Got Deer? A Hunting Lease could be Your Ticket to More Income
Deer are an annual source of lost income and frustration for many corn and soybean farmers. One solution to the problem – as well as an opportunity for passive income – could be to lease your ground for hunting.
Leasing property for hunting is one of the most unrealized sources of income for landowners, according to JT Kreager, CEO Base Camp Leasing, Fishers, Ind.
Many quality hunting leases can generate $20 to $45 per acre annually, he says, depending on the area and property layout.
Kreager discussed how hunting leases can benefit farmers during a segment on AgriTalk last week. The discussion was hosted by Chip Flory.
Flory noted that Base Camp Leasing sponsors Outdoors on the Farm, which tells the stories of how farmers and outdoorsman are implementing conservation practices to improve hunting and wildlife enjoyment for farmers and non-farmers alike.
Beyond Dollars
Leasing ground for hunts and other recreational activities is another way to utilize CRP (Conservation Reserve Program) acres and marginal ground, says Rock Katschnig, owner of K Ranch near Prophetstown, Ill.
As part of that, Katschnig works to maximize habitat for wildlife with food plots on those acres.
Food plots provide deer with benefits they wouldn’t necessarily get from natural browse, according to Base Camp Leasing. Does are able to better rear fawns, bucks grow bigger racks, and the entire herd can gain enough weight to survive a cold winter.
That’s what Katschnig is seeing play out in his food plots now with the harsh weather conditions that are currently underway.
“The deer are herded up here now because we have the food supply they need,” he says. “And when you have the herd, you’ll have the sheds, too. We’ll see them here pretty soon.”
Katschnig says he plants food plots in spring as soon as they can take off and grow. “Anytime you have fresh young tender growth, you will have animals out there – whether turkeys, pheasants, deer, you name it – it's fun to watch,” he says.
You can check out the AgriTalk conversation on hunting leases and how farmers can benefit from them here:
