Our intent is to intensively manage without regulating the fun out of hunting. To that end, here is an example of rules from one of our managed leases. Rules vary among leases. Each lease operates on a specific set of rules tailored to that property depending on acreage, amenities, and management goals.
MEMBERSHIP: Member year is July 1 through June 30. Members renew by February 28 for the upcoming member year.
NEW MEMBER: New member is probationary status for the first year. Evaluation is based on how well the member participates in work projects, contributes to the lease vs. takes from it, cooperates with the lease manager, and upholds lease rules.
GUESTS: Member may bring 1 hunting guest occasionally. Use discretion. Harvested game counts toward the member’s quota. Intent is to create a welcoming environment for the occasional guest without diminishing the lease quality. Accompany your guest at the farm to ensure rules are followed. If your guest is inexperienced, then sit with him/her. A non-hunting guest can be at camp while you hunt but is not allowed to fish or hunt. Guest must be in your presence to fish or hunt.
MEMBERS-ONLY DURING RUT: Intent is to reserve the prime seeking/chasing phase for members-only to hunt. A non-hunting guest is welcome to sit with you anytime including during members-only days but is not permitted to shoot.
BUCK QUOTA: Limit = 2 per year. Must be 4.5 years or older. Honest mistakes can happen. There is a big difference between an honest vs. careless mistake. If you or your guest kill a 3.5-year-old buck, then your buck quota goes to zero that season and your buck quota the next year is one (1) buck. Killing a 2.5-year-old buck results in immediate loss of membership.
DOE QUOTA: Limit = 6/year. No doe killing during prime rut period.
CULLS: Buck culling is prohibited. Research shows that culling bucks cannot measurably improve genetics of free-range herds.
GOBBLERS: Limit = 2 gobblers/year. No jakes! Member and guest must hunt the same area. Sign-in for one area.
ONE THAT GOT AWAY. It rarely happens but an unrecovered deer or turkey counts toward your quota. It counts as a kill if it staggers but runs away, flies away, or falls but gets up, or leaves blood, hair, or feathers.
SIGN IN. Stands are first-come-first-served at time of the hunt. No signing in the night before. No signing in this morning for a stand you want to hunt this evening. Do not sign-in and then go back to your camper to get ready. The intent is to sign-in and go directly to the stand. Sign in for one stand. Sign out before going to another. Limit is two stands/day.
LIMITING PRESSURE: A member must sign in/out to enter any hunting areas to install or relocate cameras and stands. The sign-in system helps us log hunting pressure. That includes pressure applied when a member installs or relocates cameras or stands. The intent is to give all members an accurate accounting of the collective pressure placed on the property. Again, the intent is to be smarter about when/how we disturb an area.
PARK-N-WALK: No vehicles (truck, ATV, UTV) in hunting areas during deer and turkey season except to retrieve deer or fill feeders. Park at designated spots and walk. No driving vehicle, ATV, or UTV to the stand. Electric bike can go directly to/from stand. Protect roads and camp area from rutting and damage. Keep all vehicles/ATVs off green fields except to retrieve an animal.
PLACING/MOVING STANDS: Stands must be placed at least two weeks prior to archery season opener. All stands except a “hang & hunt” climber is considered a club stand to be shared by all members. Private stands are not allowed because it has the same effect as a private reserve area. Provide lease manager with exact GPS waypoint for each stand so it can be added to the group shared map of available stands. This is for everyone’s safety to ensure stands are accurately mapped. For example, if you don’t return to camp and we form a search party, we will start at the stand location you signed out. It also avoids overcrowding an area with too many stands. No placing or moving stands during deer season unless approved by the lease manager due to special circumstances such as replacing a damaged stand.
SCOUTING: Scout as much as you want from the day after deer season ends until two weeks before archery season opens. No scouting during deer season. Please….no roaming on the way to or from a stand. Take the path of least disturbance.
CAMERAS: Cellular cameras are a useful tool when properly managed. Despite the best of intentions, cameras still require maintenance to relocate, swap batteries, adjust a solar panel, replace a cable eaten by squirrels, etc. Multiply that activity by the total number of members and it can be significant pressure. In our experience, unmanaged cameras can lead to a “me vs. them” mindset among members, which is unhealthy. Our intent is to foster cooperation with shared cameras and managed in a way that intentionally reduces disturbance. Research shows that mature bucks alter their travel behavior after the slightest human disturbance. To that end, here is the camera share program created in cooperation among members:
- 2 CLUB-SHARED CAMERAS: Operated year-round. Intent is to operate cellular cameras provided by members. Each member designates and operates 2 cellular cameras in the club-shared camera pool. Guest view access is given to all members. Basically, you provide and operate 2 cameras and have shared view of all of them. It is a better way to monitor game with minimal disturbance. All club shared cameras will be marked on the map. Club shared cameras will monitor mineral sites in Summer and food plots & feeders in Fall-Winter-Spring.
- 2 PRIVATE CAMERAS: Intent is to allow each member the option to operate 2 private cellular cameras. Can be operated year-round if the member chooses. The two private cameras are over and above the 2 club-shared cameras that each member provides. Member is not required to operate 2 private cameras and not required to share photos from them. Member agrees to provide the lease manager with precise waypoint to both cameras if he/she opts to operate them. Exact location will be mapped for accountability purposes. When placing, moving, or servicing a camera during deer season, sign-out for that area and note it in the sign-in log. Please keep this pressure to a minimum!
- SCOUTING CAMERAS: Scout as much as you want and operate as many scouting cameras as you want from the day after deer season ends until two weeks prior to archery season opener. No limits on the number of scouting cameras or locations during the offseason.
DATA: Record data for each buck, doe and turkey killed. Follow instructions in sign-in notebook. Extract jawbone. Email close-up photos of your kill along with hunter name, date, where killed, antler measurements, weight, beard length, spur length, etc. Send buck and gobbler pics to lease manager within 24 hours. Take the extra time to pose up some good grip-n-grin photos with your kill.
TARGET SHOOTING: Target practice with firearm allowed June through August.
SCENT CONTAINMENT: Do your part to limit disturbance. Hunt the wind! Use the chart of stands by wind direction. If wind is bad for a stand, please do not hunt it. Leave no trace you were ever in or around a stand. No smoking in/around stands. Leave stands clean. Close windows and latch shooting house door.
METHODS: Still-hunt only for deer. No stalking or deer drives. No roaming hunting areas during deer season.
FISH LIMITS: Crappie = no limit. Bluegill = 200/year. Bass = keep as many bass < 3 pounds as you want. Release all bass > 3 pounds.
FISHING GUEST: Accompany your fishing guest at all times. Do not leave a fishing guest unattended. Stay with your guest the entire time. If you plan to hunt, then your guest cannot fish without you.
CAMPERS: Water utility is included in dues. Park your RV in a spot designated by the manager. Set up your own electric service. In unforeseen event of a water bill spike due to frozen pipe or water break at your camper, you only pay for usage beyond historical avg. billing. Use your camper electrical hookup for charging batteries (cart, trolling motor, etc.). Do not charge batteries using electrical service at the barn.
CAMP ATMOSPHERE: Keep it clean. Dispose of carcass promptly at designated spot. Store trash out of site. Take it with you when leaving. Wash skinning area after use. Rinse table and concrete to remove blood, fish scales, etc. Store hose on reel; disconnect if freeze is expected. Leave no trace of trash or beverages at camp. Park trailers/equipment neatly out of the way.
WORKDAYS: You agree to participate in 4 full days of club-approved work details. Mandatory. Not optional. Lease manager develops a list of projects. You can attend a scheduled work detail or schedule your own days to complete items on the to-do list. Intent is to complete as much work as feasible in Spring to early Summer. If you cannot commit to the workdays, then you agree to send someone to work those days in your place.
GAME LAWS: Abide by applicable regulations. Promptly report violations to the game warden and to the lease manager.
ACKNOWLEDGEMENT: I agree to these terms of membership. I understand that violating any of these rules may result in membership forfeiture of my membership without refund. Further, I understand that concealing a rule or game violation committed by me or someone else is grounds for immediate forfeiture of my membership.