Potlatch Land Lease program

[Swill]

looking at leasing some land next year for deer hunting from potlatch. Any other guys on the FM members leasing land or have any opinion on that Potlatch land?

[wh1stler]

My hunting group leases about 320 acres from Potlatch. It's not cheap, but certainly less expensive than owning all that land. The lease fee you pay basically covers the property taxes owed by Potlatch plus a dollar and change per acre for administrative costs.

So far they have been receptive to our inquiries about improving the existing logging roads and trails. I have personally spoken with the Potlatch forester in our area and have recieved excellent advice as well as support for our endeavors (including food plots).

Do you have any specific questions that I could maybe answer?

wh1stler

[KOTTKE]

Some friends of mine have leased land from Potlatch for 3 yrs up near Bigfork. They lease 200 acres for about $1500/yr. The only problem they have had was with the locals who have hnted the land for years for free. After 3 yrs I think they have finally worked this out. It seems to be a great program from their experience.

[Sportfish1850]

Swill there is some Potlatch information in the link below to a thread on leases in this forum.

http://www.fishingminnesota.com/forum/showflat.php?Cat=&Number=908195&page=0&view=collapsed&sb=5&o=&fpart=2#Post914405

[Swill]

Thanks everyone for the great info!

Can a person put a food plot in on potlatch land if they don't disturb the trees?

[DRH1175]

I have tried for 2 years straight and have been turned down. The reason they say is they want someone that lives very close or owns land close by. Quite frustrating. I have only applied for the 80acre parcels maybe if I got a bigger group and applied for like 300 I would have more of a chance. Is there a trick?

[Powerstroke]

DRH. I've never heard that before. I know of people who live in the cities who have potlatch leases. They think its great and have had no problems.

[broken line]

I had the same experience as DH. Applied last year for 40 acres and was turned down, saying the land was leased to an adjacent land owner. I believe locals or adjacent owners do get preference in the picks.

[PerchJerker]

I lease 80 acres of Potlatch, it is adjacent to 40 that I own. I think I've had it for 3 years. At that time I leased it they said they gave preference to adjoining landowners and to people that had used the property before. I heard they were maybe going away from that a little but I don't know if they have or not.

I haven't posted my lease yet, I have enough other land to hunt, but since it joins my property and a buddy's property we wanted to get the lease while we could, instead of letting someone else get it. I'll start posting it if we get a bigger group and start hunting it, but for now I don't feel there's any reason to post it.

[kurtkwe]

We leased 160 acres from Potlach this year after applying for the last 3 or 4 years for tracts. They do give preference to adjacent owners though they say they are moving away from this policy. We had many issues with people who had hunted the area for years for free. We posted with our name and number and would have been happy to let people hunt but not one person called, they instead just trespassed, mainly ripping up the property and signs with their ATV's. When we ran into them on the property they just got confrontational instead of apologetic. We had every intention of being good neighbors but it was not responded to in kind. We could have had these people arrested for trespassing but all they get is a $50.00 fine and it takes up too much time. The property was very nice and I think we will lease for another year and see if the situation settles down. We are the second group to lease this, the first group just did not get up to use it enough so they did not renew. If we don't renew a third group will lease and deal with the neighbors or perhaps the neighbors will break down and lease themselves. I can see why Potlach prefers to lease to adjacent owners just to prevent this kind of situation. Ed Patrich who runs the program for Potlach is a first class guy to deal with. He really helped us and I can't say enough positive things about him. Good luck in the drawing.

[Powerstroke]

I did know they give preference to adjacent landowners. What I was trying to say is that I didn't think they would refuse someone because they weren't a landowner and then just not lease it at all.

[nitroant]

If your the only guy who puts in for it, I think you will get it, if you put in for it and a guy who owns adjacent land, chances are you will not. We have 160 acres and we lease a piece of county land adjacent to it for our hunting shack and we explained in the application that we had been hunting the land for 30 years prior to the lease program and we ended up getting it. Potlatch is not looking to create a bunch of problems so they are trying to give it to those with a history on the land. So far its been a good deal. We never had anybody else on the land in the prior 30 years and still have not and we have not posted it,....yet. We have a guy up by us trying to lease all the potlatch land around some county land so that he can have it all to himself. Our piece is one of the only other ways into the county piece other than going through some nasty swamp, so we could be getting a few guys at some point. The thing to remember about the Potlatch land too is that they usually put it up for lease right afetr they log it, so its good for say 5 years, then it gets so grown up that its almost unhuntable for a number of years after than.

[Bjjams]

I had four buddies this year go in on 160 acre lease from Potlatch. All was going fine until he got an e-mail on a wednesday saying they are logging the woods on thursday. There wasn't even time to go get the stands down. They were told their stands would be sitting at the base of where the tree used to be. All 160 was wiped out and they could only find a couple stands. No partial refund or anything. I've got no problem with Potlach leasing out land but it doesn't seem right that have to pay for the whole year when the land is now basically ruined. It's just too bad they can't find all their portables.

[Sportfish1850]

I'm actually already leasing 160 acres near Wadena (rifle zone #2). Just me and my 14 year old son hunted the land this year as it was our first year with this lease. We learned a lot about the deer patterns through our frustration and next year will have a much better idea of were to find active deer.

I'm currently looking to find another safe & ethical hunting partner living in or around the twin cities to help split costs, car pool, and share the work of building more stands (we had far too few hunting options this season with only 4 portable stands on all that land). Ideally you also have a young teenager that is eager to learn how to hunt the and really enjoys and respects the outdoors and the game animals we hunt. We hunt bow, firearms, and muzzy pretty much just for deer on this property. The land is about 50% covered in medium sized pines, 20% scattered birch and small oak, and 30% dense scrub brush with lots of trails that wind throught the brush. The land is bordered by another Potlatch parcel on 1 side, a rye grass cattle field on another, and mature woods/swamp (mix of low and high ground) owned by a farmer on the third side with an unpaved road with two entry points on the access side.

Do you fit the description of safe and ethical hunter ? Want to find a place you can use away from the crowds? Have a young hunter you enjoy educating and teaching about this part of our heritage ? Interested in making a long term investment of time and effort to make this a great hunting parcel for pretty much just the cost of the property taxes ?

If so, drop me a message with your email here and I'll be in touch.

[Powerstroke]

Attn: Sportfish

I would certainly be interested in discussing your lease with you. I live in the SW metro and am looking to get into something like this. I would have no problem meeting sometime this winter and getting to know each other. I know its a big deal inviting someone into your property like this. We can go ice fishing or just grab a cup of coffee. I bow and rifle hunt and would love to learn about muzzy. My kids are on either side of kindergarten, but they want to learn and I have a lil sis who's turning 12 that wants to learn. Let me know.

Andy [email protected]

[PerchJerker]

Quote:

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I had four buddies this year go in on 160 acre lease from Potlatch. All was going fine until he got an e-mail on a wednesday saying they are logging the woods on thursday. There wasn't even time to go get the stands down. They were told their stands would be sitting at the base of where the tree used to be. All 160 was wiped out and they could only find a couple stands. No partial refund or anything. I've got no problem with Potlach leasing out land but it doesn't seem right that have to pay for the whole year when the land is now basically ruined. It's just too bad they can't find all their portables.

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I agree it's too bad what happened to your buddies, but in their lease stuff Potlatch makes it really clear that they can and will come into their land whenever and why-ever they want, including to log. It's a bummer if it happens to you, but you are leasing land from a timber company.

Most of the Potlatch land around us has about 15 year old growth on it, so it should be another 15-20 years before they get in there to do any logging.

[kurtkwe]

Potlach usually states on the HSOforum where you submit your application that they will be logging the property during the current year. As I said in my earlier post I was very impressed with Ed Patrias the Potlach employee who runs the program for the state of Minnesota. The biggest issues you may run into are trespassing and difficult access to the property. If you have not hunted the property you really should take a trip up to the areas you are considering before applying yet this month and do some grouse hunting.

[Powerstroke]

"and now the land is basically ruined...."

I don't know if you've ever hunted clear cut sbefore, but that recently harvested area will be the best hunting in the area in another year or so. Deer will flock to the area to eat the young buds and to hide in the thick growth. I'd look into a tripod stand.

[luckey]

I agree with Powerstroke, this is and will be some of the best hunting land. Nothing like a clear cut to attract deer and wild life.

[Bjjams]

I personally haven't been there so I can't say one way or the other. I am getting the information from them. They went back and tried to hunt it with no avail. From what it sounds like the land around them now holds the deer because it is better habitat for them. They also have to use deer blinds because there are no trees in good enough shape for putting up a stand. I know they can cut it at any time per the agreement they signed, but they were also told, not in writing, that it would not be used during their period of lease for lumber. That was their biggest concern prior to leasing. They were also told they give ample warning to leasees when it be logged. Well needless to say whom ever they were in contact with were not quite up front with them. I'm not saying it's a bad program either, but anyone interested should be given all the facts, good or bad.