Business Resources: Fee Hunting

As more and more land is becoming developed, less land is available for hunting. Private landowners are taking advantage of this by allowing people to hunt on their land for a cost. Fee hunting can be a great income supplement for landowners. This page includes publications that give information on property and wildlife habitat management, different types of hunting leases, prices, lease agreements and liability.

These resources have been compiled from various resources and agencies and are provided here for educational purposes only. Please if you find information that needs to be updated, broken links, or if you have an additional resource you feel is pertinent.

• Landowner Involvement and Attitudes: Fee-access Wildlife and Fisheries Recreation
  Mississippi State University, FWRC Research Bulletin, 2007. This extensive publication provides information on property characteristics, landowner enterprises, business characteristics of fee-access recreation, socioeconomic characteristics of hunters/fishers, and more.
  
• Fee Hunting: An Income Source for Mississippi's Non-industrial, Private Landowners
  Mississippi State University, FWRC Research Bulletin. This extensive publication provides information on fee hunting in Mississippi including payment methods, types of fee hunting, overhead and wildlife management expenditures, gross and net revenues. It gives tables with data on the landowners that have hunting businesses, the land they use, the money they spend and make and problems they encounter.
  
• Hunting Leases: Considerations and Alternatives for Landowners
  Mississippi State University Extension Service. This publication gives information on long-term and short-term leases, what to consider when creating a lease agreement, suggestions of topics to cover in a written lease, tips on deciding the price structure of the lease, and finding desirable lessees. Samples of hunting lease agreements are provided as a guide. Information is given on by laws of hunting clubs and liability insurance, including a list of insurance providers.
  
• Earning Additional Income Through Hunt Leases on Private Land
  University of Tennessee Extension. This publication discusses hunting leases in Tennessee including determining if your land and amount of game is appropriate for a hunting lease, types of hunting leases, deciding the price, advertising, finding decent lessees, liability, and lease agreements. Samples of annual and short term hunting leases are provided.
  
• The Hunters' Guide to a Successful Hunt Lease -
  University of Tennessee Extension. This publication discusses determining if the property is good for fee hunting. It gives information on managing the land, hunting club, habitat, and deer populations. It also describes the types of leases and costs.
• Lease and Fee Hunting: Supplemental Income from Wildlife on Your Land - 1989. Alabama Cooperative Extension System, H. Lee Stribling. When planning a fee hunting business, there are many factors to consider including the potential of your land, management options, marketing and where you can find help.
• Fee Hunting: Opportunities for Farmers and Rural Landowners
  2007. University of Illinois Extension. This publication gives advice on leasing hunting land, starting a commercial hunting operation, liability issues that can come from starting a fee hunting business, and how to market a business in Illinois.
• Landowner Liability in Fee-Hunting Enterprises
  2001. Alabama’s TREASURED Forests. This article gives information on liability in a fee hunting business, negligence, how to reduce the risk of being exposed to a liability lawsuit as well as wildlife management.
• Fee Hunting May Boost Farm Income, Wildlife Habitat
  2008. AmberWaves, USDA. This publication discusses an ERS survey that proved that fee hunting can improve wildlife habitats and conserve land while providing an additional source of income to landowners.
• Procedures for Preparing Contracts Associated with Fee Hunting Enterprises
  1989. James E. Knight, New Mexico State University. This includes what steps to take when creating a fee hunting lease and what specific topics should be included in the lease as well as examples of a hunting lease.
• Hunting Lease Enterprise
  2007. Western Maryland Research and Education Center, Maryland Cooperative Extension, Agricultural Experiment Station
• Landowner Liability in Fee-Hunting Enterprises
  1996. Alabama Cooperative Extension System, Lee Stribling. This article gives information on liability in a fee hunting business, negligence, how to reduce the risk of being exposed to a liability lawsuit as well as wildlife management.
• Hunting Leases and Permits
  1994. Alabama Cooperative Extension System, Lee Stribling. This publication gives information on access permits, hunting leases and how to develop one, and other things to consider when starting a fee hunting operation on your land.