Question for those in clubs or run clubs

[Long Cut]

This is how our lease is. We have 750ac with 6 members. The lease price,camp site price and electric is added together and split up 6 ways. Also the whole 750 ac is in one block that’s long and narrow with one road going through the middle. It’s split up in 6 different areas and you can put as many different stands on your area as you want. How would you budget for seed and feed prices and be fair? Does the guys with the tractors and equipment have to pay that price along with the ones that only have limb cutters and a weed eater?

So typically the guys with tractors are “paid” in diesel covered and they don’t have to do any work by hand.

The guys without tractors are hand seeding clover/brassica, or on ATV’s throwing larger grain seed & fertilizer. The others load & transport bags of seed. All tractors are used to disc or pack seed in. ATV’s outfitted with spreaders to spread seed. Trucks, SXS & trailers used to tote seed & fertilizer around.

This has worked well for us. We might rotate “positions” as we have close to 30 acres of food plots spread out across 2,000 acres.
By the end of the weekend, everyone is wore out but the planting and fertilizing will be done.

Most of our food plots are in ladino clover now, so a light discing is all that’s needed. Over-seed clover, grains, brassica and fertilize. Has done well so far.

 

[Long Cut]

Hey Long!

No sir, no nerve or chord was touched or damaged in the making of these posts (pun intended).

It might be fair to sum it up this way - there are bad clubs just like there are bad members - just like there are good clubs and good members….

Biggest challenge is getting the like groups on the same farm, I would judge!!!

Be safe, brother.

Well put Jim!

Keep up the good work, I enjoy watching your hunts & land improvement threads.

 

[Jim Boyd]

For those hunting timber land, mixed pasture / timber land, I can see where improving your spot has value.

I hunt farmland, corn, cotton, peanuts, etc. there is no "improving spots" the farmer rotates crops and I want to be free to go hunt on the best deer hunting that year.

Bottom line is every situation is different. Find a situation you can live with and enjoy hunting.

Agreed!

100%

There is zero reason to have food plots in areas that have heavy ag….


Ummm…… well…….


Nope. Can’t think of a single reason.

 

[Gator89]

Agreed!

100%

There is zero reason to have food plots in areas that have heavy ag….


Ummm…… well…….


Nope. Can’t think of a

Agreed!

100%

There is zero reason to have food plots in areas that have heavy ag….


Ummm…… well…….


Nope. Can’t think of a single reason.

What percentage of the land pictured is under center pivot irrigation?

 

[Jim Boyd]

What percentage of the land pictured is under center pivot irrigation?

None.

All of the land pictured is our food plots near commercial tillable.

We do pray for rain often, if that helps, though.

How much of the commercial tillable is under center pivot?

None.

We have about 200 acres of commercial tillable on our farms - of which perhaps 70% has water via hose distribution.

Most fields are 15-20 acres and maybe a few 40 acre fields.

Surrounding farms have tillable with some under water.

Is it Illinois with a 640 square under water - nope it is not. They pray often too, for what it is worth.

Hope that helps sir.

 

[Gator89]

None.

All of the land pictured is our food plots near commercial tillable.

We do pray for rain often, if that helps, though.

How much of the commercial tillable is under center pivot?

None.

We have about 200 acres of commercial tillable on our farms - of which perhaps 70% has water via hose distribution.

Most fields are 15-20 acres and maybe a few 40 acre fields.

Surrounding farms have tillable with some under water.

Is it Illinois with a 640 square under water - nope it is not. They pray often too, for what it is worth.

Hope that helps sir.

The property I hunt is ~70% tillable, ~15% timber and ~15% marsh/swamp. Most of the tillable land is under center pivot and rented out. Of the ~700 acres of tillable, maybe 50 is dry land. Last year farmer planted wheat on the dry land, and the deer flocked to it. This year the farmer planted a late crop of milo on the dry land and the deer ate about 10% of his crop.

I did start a campaign with our club's ramrod that we needed to consider broadcasting some ryegrass or something next year on a couple spots in order to create a late season hot spot.

But we are not going to plant anything that would interfere with the land owner renting out his tillable land. I am not sure what the dry land rents for, but last I heard the irrigated land was going for $225+.

I suspect even the dry land rents higher as farmland versus hunting land.

Our arrangement is working for my crew.

Mr. Jim your arrangement appears to be working well for your crew.

I am blessed to have enjoyed the past 4 seasons and looking forward to many more.

 

[treadwell]

Our club is 100 % open to hunt anywhere, but..... we all choose to steer clear of others "favorite" areas. My cousin and I four yrs ago rented a skid steer and cleaned out some loading dock areas. We established our own food plots with our own money, ($800 for a day). then the next year, we hired a dozer driver ($1,200/ day) out of our own pockets, to open the areas up even more. Anyone with food plots knows, food plots aren't cheap. Seed, fertilizer, diesel, and time. Then we built some really nice, sealed up tight tower stands overlooking them. Nothing says they can't hunt them, but, no ones ever done so, or asked. This year we took in three new members and they are gonna be good ones. They rented heavy equipment and opened up their own food, plots. (All with the land managers blessings).
In addition, I, without compensation, bush hog all the roads at the end of August.
So what I am saying, some care to do nothing but show up and hunt, others choose to add something back to the land. As others have stated, get the right mix together and everyone enjoys the hunt in their own way. We have 1,100 acres, 11 members and we took 4 nice, (should have been 5, one dude lost his) 130"+ bucks this season.

 

[bigchiefchoctaw]

Question for you fellas that say all stands open to all members. Let’s say you have the gentlemen’s agreement and most folks respect your favorite spot. What would you do if say someone one wants to hunt your favorite stand. Are yall gonna get irritated ? I know most say everything open to everyone but alot of you say most don’t hunt your stands or ask. So how you gonna feel when they do ?

Me personally I’m happy for the next man even if he benefits from what I have done. Reason being I dont own the wildlife. One thing that would deff make me mad is if someone goes and changes something I have done to my stands equipment without telling me or asking me.. that would not fly wit me at all. its back to that right people wouldn’t do that to begin with. What I and others do in our club is to improve the land and habitat for all wildlife which we all benefit from. The other factor is there is no guarantee that I will shoot any of the bucks im targeting. If one my buddies or club members shoots a buck at one of my spots it was meant for him to get it. I could hunt all year and might not see the deer..
like has already been stated right people to hunt with and the rules that suit the way you perceive to hunt by.. I say at this point in this thread about every angle has been covered and really nothing much else we all can add. Fun to jaw back and fourth about it

 

[transfixer]

a little different aspect to this, I am not a trophy hunter, antlers mean little to me, I don't need to show how good a hunter I am by showing off mounted deer in my house, I've killed some nice bucks over my 40+ yrs of hunting, I've never paid to have any of them mounted, I've cut the antlers off of some just to save, and have one skull euro style as it was the last deer I killed on my old club,

I say this to say I don't care if someone hunts out of my stand, I've let numerous people hunt out of my primary stand over the years, I want a primary stand because I can then make it comfortable and enjoyable for me to hunt ! for the last 20yrs I've mainly hunted from box stands, enclosed from the wind and rain, with a roof over it, a nice comfortable chair in it , carpet on the floor to cut down noise, I can take a thermos of coffee when its very cold and enjoy staying for 3 or 4 hours,

a club that is first come first serve would make that virtually impossible to do ,

 

[basshappy]

I’m in a club right now where each member has a private area. I do not like this idea but I knew the rules when I joined. I am about to enter my fourth year in the club, and have yet to kill a deer.I would like to join a club where each member has the opportunity to hunt any stand or available land. If any of you know of such a club, I would love to hear from you. I live in Hall county but I am willing to drive 2 to 2 1/2 hours. My present club is in Merriweather County.

What attracts you to continue to join this club if after 2 and 3 years you have not killed a deer? Whatever the dues are.

I can't imagine paying $1K and more to join a club to hunt whitetail (and turkey, pig, etc if included). Heck I don't know if I would even pay $500. Maybe I am cheap. But I have seen a lot of deer on public land and I think I would cut my teeth on public land versus paying to be in a club.

 

[Jim Boyd]

The property I hunt is ~70% tillable, ~15% timber and ~15% marsh/swamp. Most of the tillable land is under center pivot and rented out. Of the ~700 acres of tillable, maybe 50 is dry land. Last year farmer planted wheat on the dry land, and the deer flocked to it. This year the farmer planted a late crop of milo on the dry land and the deer ate about 10% of his crop.

I did start a campaign with our club's ramrod that we needed to consider broadcasting some ryegrass or something next year on a couple spots in order to create a late season hot spot.

But we are not going to plant anything that would interfere with the land owner renting out his tillable land. I am not sure what the dry land rents for, but last I heard the irrigated land was going for $225+.

I suspect even the dry land rents higher as farmland versus hunting land.

Our arrangement is working for my crew.

Mr. Jim your arrangement appears to be working well for your crew.

I am blessed to have enjoyed the past 4 seasons and looking forward to many more.

Sounds like well fed deer paradise!!!

We do not interfere with rented tillable, I am quite touchy about that.

We have about 35 acres of flat stump free ground that our landowners allow us to use as plots.

Generally, we cannot plant it all - most times we don’t come close. Counting clover fields - in varying states (mostly poor) I think we had about 12-15 acres planted this fall.

Mine and Jo’s own farm border the leased ground and I think I have about 4 acres total planted there.

A good bit of our club ground that was planted was in personal areas and planted outside of club budget.

With all your tillable I an envisioning funnel after funnel!


Good luck, brother!!!!

 

[elfiii]

What makes it a good club is the guys in it, though. No matter the rules, guys that respect each other one way or the other and enjoy camp together make all the difference.

In the end this is the most important part and you can't "rule" people into being generous and respectful.

Like I said I own my own property and my hunting partners are my closest personal friends so I don't have "rule" problems. The only rule I have which is unspoken is if you hunted a spot this weekend be courteous enough to let somebody else have a shot at it next weekend unless nobody else wants it. In our case that's never a problem for the simple reason whichever spot you hunted this weekend you'll wish you had hunted another one.

 

[Beagler282]

I tried the pin in system on 7400 acres with 15 folks and it didn't work. I won't do that again. I pay dearly now for property with very few folks and we have our own areas. If we want to hunt the other persons stand we can just ask. We are close friends and it just works. Pretty much see the same deer with our feeding program on all the property.

 

[175rltw]

It’s jus tlike a deer processer thread, makes me think “but for the Grace of God

 

[sghoghunter]

Question for you fellas that say all stands open to all members. Let’s say you have the gentlemen’s agreement and most folks respect your favorite spot. What would you do if say someone one wants to hunt your favorite stand. Are yall gonna get irritated ? I know most say everything open to everyone but alot of you say most don’t hunt your stands or ask. So how you gonna feel when they do ?

Me personally I’m happy for the next man even if he benefits from what I have done. Reason being I dont own the wildlife. One thing that would deff make me mad is if someone goes and changes something I have done to my stands equipment without telling me or asking me.. that would not fly wit me at all. its back to that right people wouldn’t do that to begin with. What I and others do in our club is to improve the land and habitat for all wildlife which we all benefit from. The other factor is there is no guarantee that I will shoot any of the bucks im targeting. If one my buddies or club members shoots a buck at one of my spots it was meant for him to get it. I could hunt all year and might not see the deer..
like has already been stated right people to hunt with and the rules that suit the way you perceive to hunt by.. I say at this point in this thread about every angle has been covered and really nothing much else we all can add. Fun to jaw back and fourth about it

I’m wondering the same thing. I know how I’d feel if I had taken my time and money to get a spot ready to hunt on a well known crossing area and show up and find out someone has hunted it every morning and afternoon the week before my week long vacation started. Also after seeing people’s post about grabbing every $99 double ladder from Wally World I can only imagine those are for club stands. That alone would detour me from hunting a spot

 

[Bucaramus]

Question for you fellas that say all stands open to all members. Let’s say you have the gentlemen’s agreement and most folks respect your favorite spot. What would you do if say someone one wants to hunt your favorite stand. Are yall gonna get irritated ? I know most say everything open to everyone but alot of you say most don’t hunt your stands or ask. So how you gonna feel when they do ?

Me personally I’m happy for the next man even if he benefits from what I have done. Reason being I dont own the wildlife. One thing that would deff make me mad is if someone goes and changes something I have done to my stands equipment without telling me or asking me.. that would not fly wit me at all. its back to that right people wouldn’t do that to begin with. What I and others do in our club is to improve the land and habitat for all wildlife which we all benefit from. The other factor is there is no guarantee that I will shoot any of the bucks im targeting. If one my buddies or club members shoots a buck at one of my spots it was meant for him to get it. I could hunt all year and might not see the deer..
like has already been stated right people to hunt with and the rules that suit the way you perceive to hunt by.. I say at this point in this thread about every angle has been covered and really nothing much else we all can add. Fun to jaw back and fourth about it

Just me I guess but people did hunt my "favorite" spots and nothing was said. Some killed there too and I was happy about that as well. Had a 10yo boy shot a 130 out of my blind with his dad. Still happy and even helped with the recovery.

 

[cramer]

Thank God I own my own land. It's hardscrabble hunting but there is no drama. And I'm first come first served. Since everybody that hunts with me is a close personal friend It's all about "Where you want to hunt today? OK, I'll take the other spot."

We have box blinds and ladder stands that all of us helped build and erect. Food plots too. We all chip in and everybody shows up on work days. I can't imagine doing it any other way.

Since it's my land I carry the burden for the property taxes etc. but my friends chip in their share for everything else.

We do it the same way on our lease.
Everyone gets along.
I like hunting a variety of stands and seeing something different.