Just thinking

I am also losing my lease after this year. (see post under "why now?" in deer hunting).

I am considering working with someone to find a tract in the following area: Sumter, Lee, Terrell, Worth. If I can find a really good place, I am considering fronting the money and taking in a small number of hunters.

1. Good land will cost.
2. Min of 100 acres per hunter
3. QDM (will work as a team to determine what we want)
4. SAFTEY first.
5. Kids welcome

Anyone here that may be interested? If so, I will post shortly with my contact info.

Creating a new club

I've thought about doing the same thing. I would be interested in the Marion/Stewart area but I think you're talking a little too far for me. I too could front some money for a good piece of land and agree totally with your "rules framework".

I know Meadwestvaco had a couple pieces available about a month ago. One was about 350 acs in Marion and the other was almost 600 acres in Stewart. I'm not sure I could swing either by myself, but could easily do it with one other on the 350 tract and two others on the ~600 tract...

Marion County is a pretty good area. I have been hunting in Terrell/Lee/Sumter for the past 9 years and have taken some really nice bucks. The deer numbers are good, and if your patient and let the little bucks walk, you will see a shooter sometime during the season. Even letting alot walk, I take all I want every season.

Seems like there are enough folks here on Woody's that would be interested, so I plan on going up the week before Christmas and getting with the Property Appraisers Office for a start to see who owns what in a couple of areas that are PRIME. Also, have a buddy that does alot of tractor work in Sumter that knows alot of land owners. Let's see what we can come up with for options, then work it from there.

Please put me on your "contact" list

Should work

I did something very similar, except for the QDM & the 100 acres per hunter. I had a set of rules in mind, we had a meeting and I let the paying, attending members make final decisions by vote. We did have a lame 6-pt or better rule that we scrapped during the season after not seeing any deer period. A lame attempt at getting our moneys worth. We lost the lease to land sale, and quite frankly, I would not have leased again. One thing to keep in mind is to try and get some members that rarely ever hunt(openers, holidays, and last weekends), and get as many plot sitters as you can. If you do this, you could have 50 acres per hunter on paper, and in all actuality, be 200 acres per hunter. Our lease was 400 acres, 10 members. Never more than 4 hunters were ever present, and 2 of them never set foot, on the property.Just my thoughts.