Potlatch Land Lease

[maros91]

My father, wife and I are thinking about leasing 80 acres through Potlatch. Anyone here ever done it before? How many times did you apply before you got one? Any little things I should know about? Any info would be awesome!!! Thanks!!

[PerchJerker]

I lease 80 acres, it adjoins my property and I got it the first year it came up for lease. I haven't posted it with No Trespassing signs yet as I am not really hunting it yet, but if you post you need to buy the signs from Potlatch. They have rules about what you can't do (listed on their HSOforum) but other than that it's been easy and simple.

[MNGSP]

I was starting to look into leasing from potlatch with my father. There isn't any indication on their HSOforum, that I could find, on how much the leases are. Could you give me a ballpark on how much yours is for the 80 acres?

Thanks for your help.

Jon

[DRH1175]

I have applied 3 years straight and every time get denied stating They want someone who lives in the area to watch it over. So unless you either own land or live within a few miles good luck. I have 2 other friends that also applied at the same time and we all got the same denials. Good luck! I have given up on it, it is a joke in my oppinion.

[tipup]

Myself and few buddies(3) leased some land from Potrlatch a few years ago when it first started. We got 60 acres for $550.00(if I remeber right) for the year. It was horrible land as we didnt see a thing either of two years. We are from Southern MN and they had no problem with us leaseing it. Give it a try, I guess it all depends on how much work you want to put into it.

[maros91]

I did find out that they cater to the people who own land in that area. I am still going to apply I think. You have until Jan.4 I believe.

80 acres is $580.00

86 acres is $623.50

It says the price on their HSOforum. I think my father and I will look at some before we apply.

[Powerstroke]

It is true that they do try to give the leases to people with ties to the area. Its part of the problems they faced locally when they started leasing out the land.

In the past, paper company land was open to the public for hunting because for the entire winter season there is nothing happening on the land. There is no need to survey, plant or harvest, so its sits. When they decided to lease the land to make some money back on the land just sitting there, locals complained cause they were losing the free land they've hunted for years. So part of the deal is they try to offer it to those who somehow have a connection to the area.

I am on a lease with someone I met on here. Make sure to try and visit the property before the date so you know what you're looking at. The land we lease is nothing like the aerial photo cause they harvested it right after the photos were taken. Also try talking to the area wildlife managers or the CO and get some background on the area.

Its very cheap for a year-round lease, but they do have their rules.

[huntingmaxima]

This is our 5th year with our lease. I do not know if they cater to locals or not, but when we applied there was 27 apps. for this piece, and they told us they just drew our name out of the 27 that applied. So dont think that you are the only one applying. We pay about 1200/yr for 219 acres.

[LovenLifeGuy]

I could be wrong but I dont think all the prices are the same per acre. I think where the land and what type of land it is makes for different prices.

[PerchJerker]

Early on in the lease program they definately gave preference to neighboring or nearby land owners, and to people that had used the land previously. I'm not sure but I think that lately that has changed and they aren't giving as much precedence to the nearby landowners.

Lease rates are usually around $6 to $8 per acre.

Other than scouting and putting up portable or temporary stands, there's not much you can do to "improve" the land for deer hunting. No baiting. No food plots. No cutting trees, even for shooting lanes. As others have pointed out, it's a good idea to know the land or look at it before you apply, just so you know what you're getting.

[Powerstroke]

The lease rates are not linear. They base them on lots of things like how accessible they are, whether or not there is water on the property, access to public land and some other things. The minimum is $300 for 40acres. After that they all get reviewed and are assigned a price.

[PerchJerker]

Agree, the rate differs depending on the characteristics of the property, but the ones I've seen in my area have been $6-$8 per acre and so far all the examples listed in this thread have also been in that $6-$8 per acre range. I haven't looked at their new leases the last couple of years so maybe they've gone up a little since then.

I think they can review your lease rate and raise it every two years. My lease has only had 1 increase and it was small, like $.25 or $.50 per acre.

[skee0025]

It took me 3 years of applying before I got my lease. I can say I love it. I have 40 acres up by park rapids and pay about 300 a year. It's definatley a challenge to hunt. It was clear cut about 3 years before I got it in 2002. So right now I have 40 acres of 6 to 8 foot pine trees

[HUNTINGBAILEY]

I'VE APPLIED FOR 4 YEARS IN A ROW NOW AND HAVE BEEN DENIED EACH YEAR. IT'S A JOKE, NOT WORTH MY TIME ANY MORE. THE SAME EXUSE EVERY TIME, IF YOU DON'T OWN ANY LAND NEAR THE AREA YOU CAN FORGET ABOUT BEING CHOSEN. (THEY ALWAYS CLAIM ITS THE BEST CANDIDATE CHOSEN) ALL I WANTED FOR MYSELF WAS AROUND 40 ACRES TO HUNT.

[PerchJerker]

A couple of guys now have replied that the lease program is a joke in their opinions. I understand being upset if you want a lease and haven't got one yet, but it's a popular program with lots of applicants and I think all of the parcels they put up for lease get spoken for. Just because someone else gets the parcel you want doesn't mean the program is a joke.

[HUNTINGBAILEY]

Like you, posted in your first response you own land near the potlatch land, so you got chosen to lease the potlatch property. (For potlatch lease) What makes someone a better candidate just because they own land near by? There is no guarantee that they will be a better steward of the land then the guy who doesn't own any property.

[PerchJerker]

I don't think Potlatch is looking for anyone that will be a "better steward of the land". In fact, they are very strict about what you can and can't (mostly can't) do on their land, so there's really very little stewardship happening.

I feel fortunate to have my lease, I know there were several applicants for it. For the piece I lease there are only two private parcels that border it, and the other guy and I went in together on the lease. That was the 2nd year that Potlatch leased out land in MN.

When I got my lease they said they were giving preference to neighboring or nearby landowners that used the land previously. My impression is Potlatch felt this policy would minimize conflicts over the land. Don't know if that's true or not, or if it even makes sense, but it's what was conveyed to me.

Two years after I got my lease another piece of Potlatch that borders my property went up for lease. I didn't apply for it. The guy who got the lease lives about 1/2 mile away. At that time Potlatch said they were going to move away from such a strict policy of neighboring or nearby landowner, but I don't know if they did or not. I also read some info from Potlatch that said they were going to try opening a few tracts to the highest bidder, and I don't know if that ever went anywhere or not.

I agree with you 100% when you say there's no guarantee a nearby landowner will be a better steward of the land than a guy that doesn't own property. In fact, a few of the full-time locals around my property seem to take a lot of things for granted, like littering, cutting firewood, target shooting, poaching, etc. I think someone that has to make a bigger commitment of time and travel expenses to get to the land might be more careful with it and more appreciative of it.

Good luck, and I hope you get a lease. Maybe you'd have less competiton for a larger, more expensive parcel, even if it means you need to get another guy or two to go in on it with you??

[MikeYager - Suzuki]

I'll never forgive potlatch for this program and removing the thousands of acres of land that was once open to all. Good business, yes, but lots of broken hearts and loss of opportunity. I will always hold a grudge.

[papabear]

Interesting how the posts about this subject are not from the areas that the land is located. I do not know anyone who has even applied for a lease who lives up here, there may be some but I havent heard of any. Dont take this as a critisism I just find it interesting. Sorry to those who dislike the lease program. It is not like the wood products industry is such a lucrative business in Mn. Maybe we should look at what some of these companies are doing by allowing hunting and using good forest stewarship to make the northern forest as healthy as they can get them. How many farms allow public hunting on their land? Where are the subsidies to the wood products industry that the farmers get? I didnt see Pawlenty running to Vancuver to save my job like he has done for the Ford plant workers. If you do not like what a company does with thier property sorry tough luck I guess. Just hunt somewhere else, it is a big state with lots of forest land.

[MUSKY18]

We had a couple of Potlatch leases on the land that we have hunted for years. We just figured that with the leases, we would always have our land to hunt if Potlatch leased the other land out. Really like the land, but we just couldn't keep other people off of our land. THey ever would take our signs out of the ground and through them in the brush. Finally we gave up the leases because why should we pay for someone else to hunt?

I also just heard that Potlatch won't be doing anymore leases in Crow Wing or Cass county. Don't know if this is true or just rumor, but supposedly it has something to due with the county trying to tax Potlatch on the income from the leases or some technical stuff like that.

I think that the program is a good one, and we drew our leases after two years of applying. There are so many people that apply for these leases, it must be staggering if tey really put the numbers out. Everyone wants/needs hunting land, and they just don't make anymore of it!

[Nightcrawler]

Quote:

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I'll never forgive potlatch for this program and removing the thousands of acres of land that was once open to all. Good business, yes, but lots of broken hearts and loss of opportunity. I will always hold a grudge.

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potlatch? the state of minesota did it to you,they wanted the taxes,the lease program was a way to recover the taxes they have to pay now.

I have 40 a. lease, in schoolcraft, 300 bucks a year. anything you need to know go to the web site.

2 year contract yours until you or they break the contract.

most leases are plantations, cutovers or about to be cutover. we love it,its a place to call home camp and affordable. had probems the frist year until the naibors figared out we were not moving and they were have to do legal hunting agian.

[slammer]

If you already own land, why do you need to lease more? Let someone that doesnt own land have a chance. As the saying goes, The gap between the Haves and the Have-nots keeps getting wider!!!