Stopped hunting? Not because season is over but who stopped joining leases and clubs? I stopped in '12 and haven't regretted a second of it. I still hunt. A week on Nov at our family's farm in NC and if I'm lucky enough to procure an invite here or there I enjoy it but for most part I'd rather chew my own arm off than join a $1500 lease with 15 guys. Just got tired of paying a bunch of money to get mad at people or have them get mad at me. I guess the cherry on top was when my wife killed a small buck that she was proud of and they didn't talk to us for a week.

Am I alone?

Yes.

I have never been a big fan of big clubs for that very reason. A bunch of money, a bunch of rules, and the ones ive been around have had more drama than a middle school.

Me and my dad lease 300 acres with two other guys that are family friends and we enjoy it. Then we have another lease that is about 120 acres with two friends but they do not hunt much.

Hunting, to me, should be family oriented. If you need meat, shoot a doe. If you want to kill a 6 pt becuase you would be proud of it, shoot it, Just dont kill a ton of small deer.
Everyone we are in with have the same views and it has worked flawlessly

I don't have a family farm and I don't hunt WMA's so my only option is lease. I lease 750 ac. with another father/son. Yes I do spend 2000-2500 a year, and the hunting is not all that great, but I think I enjoy having access to a block of land where I can work it, improve it, and hunt any where on it I want with out the club rules and drama. I cant wait to start working my plots, bush hogging, and running camera's all summer. I am also a photographer so being around the woods has it's advantages. So, in short it's more about managing the land than showing up to hunt in Oct. While raising $2000 a year is hard for me, but the satisfaction and peace I get being on that place is worth the money. My place is 5 min. from my work to home, and I think I will go sit in a covered blind and see if I can get a few shots of deer today.

I didn't get into my Alabama lease this year and have had a great time spending that time and money with the family and realizing there is fish to be caught in the winter..

Lease you own place, and do what you want.

The last time I payed anything more than a Mgmt are permit was 2005. I'm lucky enough to have a little family land now and I'll also pick up an invite here and there. I do miss loading up on Friday night and heading to "the club" but that's about it.

I hope I don't stop hunting till I stop breathing. I enjoy my club.

I join a club for just the turkey hunting. If I had to club deer hunt I would quit.

My dad and I got lucky enough to find 400 acres to lease and it is just us and the occasional guest that hunts it...we have one rule...have fun

I have been hunting wma the last few years, and have done pretty well. It is aggravating to have trucks parked in your spot. Just have several places to go. This year I moved around a lot and had rutting activity going on from thanksgiving weekend until the end of January. Ended the year with two bucks and a big doe. It has been easier for me to hunt wma, and find places hunters don't go to much, than join a club and feel tied down.

[quote=CPalmer72]
"If you want to kill a 6 pt becuase you would be proud of it, shoot it, Just dont kill a ton of small deer."

That's the problem with your statement, with regards to a few folks going in together, or with clubs. One man will interpret a "ton of small deer" to mean more than one, while another will interpret it to mean more than five. I joined a club for the 2013-2014 season and that was because a fellow paid my dues through some horse trading we did. Before that, it had been probably close to 7-8 years I guess, maybe more, since I paid for a membership. I really don't know if I ever see myself joining another club. Too much drama, and I've about decided "like minded members" is a fantasy. I'd rather have access to less land, that I can do what I want on, than to have access to thousands of acres that I have to deal with a bunch of crap. As my boys get older, and they are all able to sit by themselves, I will probably lease some land just for us. I'd go ahead and lease it now if I could find the "right" land.

Find an amount of land you can afford to lease on your own. Even if it is not in the "big buck country" if you make some food plots and keep the pressure off, you will see deer. I did this with 40 acres 3 years ago in addition to other places I have and it was a great decision.

x2

Man I hate that all you guys have had such bad luck with clubs. I started hunting at the age of 19 and was in a club south of Aliceville for about 20 years. It was 4 members on 650 acres. Never had a problem. We had rules and everyone followed them.

For the last 7 years I have been in a club in north Sumter county. 1200 acres and 8 members, but 2 of the members are only turkey hunters. We have a good place with a good layout and kill a few deer off it. I guess we are a relaxed place. Very family oriented. We have cookouts, fires, and fellowship.

Isn't that what it is supposed to be all about? Friends and family getting together to have a good time.

I love the club I am in. I am there all the time. I just ordered my corn and soybean seed. As soon at this frigid weather leaves ill start disking.

I was in a club years ago that was 6pt or better. Long story short a young boy I say around 13 yrs old killed a button buck. Later that evening around the campfire I strolled up late and a couple of grown men were making comments of why the kid should not of killed that young buck. The kids Dad was sitting there and finally got up and walked off. I also had some good friends in the club too just so you know. After a few more wise jokes about the kid killing the small buck I went back to my camper and grabbed both my truck keys and tractor keys (I also did all the planting, road clearing, etc.). I loaded up my Tractor, and said yall enjoy the party. Of course the next day my phone rang off the hook. Never been in club since. Lease your own land and hunt like you want ! I wish the young boy would have shot 2 button buck that day !

Yep that's what I plan on doing when the son gets close to old enough to hunt. I'll start looking in a few years. Just a couple hundred acres will be amazing.

I stopped for several years except some public land quota hints or an occasional hunt with my family. Now that my kids like to go with me, I'm back at it. I hunted more this year than the past 5 combined probably.

Couldnt agree more.

I guess, I would have told them to stop flapping them gums, or I would stop them my self.. No way, someone talk about my kid and I just walk off or my friends kid either.. Hate that happened.. But not all clubs are bad.. Most but not all...