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Should I join this lease ???

J

johnw91

Member
Joined
Sep 23, 2019
Messages
45
Guys, looking for advice.
I'd like to identify as a run and Gunner, but at the end of the day I like to kill big bucks.

I have an opportunity to join a hunt club for still hunters here in Virginia that totals 7000 acres with a focus on mature bucks. They have a TON of rules, pretty much wherever you go and whatever you shoot needs to be reported to the whole club. They have set stands but can move around a bit , but you must sign in to those spots the morning of. Also, most of the properties do not allow bow hunting and also do not allow Sunday hunting. They kill big bucks though, no doubt. It costs 1500 , which is crazy high for this area, but I'm still very unsure given the circumstances and also the amount of time I will have available in the woods.
Looking for advice, thanks all.
 
Sounds incredibly restrictive to me. Here in Illinois, the gun seasons are fairly short. Seems like it would take all the "fun and enjoyment" out of hunting for me. Guess it all depends what a big buck is worth to you. Good luck in your decision.
 
It sounds like you’re already questioning the value of it and that’s something only you can decide. I joined a large expensive lease two years ago and didn’t hunt after bow season because I didn’t enjoy it. I usually left angry so I decided it was better to throw the money away than ruin the experience for myself. I now have a little lease with just me as a member. It’s close to home. My son likes it because he sees deer but my chances of killing something big are just as good if not better on public.
 
i live for bow hunting. While i enjoy shooting and hunting with rifles, i wood spend all season bow hunting if i could. Find something that is close to home, maybe less restrictive. There is something to be said about 30 minutes from your bed to the woods or from your office to the woods. Not being able to hunt Sundays would cramp my available vacation time. Travel time = less time in the woods and less time with the family. I would also hate to plan on having a spot and get there and someone else is there.
 
I was in a club in Amelia that was DMAP and had antler restrictions. Fines by the inch if you misjudged. Luckily they voted all that out and we follow state law now. I wouldn’t pay that much money to be that micromanaged.
 
Still hunting club + no bow hunting... Didn’t think that combo would exist in VA. Sounds too restrictive for the $$$. Find a cheaper club with less headache. Generally if you join a “dog hunt” club, you’ll generally have bow and muzzleloading to yourself on large property areas as most of these members generally dog hunt exclusively.
 
johnw91 said:
Guys, looking for advice.
I'd like to identify as a run and Gunner, but at the end of the day I like to kill big bucks.

I have an opportunity to join a hunt club for still hunters here in Virginia that totals 7000 acres with a focus on mature bucks. They have a TON of rules, pretty much wherever you go and whatever you shoot needs to be reported to the whole club. They have set stands but can move around a bit , but you must sign in to those spots the morning of. Also, most of the properties do not allow bow hunting and also do not allow Sunday hunting. They kill big bucks though, no doubt. It costs 1500 , which is crazy high for this area, but I'm still very unsure given the circumstances and also the amount of time I will have available in the woods.
Looking for advice, thanks all.
Click to expand...
Dude you are in Virginia there are plenty of big bucks to be killed without the limitations they impose! Save your money and hunt elsewhere and maybe put that money aside for out of state hunts!!
 
johnw91 said:
Guys, looking for advice.
I'd like to identify as a run and Gunner, but at the end of the day I like to kill big bucks.

I have an opportunity to join a hunt club for still hunters here in Virginia that totals 7000 acres with a focus on mature bucks. They have a TON of rules, pretty much wherever you go and whatever you shoot needs to be reported to the whole club. They have set stands but can move around a bit , but you must sign in to those spots the morning of. Also, most of the properties do not allow bow hunting and also do not allow Sunday hunting. They kill big bucks though, no doubt. It costs 1500 , which is crazy high for this area, but I'm still very unsure given the circumstances and also the amount of time I will have available in the woods.
Looking for advice, thanks all.
Click to expand...
What part of VA you in anyways?
 
johnw91 said:
Guys, looking for advice.
I'd like to identify as a run and Gunner, but at the end of the day I like to kill big bucks.

I have an opportunity to join a hunt club for still hunters here in Virginia that totals 7000 acres with a focus on mature bucks. They have a TON of rules, pretty much wherever you go and whatever you shoot needs to be reported to the whole club. They have set stands but can move around a bit , but you must sign in to those spots the morning of. Also, most of the properties do not allow bow hunting and also do not allow Sunday hunting. They kill big bucks though, no doubt. It costs 1500 , which is crazy high for this area, but I'm still very unsure given the circumstances and also the amount of time I will have available in the woods.
Looking for advice, thanks all.
Click to expand...
I would not do that it seems like quite a high price for that area.


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A little more details.

Of the 7K acres, approximately 2500 of it they allow bow hunting on. They also allow Sunday hunting on about the same amount of land. The club is in Surry and Prince George Counties. 16 inch minimum rule, They killed over 30 legal bucks last year and 60 does.
 
With preset stands are you able to hunt from the saddle still? I understand for safety reason they want to know where your at but to me it should be pick your section to hunt not the stand and tree they want. Deer change trails to often for me to be locked down to a specific tree.
 
I don’t think it would be for me, and if your already questioning it, I’d keep looking elsewhere or save your money and hunt public/knock on some doors to get permission. That might even make you some friends/build some relationships with people around you.
 
johnw91 said:
A little more details.

Of the 7K acres, approximately 2500 of it they allow bow hunting on. They also allow Sunday hunting on about the same amount of land. The club is in Surry and Prince George Counties. 16 inch minimum rule, They killed over 30 legal bucks last year and 60 does.
Click to expand...
16" for the most part protects the 2 year old and younger (not always but mostly). That's not very restrictive in my book (been hunting a 16" rule for 15 years in VA). No bow hunting would count me out though. What's the reasoning behind that? Too many bad bowhunters years ago?
 
Personal choice. $1,500 to hunt 7,000 acres sounds fine to me. But I would never deal with those rules. I hunt for pleasure and I would hate dealing with that BS. I'd rather have fewer opportunities to shoot big bucks and more freedom. But, that's just me.
 
$1,500 does not mean the same to everyone. If you are asking the question, then I can guess it means something to you. Some of our members if they could come across $1,500 they would be in the market for a new hunting wagon. Only you can decide if it is worth it to you.
 
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Gamover06 said:
With preset stands are you able to hunt from the saddle still? I understand for safety reason they want to know where your at but to me it should be pick your section to hunt not the stand and tree they want. Deer change trails to often for me to be locked down to a specific tree.
Click to expand...

It's pick your "area" you don't have to hunt out of the set stands. You have to be 300 yards minimum from the next hunter. My thought was that I could use the saddle to my advantage and hunt the deer a little differently than most of the "field" hunters do.

The reasoning I was given for the bow hunting regulations was that guys were putting a lot of pressure on pieces and when muzzeloader season came around the deer hunting wasn't as good/ neighboring properties were killing the deer that had been pushed off by bowhunters putting pressure/not playing the wind, etc.
 
johnw91 said:
The reasoning I was given for the bow hunting regulations was that guys were putting a lot of pressure on pieces and when muzzeloader season came around the deer hunting wasn't as good/ neighboring properties were killing the deer that had been pushed off by bowhunters putting pressure/not playing the wind, etc.
Click to expand...
Sounds about right, typical gun only hunters that can't sit in the green field and see/kill deer. Always someone else's fault...
 
$1500 here would get you about 50 acres you could sit in front of a feeder on and pretend to hunt deer....lol

The rules could chafe a bit but it sounds like a decent deal if there's monster deer
 
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