HLRBO on hunting leases, landowner relationships, and finding a place to hunt that fits your budget
You can have a bow dialed in, vacation days approved, and enough trail camera batteries to open a small hardware store. None of it does much good if you don't have somewhere to hunt.
Finding hunting land is a problem that can reset overnight. A property changes hands. Permission disappears. The place you've hunted for years suddenly comes with a price you can't afford. Now you're back to looking at maps and wondering who you know who might know somebody.
On this week's Okayest Hunter podcast, Eric Mueller from HLRBO joined us to talk about hunting land leases, private land access, and what happens when finding a place to hunt becomes its own project. HLRBO is an Okayest Hunter partner, and we wanted to dig into the questions hunters actually have, including the uncomfortable one: Does making land easier to lease also make hunting more expensive?
There isn't a tidy answer. But there is a useful conversation about opening more doors, respecting the people behind them, and figuring out what access is actually worth to you.
How HLRBO connects hunters and landowners
HLRBO stands for Hunting Land Rental By Owner. Mueller described it as a hunting lease marketplace built around connecting hunters with landowners. The idea is familiar enough: Find a property that looks promising, learn what it offers, and start a conversation with the person who controls access.
That last part matters. During the episode, Mueller explained that hunters could browse listings for free, while contacting landowners required a subscription. He emphasized that the process involves talking through the details before securing a lease. A listing can introduce you to an opportunity, but it can't answer every question about how that property will work for your hunting season.
“We're trying to kind of transform access a bit to make it easier for both sides,” Mueller said.
His point was that some landowners may be willing to allow hunting but need help navigating the process. Making that easier could bring properties into the conversation that hunters otherwise wouldn't know about. That's the opportunity HLRBO is pursuing, even as Mueller acknowledged that available land won't satisfy every hunter.
Does leasing hunting land make access more expensive?
This is where the discussion gets uncomfortable, and it's worth staying there for a minute.
Hunters have a legitimate concern about being priced out. Finding a property online doesn't help much if the price is beyond your budget. We've explored that broader problem in our article on why hunters quit hunting, where access, cost, family obligations, and time can all pile onto each other.
Mueller acknowledged the concern that hunting could become a sport for the highest bidder. He also explained the landowner's side: Allowing people onto a property requires time and a willingness to deal with the details. The owner has to decide whether the arrangement is worthwhile.
“The landowner has complete control over setting the price,” he said.
That means a marketplace doesn't erase the affordability problem. Mueller also acknowledged that this model can drive prices up to some degree. The question we kept coming back to was whether it can create additional opportunities along the way, especially on properties where access wasn't previously available.
One example involved a Minnesota family that inherited more than 1,000 acres. According to Mueller, HLRBO helped divide the property into 11 separate leases, all of which were leased. He said the arrangement helped the family keep the land while making individual parcels available to hunters who couldn't take on the entire property.
That's one example, not proof that every lease is affordable. It does show how the way land is offered can change who has a chance to hunt it.
A good hunting lease starts with a landowner relationship
It's easy to look at an aerial map and see bedding cover, a creek crossing, and somewhere to hang a stand. The owner may see the place their family has cared for across generations, the fields they still work, or their backyard.
As I put it during the conversation, “Like, being on someone's land is about as close as it gets to being in someone's home.”
Paying for access doesn't make that personal connection disappear. Mueller explained that HLRBO puts an emphasis on connecting hunters and landowners early so both sides can discuss expectations. Some owners want frequent communication. Others are happy with a text about when you'll be there. Some welcome different kinds of hunting, while others want specific animals or areas left alone.
Those differences are worth understanding before money changes hands. A deer lease doesn't automatically include spring turkey hunting, summer camera checks, or bringing a buddy whenever you feel like it. The same goes for driving an ATV across a field because dragging a deer suddenly seems less appealing than it did that morning.
Respect makes the arrangement more workable. It also gives both sides a reason to want it to continue next season.
Questions to ask before leasing hunting land
The episode was a good reminder that the biggest buck in a listing photo shouldn't do all your thinking for you. Based on the discussion, these are the questions we'd bring into a conversation with a landowner:
- What access is included? Clarify the dates, species, and whether the agreement covers a full year, a season, or a shorter hunt.
- Who else can hunt the property? Ask about exclusivity, the number of permitted hunters, and whether children or guests can come along.
- Can you scout before the season? Discuss cameras, stands, blinds, and any work you'd like to do before arriving with a bow.
- How do you get in and out? Confirm parking, entry routes, vehicle use, and how you'll retrieve a deer.
- What else happens on the property? Ask about farming, family use, and activities that could affect when or where you hunt.
- What does the total cost include? Clarify the lease payment, any separate platform costs, and whether lodging or other amenities cost extra.
- Can you visit before committing? Photos and maps help, but walking the property with permission can answer questions a listing leaves open.
Get the agreed details reflected in the lease. You're trying to understand the actual hunting opportunity, including its limits, before building an entire November around it.
Smaller hunting properties deserve a look
Mueller works in the hunting lease business, but his own deer hunting includes a small family property.
“I hunt 10 acres. My brother's backyard,” he said.
That's a useful reminder when searching for deer hunting leases. Acreage matters, but the number alone doesn't tell you how a property fits into the surrounding landscape. Our article on hunting small, overlooked parcels digs into evaluating those pieces in context, including nearby cover and travel routes.
A smaller property may also fit the way you actually hunt. If you're trying to get out for a few hours after work or bring a kid along for an evening, proximity and practical access deserve a place in the decision. The impressive property three hours away still requires a three-hour drive.
The crew also discussed splitting a lease with friends. That can change the individual cost, provided the landowner allows the group and everyone understands how they'll share the property. Having the conversation beforehand is probably easier than discovering that all four of you requested the same week off.
Public land still belongs in this conversation
Muller made it clear that supporting hunting leases doesn't mean dismissing public land.
“No matter how you can get out in a legal and ethical way, we're all for it,” he said.
We hunt public land, and that remains a huge part of who we are. Our experience using water access to hunt public-land whitetails is one example of the work and creativity that can go into finding a place to hunt.
A private lease may fit a particular season, family situation, or group of friends. For someone else, it won't fit the budget at all. More private opportunities are worth discussing, while protecting public access remains essential. Hunters need options they can actually use.
What are you hoping to get out of the hunt?
For me, part of the appeal of a lease is having somewhere to bring my kids without spending the entire sit worrying about how much noise they're making near another hunter. At this stage, I want them to have fun. The serious part can come later. They're already pretty committed to the snack portion.
That also opens up a question beyond deer season: Could a property offer an opportunity for a squirrel hunt, a spring turkey hunt, or another reason to spend time outside together? Those uses need to be discussed with the owner, but they're worth asking about. We've talked before about whether we've made deer hunting too serious and how easily the rest of hunting gets squeezed out.
Toward the end of the HLRBO conversation, I tried to explain how I think about the value of access: “If you're going to spend money to do something, is it going to have a return? And return is not financial. It's experiential.”
A lease can't promise a punched tag. What you're evaluating is the opportunity to spend your time in a way that matters to you, on a property that fits your budget and expectations, with a landowner you can work with.
That might mean a season with your buddies. It might mean an easier place to take your dad. It might mean a kid who wants to go again next weekend. Those are all good reasons to start the conversation.
Find “Unlocking Land with HLRBO,” our September 15, 2026 conversation with Eric Mueller through the Okayest Hunter podcast.
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