Associate Farm Editor, Reagan Calk, had the chance to visit with the owner of U.S. Hunts, Greg Willis. Previously named Okie Hunts, U.S. Hunts has been a service for landowners and hunters since 1999.
As landowners have many different responsibilities on their plates, from ranching to farming, U.S. Hunts takes the weight off their shoulders when it comes to hunting lease management.
“We manage the entire process for landowners so they can continue to ranch and farm, or even a lot of them today are working second jobs,” Willis said. “We make it easy.”
Willis said U.S. Hunts handles all legal paperwork, including hunting liability lease wavers and more.
“We insure the property, and we screen the hunters,” Willis said. “We are hunters ourselves, so we know the types of questions to ask.”
Land is listed on the U.S. Hunts website, Willis said, and hunters can go look at the lease options free of charge. All forms are electronic, Willis added, as the automated process makes things easier for everyone involved.
While it is free for the general public to view the lease properties on the website, Willis said there is an option to pay for the 89-dollar membership option which allows them early access to view and purchase properties before they are listed on the website. The membership, he added, expires after a property is purchased so the hunter will not continue to receive notifications all year and to give other landowners a chance.
“There is another option for 135 dollars for guys who are looking for three, four or five properties, and if they pay that, then theirs doesn’t expire when they purchase a property,” Willis said. “It lasts a full year.”
Willis meets with landowners who are interested in being listed on the site to talk about their needs and the process.
“A lot of times if it is a big property, or something that I can actually do, I will go out and take my drone and fly my drone over the property and get some real pretty photographs and shake their hand and talk to them a little bit about maybe certain little things that they have that they want included in their agreement,” Willis said.
Another benefit of U.S. Hunts for landowners, Willis said, is transparency. Landowners have the option to select who they allow on their property and deny others.
Landowners have control of every part of the process, Willis said, including bag limits and having the option to require hunters to estimate the size of an animal before taking it by using the “trophy checkbox.”
Willis said landowners also have the option to require hunters to send a text message before entering the property. Hunters are required to have their U.S. Hunts license on them at all times, he added.
Hunters are screened through a conversation process, Willis said, as it gives a better feel for if they are a good fit to hunt the land listed on U.S. Hunts. After hunters are approved, and they select where they would like to hunt, Willis said the landowners have the option to meet the hunters beforehand to make sure it is a good fit.
To check out the U.S. Hunts website, CLICK HERE.
To check out the U.S. Hunts Facebook, CLICK HERE.
To check out the U.S. Hunts Instagram, CLICK HERE.
