How to Promote Your Property

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Get the word out: The best way to promote your hunting land is by word of mouth.

Credit: Joel Stewart

If you’ve decided to set up a hunting lease, you’ll need to let hunters know you’re open to their business. As with any business, smart promotion is the key to success.

Here are some proven ways to get the word out:

Ads. Advertise in state and local newspapers, outdoors and hunting magazines, and any local hunting registers (sometimes published by your local extension service). This is a good way to reach a broad audience, especially if you don’t know many hunters or other potential lessees personally.

• TIP: Identify what your woods have to offer and highlight these qualities in your ad. Keep your ad concise, direct and accurate.

Posters. Put up posters and bulletins in places that potential lessees visit—such as sporting goods stores and supermarkets. You can even post a sign on your own property.

• TIP:  Pictures can make posters more enticing and effective. Also, make sure to include your contact information, such as a phone number, so interested hunters can reach you.

Networking. Meet with a local hunting club or conservation group to talk about your land and what it has to offer. You can take this networking online, as well, by sharing information about your lease with Internet-based hunting forums.

• TIP: Visual aids are a bonus here too, so make sure to include pictures and maps if you can.

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  The MyLandPlan Tool can help you share a map of your property with potential lessees.

  Credit: Salem Saloom

Word of mouth. Most landowners who offer leases agree that word of mouth is the least expensive and most effective way to find lessees. Put the word out through family members and friends, and make sure any hunters who do use your land have a positive experience to share with their own web of friends and family.

Once you’ve found lessees for your land, you’ll want to keep them happy. Consider creating an attractive campsite to add value to your lease and keep hunters coming back. The campsite can include firewood, a small shelter,  or even a trailer or cabin for overnight stays. You can also team up with local motels, bed & breakfasts, and tour guides or outfitters to offer packaged deals.

You’ll want to keep yourself happy too, and developing the right leasing agreement can make all the difference in that department. The right agreement can protect you and your lessees while making the leasing process as stress-free as possible.