# Thinking about starting a new hunting club..



## craig1978 (Jan 2, 2012)

I am concidering starting a new hunting club, I was wondering if anyone could give me some pointers. I don't know where to begin.. I was told it needed to be incorporated or chartered (???).. Insurance, rules,ect.. Any insight will be helpful.. Thank you so much..


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## 97 Mangler (Jan 3, 2012)

Some type of incorporation and insurance will help reduce the potential liability associated with running a club.  But my experience is that the rules and managing the personalities can be the toughest part of having one.


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## Chris Horsman (Jan 5, 2012)

Don`t do it. Lease it for yourself and don`t bother with any one else. Nothing but broken promises, whining and headaches


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## jerry russell (Jan 5, 2012)

craig1978 said:


> I am concidering starting a new hunting club, I was wondering if anyone could give me some pointers. I don't know where to begin.. I was told it needed to be incorporated or chartered (???).. Insurance, rules,ect.. Any insight will be helpful.. Thank you so much..



I am with Chris on the "don't do it" thing IF you can afford it. Most folks can't however so getting one started right is very important.

I do believe the secret is to stay away from a democracy. Don't let everyone vote on issues as they arise. This is a disaster waiting to happen as the "clicks" form in your group. Have a single land manager that has the full authority to rule in the case of an infraction and let his rule be fully binding. All the rules should be very detailed and put forth before anyone signs on the dotted line. If you sign-you agree to always abide by them-period.

Incorporation is not needed IMO. Insurance is also not needed unless the landowner requires it. Remind your landowner that Georgia law provides him fairly sweeping protections and he may not require the insurance. You as the land manager can sign a hold harmless agreement and all hunters would do the same.

Most importantly, interview members and make sure they are like minded as far as the long term goals are concerned. Letting a "brown is down" hunter into a club with evolving trophy goals is an example of a bad plan. Just because they have the money is not a reason to admit them into the club. Interview and spend some time with them and then think it through.

This is a system that I have used with no problems so far.

I have a set of very comprehensive rules for our group- the Georgia Trophy Bowhunters Association if you would like to see them. Just shoot me a PM


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## bfriendly (Jan 5, 2012)

jerry russell said:


> I am with Chris on the "don't do it" thing IF you can afford it. Most folks can't however so getting one started right is very important.
> 
> I do believe the secret is to stay away from a democracy. Don't let everyone vote on issues as they arise. This is a disaster waiting to happen as the "clicks" form in your group. Have a single land manager that has the full authority to rule in the case of an infraction and let his rule be fully binding. All the rules should be very detailed and put forth before anyone signs on the dotted line. If you sign-you agree to always abide by them-period.
> 
> ...



^^^this


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## ted_BSR (Jan 5, 2012)

The best advice I can give is to have a core group of members that are fanily that you can trust to be the backbone of the club. Take suggestions, but not a vote.

Our club is on a lease under a timber management lease so that takes care of the insurance etc.. It is a tough undertaking, but can pay off if you have the right group of members (this is hard to come by).

Don't pay for anyone else, and expect people to take advantage of you.

I am fortunate to have a great group of members over the last five years, but I put in a lot of time interviewing and giving tours of the land (and waiting for jokers that never showed up).

Get a seperate bank account to deal with club money. Club rules are important, and you have to enforce them, otherwise your own people will turn on you.

Half my club of 15 members is family that I trust, and it is tolerable. I don't think I would endeavor to run a club that was mostly outsiders.


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## Confederate_Jay (Jan 12, 2012)

I have 2 clubs one is 725 acres other is 4000.... it's a lot of work and many times a pain in the butt. If you can go it alone or with a couple like minded trusted buddies you are better off.  

Obviously the bigger the club the harder to manage.  Larger tracts take more work to set up and maintain, and more members to pay for it ( surprisingly I have found more members does not usually translate into "more help" in the preparing and maintaining stages).  More members mean more differing opinions, levels of experience, personalities, etc.

Here are a few little nuggets I can tell you to expect so when they come along you wont be surprised.

The members who can "barely afford" the dues will spend nearly as much on corn by end of season.

Guys who are always too busy to attend work days are never, ever too busy to hunt.

After you invest all this time, money, and sweat paying for and preparing your hunting paridise, the first thing some will want to know is how many guests they can drag up to hunt it for free.

Gates are never accidentally left closed.

A couple dogs running thru from a neighboring dog club will absolutely ruin hunting, but deer are immune to 4 wheelers and diesels going everywhere at daybreak. 

The guys with 2 or 3 built stands and climbers spread out all over, will homestead and wear out the club stands.

Scouting for sign starts on opening day.

Morning and evening "hunting hours" are ideal times to ride around.

There is not enough meat on 6 deer (and unlimited hogs) to fill a freezer.

Peak of the rut is the perfect time to shoot a doe.

When asked to try to help out that struggling or inexperienced member get on a deer, dont be surprised when he does exactly opposite of what you suggest.

You'll be a referee, Dear Abby, and S*B.

Everyone should try running a club one season, then they would understand. I wish I could fill my club with past presidents. lol


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## Chris Horsman (Jan 13, 2012)

Now there`s an idea. 
The Past President`s Hunting club. Show a hunting lease, preferably from a timber company, in your name, the bank statements to show how much extra you paid and a recording of all the whining voice mails and emails you get and your in.


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## Luckybuck (Jan 15, 2012)

I agree you need not have to vote on everything you want to do.  I would recommend you establish what you consider fair for all parties your rules, regulations, or guidelines and this is what you live by.  Regardless of how well you run a club turnover of members will be your biggest headache.  One thing for certain you definitely want to set a date from members to send in their membership dues at least 30 days prior to your having to fund the lease, or you will be caught holding the short end of the stick.


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## lonesome dove (Jan 15, 2012)

Here's the best rule of thumb I can give you
1. people are going to complain - it will most definatly be to YOU.
2. if your dues are $500 per person - YOUR dues will be at least $1,000. 
3. You will more than likely loose at least 1 friend over the club because of something stupid.
4. A WMA stamp is less than $20 bucks (that fact will pop up in your head multiple times throughout the year)

I LOVE my club, just not all of the drama


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## Gulfin (Jan 15, 2012)

It certainly is a thankless job. Best you can hope for is to get half of your new members on the same page. From there you can probably expect a couple more to get in the fold and a couple, well, just try and get along until the end of the season and part ways. There definitely is some satisfaction and there will be at least a couple that understand and appreciate the hard work you will no doubt have to do.

Best advice I can give you is some of what has already been said. 

DETAILED rules, unfortunately sometimes something that seems simple will be twisted beyond belief. Spirit of the law -vs- letter of the law.

One chief. Ask for opinions as you wish but votes won't work. 1/3 will go one way, 1/3 will go another, and the last 1/3 won't vote and complain about it afterwards.

Be firm as you need to be and as fair as you can possibly be with everyone.

Practice what you preach.

Stay organized AND send out updates. Some won't take a minute to read them and then complain about stuff you told them about a month before. Its nice to be able to point that out.

Sure there more but that is enough for now.

Good luck.


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## Son (Jan 28, 2012)

Good luck. 
Been managing hunt club since 1975, and it's always been a challenge and at times very costly out of pocket.
You become the banker
The complaint dept
Janitor
guide
accused of knowing where all the deer are, that's why you kill most of em
And sometimes, you could be the cook, dish washer, grass cutter, road maintenance guy and everything else the others don't want to do.
The members who have it made are those. Who just pay, come hunt and leave. Yep, you will have some of those, they're so lazy, they wouldn't hand "YOU" a shovel.


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