Trying to find a hunting lease.

Down here in Texas, There are a number of leases listed in the classified section of the newspaper.

What make you think you need a lease? I sure don't the cabin cost enough as it is and there are several GMUs within a few miles so I can choose which season I want to hunt of GMU for what.

Have you checked out ALL the federal and state land in your area? Another way to spend more time in the field is with a gold pan in you hand. Once you have a letter of intent filed you are not stuck in the camping time limit either.

Get out to the more rural towns and check at the feed'n'seed stores. Same at small-town gunshops.

One way it was done back in the day pre-internet, pre-cell phone was to hit the chambers of commerce in small towns. That's how I found a day lease in Columbus once and convinced my step dad to take me there, just north of Altair. Now I live in the county. You might now more easily find them by googling C of Cs in various rural county seats.

GMU = Game Management Unit.

Im in much the same boat as the OP - did not grow up in a hunting family but really enjoy it and now being a few years into my career I have some disposable income to finally check them out. Problem is they are difficult to locate if your circle of friends and coworkers arent really into hunting. I lucked into a duck-only lease fall of 2013 with a neighbor, but it was less than stellar.... $400 each and we killed a grand total of about 5 ducks all season. I may pay it again next year due to lack of options, but would really like to find something more all around - where I could bow hunt deer, hunt ducks, maybe even doves and small game. Checking small town feed and gun stores is a good idea - something I hadnt thought of. Seems that many of the hunting-leases / clubs, outside of for-profit ones (this is observation, not intended to be negative in any way) are not likely to post on the web.

Lots of duck and goose clubs around here, but CHACHING!$$$$$$$$$$$$$$, seen 'em at $2500 a gun per year. Ain't no geese worth that. I'd have to hunt every day of the season and then I don't know if it could be justified. I hunt deer and small game on the acreage behind my house and jump an occasional duck off the tank. There is WMA land (that's a GMU in Texas...wildlife management area...state land) about 100 miles from here where I've hunted the last 30 years when I lived near it. The rules there are getting stupid, though. I don't know how much longer I can put up with that.

There is a duck day lease outfit here near my home, 100 bucks a morning for the privilege, but when you figure the gas, the RV space, the logistics of hunting that WMA, then you figure the idiotic rules I have to put up with down there, I think I'd rather spend the 100 bucks, could come out cheaper. It'd be nice to have a season lease, though, especially if it were ducks AND geese.

In Texas, public hunting land for deer is out of the question. More chance of YOU getting shot than you shooting a deer. All the land is in East Texas, quite a drive from here. If I lived up near one, I might do the scouting and such, buy a blaze orange suit head to toe and a neon flashing sign, "I'm not a deer, don't shoot me, you friggin' IDIOT!" or something like that. Nah, I'll just walk to my box blind for deer hunting. It's a healthier choice, and more successful. Shot two this year, one a pretty nice 8 point.

In Texas, the best way to use the public land is in the bow season. At least it's the safest.
A good deer lease is hard to find, and when you do find one, keeping it is hard too. Ranch owners get old and their kids aren't interested, or someone comes along with more money, lots of reasons you have to go hunting for a lease. Shoot, hunting for a lease is way harder than hunting for the deer will be when you finally do get a lease. Good luck to the op on your quest. Use the internet, C of C's, travel to the areas you want to hunt and look at bulletin boards, and talk to the locals. You never know when you might run into someone who's cousins buddy's neighbor is looking for hunters. And when you do find one, take care of the land, and the owner, or you may be lease hunting again. Oh, take lots of money.

Check with realtors.