve Pointer
I don't know if I buy that. NC is not being flooded with more population. In 2016 we had 10.16 and in 2017 we had 10.27 in millions of people. That's what 110,000 more people out of 10 million. Or 1% growth. New York state has 20 million people and a small growth rate but doesn't have the same problem we have. I have friends in upstate NY, Syracuse to be more specific, and there is no problem hunting public lands or finding leases. Hell when I still lived there I NEVER leased. I hardly ever saw another hunter when hunting public lands. You could find hundreds of acres to yourself if you looked. Even left climbers hanging in the tree all season with out worry of someone else running into it.

I don't know what it is but this really sucks that my son (ALL our NC children) will not have the same opportunity, experience and therefore love for the outdoors as I did. All because I don't have a quarter mill to spend on 100 acres to hunt? Crazy. No, just sad.

Just look at a NC state highway map from I95 west. One big city after another, across the entire length of the state. Most of New York’s population is on the coast. You’re most likely here for a reason, like hundreds of thousands of other implants. It is what it is. When I was young I could basically hunt any property in my county.
 

turkeyfoot

Old Mossy Horns
Yep, you are looking at a very small sample of a few years growth. The population has literally exploded, in deer terms it is almost past carrying capacity, lol.
There was a time in my life that I knew everyone in my hometown. I knew at least one person in every house. You used to not be able to even go out to eat because you couldnt get away from people that wanted to stop at your table to talk. I can go to walmart for months now and not see 1 person that I know. I may occasionally see someone at the local pharmacy, but thats it. When I was younger people would actually scold you for asking to hunt each year....they would say, "you know that you dont have to ask, now go on."
I haven't been able to find a place to hunt in my home county for quite a while now. Last deer I killed in Alexander Co. was a 4 pt. buck I shot with a muzzleloader, I was 16 years old. That was 35 years ago......
Funny you said that we were just talking other day about how many people can't even find land to hunt in the county they live in
 

nchawkeye

Old Mossy Horns
From 1983-1990 I was Deere's sales manager for the Piedmont, my sales went from 7-23 millions...Out of that, lawn and garden sales through my dealers alone went from 1.5-9 million...This did not include Deere's lawn and garden dealerships...That's how many homes were being built...Farms were being bought and developed, this is also when Deere decided to let the big box stores sell their lawn and garden equipment...

3 years ago the state started building a bypass around Asheboro, this took about 150 homes...Those 150 families had to find new homes...I specialize in land and fell right into some of my tracts being bought for smaller subdivisions...Highways take homes away all the time and folks have to have a place to live...

I started seeing this in the Charlotte market in the '80s when I was with Deere, this is why I went back and got my real estate license for the second time...I know that many can't afford to buy land to hunt but if you can or can get some hunting buddies together and buy land together then you need to get serious about doing so...
 

Clad

Button Buck
From 1983-1990 I was Deere's sales manager for the Piedmont, my sales went from 7-23 millions...Out of that, lawn and garden sales through my dealers alone went from 1.5-9 million...This did not include Deere's lawn and garden dealerships...That's how many homes were being built...Farms were being bought and developed, this is also when Deere decided to let the big box stores sell their lawn and garden equipment...

3 years ago the state started building a bypass around Asheboro, this took about 150 homes...Those 150 families had to find new homes...I specialize in land and fell right into some of my tracts being bought for smaller subdivisions...Highways take homes away all the time and folks have to have a place to live...

I started seeing this in the Charlotte market in the '80s when I was with Deere, this is why I went back and got my real estate license for the second time...I know that many can't afford to buy land to hunt but if you can or can get some hunting buddies together and buy land together then you need to get serious about doing so...
Agreed.
 

darekzman

Four Pointer
I don't know if I buy that. NC is not being flooded with more population. In 2016 we had 10.16 and in 2017 we had 10.27 in millions of people. That's what 110,000 more people out of 10 million. Or 1% growth. New York state has 20 million people and a small growth rate but doesn't have the same problem we have. I have friends in upstate NY, Syracuse to be more specific, and there is no problem hunting public lands or finding leases. Hell when I still lived there I NEVER leased. I hardly ever saw another hunter when hunting public lands. You could find hundreds of acres to yourself if you looked. Even left climbers hanging in the tree all season with out worry of someone else running into it.

I don't know what it is but this really sucks that my son (ALL our NC children) will not have the same opportunity, experience and therefore love for the outdoors as I did. All because I don't have a quarter mill to spend on 100 acres to hunt? Crazy. No, just sad.

Just look at a NC state highway map from I95 west. One big city after another, across the entire length of the state. Most of New York’s population is on the coast. You’re most likely here for a reason, like hundreds of thousands of other implants. It is what it is. When I was young I could basically hunt any property in my county.

If you care to know, I left New York state because of the ridiculous taxes. Upstate was/is supporting NYC. And the laws were getting out of hand. Did you know they outlawed 32oz soft drinks in restaurants a while back? How stupid is that when refills are free? A cup size is the reason a person is fat. That’s NY mentality for you. And you can’t get a CCW unless you are friends with the judge in your district. No joke. Automatic denial unless you prove you need it. Even then you’ll have to fight for it. I love New York it really is a sportsman’s dream but the politics were more than I could handle.

Guys I know I mentioned a small sample. I moved here 13 years ago. The last lease I found/had was in Lee county two years ago. Had to drive 1hr 45m every morning one way. Not ideal but dealt with it. Couldn’t find anything last year without having to drive 3 hrs. Ended up not hunting in 2018. First time in 31 years that I didn’t go hunting!!!

So I’m talking about how hard its been to find something in the past 1-2 years. Sounds like many have had a hard time longer than I. I’m just running into this problem now.


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Ambush

Twelve Pointer
If you care to know, I left New York state because of the ridiculous taxes. Upstate was/is supporting NYC. And the laws were getting out of hand. Did you know they outlawed 32oz soft drinks in restaurants a while back? How stupid is that when refills are free? A cup size is the reason a person is fat. That’s NY mentality for you. And you can’t get a CCW unless you are friends with the judge in your district. No joke. Automatic denial unless you prove you need it. Even then you’ll have to fight for it. I love New York it really is a sportsman’s dream but the politics were more than I could handle.

Guys I know I mentioned a small sample. I moved here 13 years ago. The last lease I found/had was in Lee county two years ago. Had to drive 1hr 45m every morning one way. Not ideal but dealt with it. Couldn’t find anything last year without having to drive 3 hrs. Ended up not hunting in 2018. First time in 31 years that I didn’t go hunting!!!

So I’m talking about how hard its been to find something in the past 1-2 years. Sounds like many have had a hard time longer than I. I’m just running into this problem now.


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Yeah, I understand why so many from up north are moving to NC. I accepted it a long time ago and most new residents are really nice. Like most have pointed out in this thread, the NC population explosion and declining hunting acres would make you wonder how lease demand couldn’t sky rocket. I also believe the new two buck limit in the east, just drives more hunting demand in the piedmont...as less incentives for those residents to drive to eastern zone for extra bucks as in the past.
 

TravisLH

Old Mossy Horns
It was a tough deal to find a club within an hour drive of Raleigh for under $600 a year dues..... I lucked into mine and have only found one other but it had way more members and less acreage


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Wv67

Ten Pointer
I guess we r lucky here always leases available or at least openings , they fill fast and go quick but every year if ya know where to look ya can find one or the other Weyerhaeuser is who I lease from , if ya go on their web site around June ya might find something they r all over the south , my buddy is from Moore head , his brothers lease down there if that’s close for some one I can check with him and maybe hook someone up good luck to all who is looking
 

pcbuckhunter

Old Mossy Horns
Contributor
I’ve been fairly fortunate to find land to hunt without having to lease very much of it. I do lease some properties in Rockingham and Stokes counties. My lease prices have changed with the taxes. As the taxes go up, so does my lease prices.

I have a friend that lost a lease this year(2019) because the gentleman his family had been leasing from for over thirty years passed away this past year. The gentleman’s children have elected to put the land on the market and will not be renewing my friend’s lease. So there goes 400 some odd acres in Stoneville that will no longer be able to be hunted.

It’s happening everywhere you look. From the mountains to the coast, from the southern half of the state to the northern half of the state.

I have properties that I have permission to hunt in 15 different counties this year, and I promise you that in every single one of those counties, the hunters that lost a place to hunt outnumber the ones who gained a place to hunt. It’s very sad.


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pattersonj11

Old Mossy Horns
Contributor
I’ve had around 300 acres to hunt in the past 15 or so years. Roughly 100 acres in 3 different spots from 3 different land owners. In three years that has dwindled down to nothing due to development. The land still available for hunting has been logged and cleared to the point of just being an open field in the middle of open fields. Habitat is disappearing.
 

ScottyB

Old Mossy Horns
Contributor
Land being passed down to the next generation that does not hunt or want to have the family land is the biggest deal. They don’t want the farm and the developers do.......
 

timekiller13

Old Mossy Horns
Yes, the leasing game is getting more and more tiring to me. I had planned to give up all my leased properties and hunt public land only in 2018, but ended up keeping one lease and bouncing back and forth between it and public land. I saw more deer on public than I did on private. Large tracts of land are definitely getting much harder to lease. But, smaller parcels seem to be pretty easy to find and can be had for decent money, or free. A lot of people don't think about hunting on smaller tracts of land. For instance, I got on GIS the other day and realized the elderly lady that lives across the road from me owns 9 acres and 21 acres about 10 min from my house. I walked across the road and asked her if I could have permission to hunt them in 2019-2020. She said "those are awful small pieces, you think you can kill anything on them?" I told her maybe, maybe not but I would like to find out. She granted me permission to hunt, for free. These will be perfect spots for quick hunts and to take my girls. I am working on a 31 acre parcel that is 5 minutes from my house. My 2019-2020 plan will be to hunt public land and these couple small tracts close to home and get out of my other lease. I have really got to where I enjoy hunting public land, anyways. There is so much public land available within a 2 hour drive fromme that I am finding it more and more pointless to be confined to the parameters of a small lease. Sure, having 500 acres of private land to hunt is nice, but there is still only so far I can roam. Why be confined to 500 acres, when I can drive an hour up the road and have nearly 50,000 acre continuous piece of land to hunt?
 
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