What is a fair price for leased land?

 I happen to have a few parcels around the state and I am thinking about leasing them out for bow hunting by the season. I am starting with a 30 acre parcel in Mequon. I have never hunted it, but it has great deer sign. It is an archery only area, and surrounded by a bunch of land that has not been hunted in a long time. How do you value your leases?

While we are on the subject I am looking for another lease for next yr. Big or small doest matter Columbia county, green lake, dodge. Pm with info if anyone interested. 

Bass,  what about a nice piece in western Illinois, you know the potential for big deer is way better there.  I'd actually give my left nut to be a resident of Illinois (well not really) or Iowa (yes really) to have that resident tag.  If I lived in Illinois or Iowa,  I'd never step foot in WI but to fish.  

I hear you on taxes,  mine is around $2500 a year,  and some is ag so it would be $600-700 more if recreational.  Gotta love the guys that complain about a $1500 lease,  they claim I have that free private. HAHAHAHA,  free huh?

While I'd personally never pay $5000 for a lease, I guarantee me and my family pay more than that yearly on taxes, travel, land upkeep, utilities for the house, license, etc.  I've been out to our land every weekend for the past 6 weeks.  For me that's a minimum of 500 miles round trip plus driving 24 miles roundtrip between the cabin to the farm each hunt.  That's a lot of gas money just to hunt.  On our old lease we paid somewhere in the neighborhood of $1200-$1500 to lease 67 acres down the road from our land and to me it was worth it just to be able to spread out and not be packed on our 50 and 15 acre chunks of land.  The only reason I do it is because I enjoy it.  Some people value enjoyment a lot more.

To the point of the thread.  If I could get a nice lease within 30 miles of Chicagoland I would, but prices down here are much much more that anything you guys will spend in Wisconsin.  There's way more people and not as much huntable land so demand is through the roof.

CF is spot on.  It’s about the experience to me. I’ve had several leases, some for cheap and some for lots more.  I’ve found I enjoy the experience more if it’s not a long distance from home and if it’s more acreage so I can spread out.  That generally means I’m not hunting super prime dirt but I enjoy it more.  Outta state hunts and especially multiple  outta state hunts means less time chasing whitetails in Wisconsin and I get a lot of enjoyment out of that so why spend my money and time elsewhere.  Time spent traveling is time spent not hunting.  Too each his own.

It's not about the cost but instead it is about the experience........at least that is what I have heard. Mrt. 

I see some points, either way a guy who hunts a few days or weekends and pays a grand to hunt private land is better off if thats what they want to do, they stop making land a long time ago!  and for a guy who has decent land in a good co then why not charge for what you think its worth, if you don't like it go to public.

on the other side sure there might be more or better land out of state ok but what are you spending on those leases and travel, lodging, gas, out of state licenses etc, whats the difference if your paying 9 grand to goto IL or pay 5 grand to hunt down the road from your house when you can, i think it all evens out in the long run, you just do whatever makes you happy no matter what the cost.

goodhuntin all!

Why in the world would anyone pay 5 grand for a lease? I have spent way less than half that this year and I've hunted 4 states for multiple big game species and waterfowl and had so much fun. I got a freezer full of game and I still have 2 states left to go. I might die from exhaustion here soon, that's one downside. Next year will be even more states and more species, Lord willing. 

I have leased several spots in Waupaca for bow only, never saw any at that.  Both seasons sure.  The OP asked and said its bow only.  If someone is paying 5k for 50 acres they really are sick in the head especially outside of Western WI.   Its not a matter of know it all, its the facts.  Id love to meet the person paying 5k for 100 bow only in waupaca.  Id get him a orange jump suit and send them off to the oshkosh nut house. Id lease my ground for $100 an acre if that was the going rate. I will kill a deer somewhere else

People are paying $100 for GOOD land in those counties.  Just because you don't like that or don't agree doesn't mean it's not a fact.  Always has to be a know it all in the bunch.

Good luck with your lease OP, whether you are the lessor or the lessee, I hope it works out for you.

yeah but don't make it public knowledge.  Keep your mouth shut,  don't tell anyone.  Just post as a lease available,  price negotiable,  must meet in person.  Pictures of deer on camera available.  DO NOT SEND THOSE PICS TO ANYONE via text or email or you'll have people crawling all over and that deer will be gone.  either moved or killed by someone NOT paying for your land.

you may think i'm nuts,  this is how it works down there.  GREEDY PEOPLE.

I stopped hunting metro because it's BS.  people would be in my stands when I wasn't there.  it's impossible to have fun in most metro.  I'm sure it's different all over,  but in the outskirts of milwaukee,  people will cut your throat given the opportunity.

LB makes a point I was going to bring up.  I'd but a trail camera on it.  If you get lot's of pictures of some really nice bucks, you can use that as ammo to command a high price.  

You may as well get money for it cause i'll bet people are hunting it for free.  LOL.  all the metro stuff,  regardless of if you have permission or not,  someone hunts it. I hunted the greater milwaukee metro areas, it's sad but true.  you may as well get someone to lease it.  $3000 is what i'd start it at.  Serious.  Someone will pay it.  People hunt county,city land all over now.  Whitnall park people hunt parts of it.  Have you ever seen auctions from Oak Creek,  New Berlin, waukesha etc?  as many tree stands as a person could bid on!!  All seized from land that is NOT supposed to be hunted.  Mequon has big deer,  people are hunting it,  i'm sure of it.  Even if you live on it.

people are not paying 100 per acre in waupaca for bow only.  Most is 20-30 per.  bow only.  there may be a few here and there that are more but people are NOT paying 5,000 for 50 acres.  that is so far from the truth it's not even funny.  $50-60 for gun/bow would be about where it's at.

Tigerton, sure rates are nuts...but those dudes are INSANE.  I'd never pay that to hunt next to 40 acre parcels on all sides.

Buffalo and western WI the rates are out of control i'll agree with.

Mequon...$3000 would be HIGH.  I'd start there.  most people won't pay that,  but you'll find someone. $200 per acre is not the going rate down there.  If it is it's because someone knows there is a 200 inch buck.  Get one on camera with proof and you'll get someone to pay 10k.

For good land in the Shawano, Waupaca and surrounding counties most are getting $100/acre.  That's on 40 acre parcels that have big deer and are in fairly high demand.  I agree that on the piece you are looking at, I think if you can get it for $150-$200/acre that would be the "expected" price to pay.

On a charter, they are using their time, equipment, gas, expertise & knowledge, etc. The two are not real good comparables, plus 4 guys for 40 acres is really pushing it.