How to use Hunting Locator

How to Use our System

1.  Select "Message Owner" or "Contact Owner" options on the lease you're interested in

2.  Fill in your name and what you would like to say to the land owner

3.  Notifications will be send to your email if you get a responce, responses will be on the same page. 

Expert tips for contacting landowners

- Get to know the owner 

- Don't immediately bombard the owner with questions

- Reach out to multiple landowners and call us if you're still having issues 

Advice on making First Contact

There are a few key factors to remember when you are trying to make contact with a landowner for the first time. 

Make a good first impression.  Remember, when you reach out to a potential landowner, what they think of you is important. It is important to come off as someone they can trust, since you'll typically carry a firearm onto their property.  Apart from safety, they are also usually heavily invested with both time and money into the property, so they need to trust you. Making this first impression a good one can be easy. Just think through what you say prior to reaching out. Use proper grammar and proofread your message.

Be clear and short, respect their time and get in the door. 

Don’t overwhelm the landowner with questions on the first contact - keep it simple. Ask to meet up and view the property, or request to set up a time when you can ask all of the questions. This gives the owner a chance to reply quickly and be more prepared for your discussion at a later date.

Remember, you’re not texting one of your buddies yet. Use proper language until you have a chance to get to know the landowner. 

Respond quickly if they get back with you. You want to get in the door while they remember the great first impression you gave them.  It’s also important to get back quickly because you found a landowner who is actively trying to lease their land. Take advantage of it before the opportunity slips away.  

Do some research. Learn the area, study the lease, know the laws, and ask around to previous lessors or nearby hunters. Be knowledgeable when you finally get the chance to talk. They will trust you more if you sound like you know what you’re talking about. 

Watch List

Expert tips when setting up a watch list

- Add every unavailable lease you that you like

- Member's leave leases all the time, don't lose hope

Our Watch List feature allows members to saved leased properties so they will be notified as soon as the property becomes available again. Leases become available as members drop out and the larger leases with many members may become active several times a year. 

Property Alert

We have new leases added daily to our site.  If you want to be the first to see new leases, create a Search Alert by following these steps.

1.  Click on the "Membership Details" option on the top of the page

2.  Go to "Property Alerts" and select "Create Property Alert"

3.  Fill in your search criteria and save it. 

You will now get notified anytime we receive a new lease that fits your criteria.

So you found a property to lease and you’re all set up to check it out. There are many important things to look for when you’re out there.  

Check the accessibility to the property. While you may not think hiking in a few miles is a big deal, remember you’ll have to haul out whatever you shoot. Muddy sloppy roads can become more of a hazard as they are worn out throughout the season. 

Think about what needs to be done to the property to get it ready.  Do you need a tractor or other equipment to get it ready to hunt the way you like?

Let's say the owner told you they have deer or ducks on the property, but how can you judge the accuracy of their statement?  For deer, you can simply look for signs of their presence. It’s likely offseason, so look for tracks and gametrails. For migratory species, you may have to trust the owner. Know your target species to figure out what to expect. Do they migrate in that area? Does the property have sufficient food and habitat to support a huntable population?

You love the property and you’re ready to start preparing the property for hunting season. Before you can set out a trail camera or hop on a tractor, you have to sign the lease. Typically the landowner provides the lease that both parties will sign.  READ IT! Don’t just initial a few places and sign on the dotted line. Make sure you understand what’s on the lease. Somewhere in the paperwork provided by the landowner is usually a set of rules. Maybe you wanted to leave your camper on the property but the owner won’t allow it. Maybe the owner is placing road and access maintenance as your responsibility, or maybe not and that makes the property more appealing.  It’s important to know what you are agreeing to. Also remember that you can negotiate. Maybe you don’t like a rule or it affects your way of hunting. Now is the time to work on the compromise. Consider these things:

- Stand/blind types allowed

- Food plot rules

- Tree cutting rules

- Hunting Camp Rules

- Road/access maintenance responsibility

- Can you access the property year round?

- Can you use your own ATVs or tractors?

If you made it this far and you’re still interested, sign the lease and pay the fees so you can get started.  Now the work begins. Start by doing research on the animals you intend to hunt. We have resources for that here. Know the foods they eat, their habits, and where they bed. Research successful management techniques.  Study the property even more. Google earth can be your best friend for scouting. You can see general features on the property, such as where pines transition into hardwoods, or a hidden wet weather pond may be. Now go out to the property and explore. Learn the property. Look for signs. Come up with a plan. Now it’s time to go to work out on the property.

Stay with us

Finding a lease is just the start of having a successful season, and we are proud to be able to assist you with that.  We would also like to be able to help you make the most of your new found lease.  Stay with us and use our HD maps to better plan your preparations for this season or to plan your hunts when the season starts.  We can also help you gear up for this year through our giveaways.  We've got some great prizes planned for this year and the longer you're a member with us, the more entries you'll have.  Who wouldn't want as many entries as possible to win a new Honda Pioneer SxS?