Outdoors Headlines
- Winnebago Eastshore Conservation Club in co-operation with the Chilton Optimist Club will sponsor a Wisconsin Hunter Education and Firearms Safety Course beginning a 6:30 P.M. Sunday March 25, 2012 at Winnebago Eastshore Conservation Club clubhouse which
- Local conservation club to host hunter safety course
- Outdoors with Bob
- USDA creates blueprint for increased efficiency
- Ag Day at Capitol is Feb. 8
- A big day on the Mississippi River
- Beaver Management Survey gathers public opinion
- Here’s to the most beautiful time of the year
- Ledge view Nature Center ready for outdoor winter experiences
- Kids score during KAMO deer hunt
| Additional income available for landowners who lease hunting land |
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| Friday, 26 February 2010 11:04 |
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By leasing out their land, woodland owners may be able to profit from the rich tradition of hunting that exists in Wisconsin. An untapped source of income could exist on property that sustains wildlife. Having exclusive access to private land during hunting season is a price that many hunters are willing to pay. Leasing out deer hunting rights will not only increase a hunter’s chance of success, but the lease payments could be enough to cover landowners’ property taxes. The payments can also go toward funding habitat improvement projects on the property. The hunting lease program was originally offered through the Wisconsin Woodland Owners Association. Members of WWOA were able to access this additional income source and get the most out of their property. In 1990, the program was discontinued due to the belief that it was not being utilized by a significant number of members. Bob Crane, owner of Woodland Management Service and coordinator of the program under WWOA, understood the benefits available to both hunters and landowners through the program. As a result, he chose to continue the hunting lease program through his forestry consulting firm. Improvements have been made to the program since then, based on participant feedback throughout the years. Companies like Woodland Management Service assist landowners by finding hunters who are willing to pay them for secured hunting land. More hunters are turning to the hunting lease program to avoid the inconvenience and unreliability of public land. Landowners can begin to reap the benefits of this program today. Many clients in the hunting lease program are farmers or absentee landowners. A landowner can expect to make around $300 per 40 acres for two hunters if the land has yielded successful deer hunting over the years. Apprehension sometimes arises when landowners consider liability. Generally, if the lease return is less than $500 per year, state law protects landowners from injuries sustained by hunters on their property. If the lease return exceeds $500, it’s recommended that landowners extend the liability limits of their homeowner’s policy to cover the lease. The additional cost amounts to only a few dollars a year. Urban hunters especially are thankful for a place to hunt. They are most often recognized as ethical hunters and participants in the program have been pleased in the past. Interested landowners can obtain a lease form from a forestry consulting firm like Woodland Management Service. Woodland owners are not restricted to a set number of wooded acres to join. The lease form provides a property description and an indication of the deer kill in recent years. Once the lease form is received, a forester will work with the landowner to contract a hunter and determine an appropriate fee to charge. Landowners earn money from the hunting lease program, which they can choose to invest in property taxes or further managing their property. 
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