Monitoring Your Property/Lease Agreement

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To be sure the agreement is being respected, monitor your woodland property while hunters are there.

Credit: Flickr's knitting iris

There are steps you can take to identify the best possible lessee for your situation: interviewing interested lessees before signing an agreement, requesting and checking references, or working with organized groups instead of individuals. These can all help you find a lessee who’s a good match for your land.

But when it comes down to it, even your best efforts before signing won’t guarantee you have lessees who will treat your land with care and respect the terms of your lease agreement. You will need to monitor your property to make sure of that.

This monitoring need not interfere with your lessee’s hunting experience.

• One good idea is to limit the number of people allowed on your land, at least at first, until you get comfortable with them. Smaller groups are easier to work with and less likely to have issues or conflicts come up.
• Stop by the camp and visit now and then. Note if the number of guests is growing or if there’s evidence of undesirable activities.
• Include yourself and/or your family in the lease. But if you choose to hunt with your paying guests, share your information and don’t hog the resources. Stay out of the way if your lessee prefers it.
• Consider guided hunting. Whether you guide your guests yourself or partner with a local guide, having an experienced extra person along will encourage your lessees to respect your property and your agreement.