In the last 18 months, a timber company primarily from the SE U.S. bought the timberlands of a local timber company here on the east side of the Olympic Mountains near Hood Canal (a saltwater fjord). This summer they announced they were going to charge leasing fees to hunt or even gather mushrooms on parcels from 10 to 300 acres. To us, their fees sound absurd for deer hunting (no elk in this area). Most of this company's holding are in Louisiana, across to NE Florida.
My question is what the going rate is to lease whitetail hunting rights on a 200 acre parcel of tree farm, for instance, in Louisiana or NE Florida???
My explanation to people who have asked me about this is that the bean counters are comparing our blacktail deer country locally where the limit is one per year with whitetail country where the limit might be as much as 2-3 per day. What the bean counters don't know is that in my neighborhood (I live across the creek from one their small parcels), we are awash in mountain lions. The deer population is very, very thin. Three different mountain lions have visited my small acreage in the last two months alone according to my trail cams a few yards from the house.
Is $2500 to lease hunting and recreation rights on a 200 acre parcel for 9 months normal?