food plots and mineral licks are just ways to legalize baiting where it ain't.

There is a cost for everything. Im sure what you have paid for your land and any improvements is a bit more than Ive paid to lease my 400 acres. Im blessed because when I first leased it from the timber company my cost was $960. Today its double that...right at $1800 per year. Im still paying less that $5/acre for that property. Have leased it for 25 years this year. I have no members on this tract...just me and immediate family (and its rare that any of them hunt anymore.) I pay this annual lease.

I also lease an 866 acre tract upriver 1/4 mile on opposite of river. It is owned by a different timber company and costs more. Ive had this tract leased for about 18 or 20 years. Price stated at $5/acre and is now at $12/acre. I have 7 members in this lease...all are central Florida LE officers. These guys pay the entire cost for leasing. Costed them $1260 each this year. I just handle the paperwork and mow the roads (on my dime) once right b4 bow season. They plant their own plots. I rarely deer hunt there, but do some seasons. I turkey hunt a little there too.

What you pay for 400 acres for the year is what some guys get to allow goose hunting in a field for a weekend

I have a bird dog now. Those quail and pheasants are pricey meals.

I have to agree although I've lost alot of hunting ground over the last 40 years and I've always said if I have to pay to hunt I'll quit.i don't mind giving a farmer a hand and not charge him anything guess it's more of a trade-off.i know a few people that 4,000 to lease a piece of property think it's a 400 acre lease and he let's 4 people hunt it that comes out to 16,000 pretty good income plus the rent from the crop ground.

I know. Im blessed to hold this lease at that price.

Most leases along rivers or larger wetlands here are pushing $10/acre on average.

If you were closer you'd be welcome to hunt bobwhites on my place. I don't bird hunt and see quail everyday. Saw probably 6 pair yesterday and 2 of those had their young with them...about 3/4 grown. The amount of whistling after daybreak is impressive.