HS Strut:

Im always typing with a smile here and your right written word shows no emotion.

I think generational change in land ownership also affects hunters. Today many landowners have received land thru inheritance and lease the agriculture out to proffesional farmers. Money still needs to be made for upkeep and taxes, a natural progression is to hire a proffessional lease outfitter for recreational purchases.

I think this leads to a suggestion, people who have hunting permission today(free or not) must have more than annual contact woth the landowner. If you don't a lease agent might visit the landowner before seasons begin.

Leasing is not the end of hunting, in the south and west this has been common for years. I deal with several companies in Kentucky and visit with everyday production workers regularly. All of those know I hunt and we talk about what they are seeing, to a man they ALL have leases or own property. These regular folk just budget for their hunting leases. Hunter retainment nor recruitment is not suffering because of leasing. At least not in Kentucky, you don't see numbers dwindling in Texas either, the state that is all leased hunting. People adapt.