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Your First Hunting Lease: What to Include and What to Look For

3 minutes

If you're signing your first hunting lease as the landowner or as part of a hunting group the stakes are real. A well-written lease protects the land, the relationship, and the hunting experience.

Your First Hunting Lease: What to Include and What to Watch Out For

If you're signing your first hunting lease as the landowner or as part of a hunting group the stakes are real. A well-written lease protects the land, the relationship, and the hunting experience. A poorly written one leads to disputes, property damage, and frustration on both sides. Here's what you actually need in that document.

What to Include in a Hunting Lease

1. The Parties and the Property

Identify everyone clearly:

  • Full legal names of the landowner and all lessees (not just a group name)
  • Property description: address, county, state, legal description or parcel number
  • Total acreage included in the lease

If certain parts of the property are excluded (the hayfield, the pond near the house, the back pasture), spell that out explicitly with a map if possible.

2. Lease Term and Dates

  • Start and end dates
  • Renewal terms: does it auto-renew, or does it require written renewal?
  • Notice period for termination by either party

3. What's Permitted

Be specific about what species can be hunted, when, and how:

  • Species allowed: whitetail, turkey, hogs, small game, waterfowl, etc.
  • Season restrictions: must comply with state regulations; any additional restrictions you impose
  • Method of take: archery only? No dogs? No stands on certain trees?
  • Guest policy: can lessees bring guests? How many? Are guests covered under the lease?

4. Payment Terms

  • Total lease amount
  • Payment schedule: lump sum, or installments (when are they due?)
  • Late payment penalties
  • Acceptable payment methods
  • Refund policy if the lease is terminated early

5. Access Rules

  • Which roads, gates, and parking areas can be used
  • Gate codes or key arrangements (and who's responsible if access is compromised)
  • Can lessees drive vehicles on the property? ATVs? Which trails?
  • Hours of access or any blackout periods (e.g., no access during deer season opening week for your personal use)

6. Improvements and Installations

  • Can the lessee install feeders, blinds, or food plots?
  • Who owns them at the end of the lease?
  • Any improvements require written landowner approval?
  • Who is responsible for removal at lease end?

7. Safety Rules

  • Firearm and archery safety requirements
  • No alcohol or intoxication while hunting (standard and enforceable)
  • Required notification if accidents occur
  • Emergency access information

8. Liability and Insurance

  • A clear statement that lessees use the property at their own risk (indemnification language)
  • Requirement that lessees carry their own personal liability or hunting liability insurance
  • Certificate of insurance requirement (or a waiver if you choose not to require it)
  • What happens if lessees cause damage to property, fencing, or structures

9. No Trespassing and Third Parties

  • Lessees may not sublease or transfer rights without written approval
  • No inviting unauthorized third parties without landowner approval
  • Responsibility for the behavior of all guests

10. Termination Clauses

  • Grounds for immediate termination (poaching, drug or alcohol violations, property damage, failure to pay)
  • Notice period for standard termination
  • What happens at termination: removal of equipment, condition of land

What to Watch Out For

Vague Guest Policies

"Friends can come sometimes" isn't a lease term. Set a maximum number of guests per trip and require the lessee to take responsibility for guest behavior.

No Defined Stocking or Harvest Restrictions

If you have a managed deer herd or specific harvest goals, write them into the lease. Verbal agreements about "let the young ones walk" don't hold up.

Assuming Your Homeowner's or Farm Policy Covers Hunting

It may not. Call your agent before signing a hunting lease and confirm you have recreational liability coverage.

No Damage Deposit

Consider a refundable damage deposit, especially for larger groups or properties with significant infrastructure. It incentivizes good behavior.

Auto-Renewal Without Notice

If you want to evaluate the relationship annually, make sure the lease doesn't auto-renew without action on your part.

Use a Written Lease — Every Time

Even if you're leasing to a neighbor you've known for 20 years. Relationships change. Memories of verbal agreements diverge. A written lease protects the relationship as much as it protects the land.

BirdDog provides a lease framework that covers all of the above. Customize it to your property and your terms, sign digitally through the platform, and you're covered.