Deer Lease Rules

Deer Lease Saftey

• Rules for use of hunting implements on leases should be consistently enforced. Standard operating procedures (SOP) should be established and printed for distribution or posting for visiting hunters to become familiar with.
  
  Hunters should be encouraged to sight in their guns and bows prior to arrival on the facility, and strict standards, such as unloading before entering camps, must be adhered to. A primitive confirmation range can be constructed near camp should landowners, guides or hunters choose to verify zero prior to hunting or after dropping a firearm. It is wise to have a representative of the landowner or lease manager on site when lease hunters are present.
  
  Standards for campfires, handling refuse, hunting boundaries and uses and restrictions on various motor vehicles should also be included in the SOP.
  
  

Wildlife management

• State wildlife agencies regulate bag limits on deer statewide and sometimes county to county. Landowners and lease managers should consult these agencies for recommendations on specific area management of the wildlife resources. Landowners have rights regarding hunting on their properties, and might want to implement restrictions beyond those of their state for purposes of proactive, long-term management. In areas of overpopulation, landowners might be able to get extended hunting periods and management tags to thin animal numbers.
  
  Bag limits and antler restrictions should be provided to lease hunters, and hunters should be monitored for adherence to lease policies regarding these issues.
  
  Wildlife biologists may also have recommendations on encouraging or even reintroducing native plant life for wildlife management and other ecological reasons. Some states offer tax incentives for landowners who actively participate in such programs. Lease hunters should be made aware of these programs on property so as not to destroy plants included in these efforts.
  
  Some states offer programs extending landowners tax benefits for managing wildlife as their "agricultural practice," as in the Texas Parks & Wildlife Department's Open Space Agricultural Valuation Wildlife Management Plan.
  
  

Stewardship

• All landowners and outdoor enthusiasts should be aware of their individual responsibilities for our habitat and wildlife resources. Hunting is an ancient practice and respect for these resources is intrinsic in our involvement with them.
  
  Respectful behavior when on the lease or in the wilderness demonstrates commitment to these fundamentals and sets an appropriate example for others. Doing what you know is right is your best guide.