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Landowners can improve hunting lease value
Oklahoma The 2011 drought was a financial wake-up call for farmers and ranchers in Oklahoma. This event dealt a harsh dose of reality to unprepared landowners still managing under normal environmental and economic conditions. Most Oklahoma landowners now see that proper planning and diversifying agricultural operations will be vital to weather another year like 2011. Agricultural diversification may fall under several categories. The obvious categories like livestock or crop diversification are common across rural America. Others consider agritourism or hunting leases when they think of diversifying their operation. "Some landowners offer U-Pick programs for fruits and vegetables while others see the economic benefits of improving wildlife resources and considering a hunting lease," said Heath Herje, Oklahoma State University Extension educator. Hunting leases provide economic benefits to landowners willing to manage with both wildlife and agricultural production in mind. While many landowners lease their land for hunting, most do not realize a few simple rules may improve their wildlife resources and make their land more valuable from a leasing perspective. Some landowners forgo income from a hunting lease because they do not wish to increase their liability risks. However, there are several steps landowners can take to protect their assets. First, landowners should carefully select lessees and schedule meetings with them prior to entering into a lease. Also, carrying appropriate liability insurance is vital to safeguard landowners and their property should accidents occur. Coupled with this, landowners should use a carefully prepared lease agreement with language specific to their operation. Landowners should also consider the impacts of hunting activities on the property. The rules accompanying a lease are also important to consider. For instance, if landowners enter into a deer hunting lease, the rules of a lease can include anything from the number of antlerless deer that must be taken, to the specific number of bucks that may be harvested. Quality Deer Management strategies improve the quality of deer herds across Oklahoma. This progressive management approach also improves hunting opportunities and land lease values. Many people leasing land for deer hunting already practice certain aspects of QDM simply by passing young bucks and harvesting does instead. Under these circumstances, more bucks improve to an older-age class and may grow larger antlers. When hunters have incentives to harvest more does and less bucks, buck to doe ratios improve and overall deer densities may decrease to a healthier level in balance with the existing habitat. The remaining deer are healthier and farmers benefit from less crop depredation caused by high deer densities. Thus QDM improves the quality of the deer herd, deer hunting, and the productivity of the land. Landowners who want to improve the wildlife resource on their property are beginning to understand the importance of written deer harvest limitations in their lease agreement. "Hunters today want to harvest mature, large-antlered bucks and a few does for the freezer," said Herje. To accomplish this goal, some landowners enter into written agreements that state no hunter may harvest a buck until he or she provides proof a doe was harvested first. Others allow each hunter to harvest only 1 buck per season with some offering exemptions to youth, 16 and under. For information regarding hunting leases, visit the Cleveland County OSU Extension website at www.oces.okstate.edu/cleveland . You can also learn more about Oklahoma agritourism by visiting http://agritourism.travelok.com .
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