leases

[Predator]

In Illinois, you cannot sue the land owner if you get hurt while hunting on his land. that law was passed to encourage land owners to open up their land to the hunting and fishing sportsmen. Their is even a permission form on the Illinois DNR site you can print out. its a 2 part form, land owner retains half and hunter retains the other.

[Hunting Man]

Thats a great law, hopefully it will give some incentive to lease out their land!

[Southern Man]

Most hunting leases here are done work of mouth and cash under the table. No written agreements. And are relatively cheap....5 - 10 dollars per acre. The larger the lease, the less per acre. I might add most leases are small also. Land ownership runs probably 150 acres on average. The larger farms are mostly crop ground with small woodlots scattered about thanks to the logging industry and the goverment. There are a few chunks of timber around but not many. Aquiring a lease is pretty hard and you don't find many "clubs". I have a small lease in the south of the county of 60 acres. I pay $500 per year. It's in a pretty good area and the neighboring properties have light hunting pressure.