A seasonal hunting lease on private land usually costs somewhere between about $10 and $40 an acre per year, which works out to roughly $1,000 to $5,000 for the small and mid-size tracts most individual hunters and small groups lease. Very small tracts ask more per acre, large tracts ask less, and the region you hunt in can move the price a lot in either direction. Daily access is priced differently, usually per hunter per day.
These figures come from our own research into asking prices on hunting leases across the country. They are rough estimates and the real range is wide. Use them to tell whether a price is in a normal range, not as the value of any particular property.
Want to see real asking prices right now? Browse current hunting leases and compare them against the tables below.
Cost by region
Here is a broad picture of what seasonal leases ask per acre in different parts of the country, based on the listings we have reviewed.
| Region |
Typical ask per acre per year |
| Deep South (Alabama, Georgia, Mississippi, South Carolina, Florida, Louisiana, Arkansas) |
roughly $8 to $25 |
| Mid-South (Tennessee, Kentucky, Virginia, West Virginia, North Carolina) |
roughly $15 to $35 |
| Midwest (Iowa, Illinois, Missouri, Wisconsin, Minnesota, Indiana, Ohio, Michigan) |
roughly $15 to $45 |
| Plains (Kansas, Nebraska, Oklahoma, North Dakota, South Dakota) |
roughly $10 to $30 |
| Northeast (New York, Pennsylvania) |
roughly $20 to $50 |
| Texas |
from under $10 to well over $50 |
Within each region there are counties well above and well below these ranges. Known trophy whitetail areas in the Midwest and good waterfowl ground anywhere can be priced in a different bracket entirely.
Pick your state and see what is open: every state name above links to its own page with current leases. Start with yours.
Cost by tract size
The size of the property changes the per-acre price more than almost anything else. Per acre, a small tract costs much more than a big one. In total dollars, it costs much less.
| Tract size |
Typical ask per acre |
Typical ask for the season |
| Under 50 acres |
roughly $30 to $55 |
roughly $500 to $2,000 |
| 50 to 99 acres |
roughly $20 to $35 |
roughly $1,000 to $2,500 |
| 100 to 249 acres |
roughly $15 to $30 |
roughly $2,000 to $4,500 |
| 250 to 499 acres |
roughly $12 to $25 |
roughly $4,000 to $9,000 |
| 500 to 999 acres |
roughly $5 to $18 |
roughly $4,000 to $10,000 |
| 1,000 acres and up |
roughly $5 to $15 |
roughly $8,000 to $18,000 |
The larger tracts are usually leased by a group, so the cost per person can end up similar to, or lower than, a small tract hunted alone. These are asking prices, and the price a lease actually closes at can be lower.
Own land yourself and wondering where it lands on this table? Price your land in about a minute.
Seasonal leases versus daily access
There are two different products, and they are priced in different ways.
Seasonal or annual leases give you or your group access to a property for a full season or a full year. You pay one price, usually up front or in a couple of installments. This is how most people lease land they plan to hunt regularly, scout, and improve.
Daily or short-term access gives you a specific day, weekend or short window on a property. It is usually priced per hunter per day. In what we have seen, prices commonly start around the low hundreds of dollars per hunter per day and go well beyond that on premium ground. It suits hunters who travel, want to try a new area, or only hunt a few days a year.
A rough way to compare them: if you plan to hunt more than a handful of days in a season, a seasonal lease is usually better value. If you only have a weekend, daily access makes more sense than paying for a full season you will not use.
Timber, club and classified leases: why cheap per acre isn't always cheap
A lot of the low numbers people quote come from timber company tracts, hunting clubs, and Facebook or classified ads. The per-acre figure looks good. What comes with it often doesn't.
- Timber land is managed for timber first. Harvests, spraying and controlled burns run on the timber schedule, not yours, and a stand you scouted all summer can be cut or closed mid-season.
- Renewal is not yours to count on. Terms are typically annual, and the tract can be sold, re-bid or reassigned.
- The good tracts are already held. Existing clubs tend to keep them year after year, so newcomers get what is left.
- Club math cuts both ways. One leader collects dues and holds the relationship. Rosters grow to cover a flat large-tract price, and you hunt under a rulebook you had no say in.
- Classified and social media deals carry real scam risk. Stolen photos, land the poster doesn't own, deposits by Venmo, Cash App or Zelle, no contract and a price too good to be true. As reported by CBS Miami in August 2026, a Georgia inmate was extradited to Florida and charged with allegedly posting fake hunting lease ads for land he did not own or control and collecting deposits from hunters across 15 Florida counties.
How it works through us instead:
- We talk to every landowner by phone before a property is listed.
- You book and pay by card through our checkout, not by sending money to a stranger.
- One party holds the lease for the season.
- Every hunter signs an access agreement and liability waiver carrying the landowner's own rules before access.
- Leases arranged through us are insured.
- Exact location and access details are released in your account after booking.
- Real people answer the phone: (804) 424-5233, 9am to 10pm Eastern, 7 days.
See leases you can book today, or become a member to get started.
What you get for the money
Two leases at the same price can be very different deals. When you compare prices, compare what is actually included:
- Exclusivity. Is one person or group holding the permission, or are others hunting it too? Exclusive access is what most hunters are paying for.
- Number of hunters. A $3,000 lease shared by four people is $750 each. The same lease shared by eight is cheaper per person but more crowded.
- Usable acres. How much of the property is actually huntable once houses, pasture and off-limits areas are taken out.
- Species and seasons. Some leases cover deer only. Others include turkey, hogs, small game or waterfowl.
- Habitat and game quality. Hardwoods, water, food sources and a history of managing for mature deer all cost more and are usually worth it.
- Access. Gated entry, drivable roads and permission to use ATVs or side-by-sides make a property easier to hunt.
- Term and renewal. Renewal terms matter more if you plan to put work into the land.
- Improvements. Some leases include existing stands, blinds or food plots. Most do not, and that is normal.
The full cost is more than the lease price
The budget most hunters work from includes:
- The lease payment itself
- Any membership or booking fees charged by the company arranging the lease
- Insurance, where a lease calls for hunters to carry it
- Stands, blinds, cameras and seed for food plots
- Fuel and travel, which can add up quickly for a lease several hours away
- Your state hunting license and any tags
A cheaper lease that is far away can cost more over a season than a pricier one close to home once you count the driving. Browse leases near you and find ground within reach.
How to tell whether a price is fair
- Check the price per acre against the region and size tables above.
- Adjust for what is included: exclusivity, habitat, water, access and term.
- Work out the cost per hunter if you are leasing as a group.
- Compare the ground itself. Price only makes sense once you know the land.
- Look at past harvest history and whether anyone else holds permission to hunt.
A property priced at the top of its range can still be good value if it is exclusive, close to home and well managed. A cheap one can be a poor deal if you are sharing it with a crowd. This is general information, not legal advice. Our how hunting leases work page covers how a lease is set up.
Ready to find yours?
