Hunting leases are front and center this time of year. Another deer season is drawing to a close and members are already contemplating whether they got their money’s worth, the quality of the hunting, the quality of the lodge or club accommodations. Landowners are eager to find out whether their hunting club will renew their lease for another year. Guests are eager to get an invitation to join clubs they’ve visited as full members. And in the months to come, there will be some shakeout. Some will leave, others will come.
In the meantime, once the season is over, hunters tend to get back to their “real lives” until next season. Landowners, club presidents and boards of directors will find it more difficult to stay in touch with members, make important decisions and take care of business. It is prudent to schedule meetings while you still have everyone’s attention and resolve as many issues as possible now. Who will be responsible for the insurance, repairs, food plots, lease negotiations, cleanup? Who is returning? Do we need to make any rule changes? Was the budget adequate? Members are as up to speed on all hunting club issues as they’ll ever be by the end of the season. So, try to take care of as much business as possible now while its fresh on everyones’ minds.
Do you need to make changes to club bylaws or the LLC’s operating agreement? Do we need to elect new officers, recruit more members, renegotiate the lease, institute a policy of requiring liability waivers? A little planning now can make the offseason much easier and more relaxed for those in charge.
I have so thoroughly enjoyed watching the kids and families enjoy themselves at camp this year, some of whom are hunting for the first time. I’ve been blessed to be part of a club with outstanding camaraderie, a club where everyone is made to feel welcome, men and women alike, where safety is emphasized in a family atmosphere. The big meals and visits on the porch to “lie” about the day’s hunt have been every bit as enjoyable as the hunting. Keep your eyes open for more than the big buck in the woods. Appreciate the screeching owls before dawn, the whistling of wood ducks passing overhead, the calls and sights of woodpeckers, howling coyotes as the sun goes down, still afternoons when almost nothing seems to make a sound. That’s what we all love to experience at deer camp as we recharge for another week on our jobs. Don’t let the administrative burdens spoil it for you. Plan early, take care of business early, and don’t let the details spoil the joy of spending time with family and friends in the outdoors.
We are experienced in all varieties of legal matters involving landowners, hunting clubs, hunting leases, entity formation like corporations and LLC, and outdoor recreation in general. We love the outdoors and we understand the practicalities of balancing prudent business with pleasure.