Let’s be clear, the choice to pay for hunting access or not is all yours. Millions of hunters have discovered that leasing ground to hunt not only offers them the freedom to hunt and manage a farm as if it were their own, it also benefits the landowner in many ways. That doesn’t mean you can’t find a landowner that is willing to allow you to hunt on their farm or property without payment. They are out there. The truth is that you can dramatically increase your odds of success by showing him/her that you understand the challenges they face and that you are willing to protect their assets and interests first. Don’t be like every other hunter that has knocked on their door empty-handed. You are not the first person to knock on their door, but you can certainly be the one that stands out from the rest. Use the AHLA “Front Porch Kit” to your advantage! The next time you knock on the door of a landowner to ask for permission to hunt on their farm, have the ammunition you need to show them you are serious about protecting them first! Offer to purchase a hunting lease liability insurance policy including them as a named insured party on the policy. Purchasing a hunting lease insurance policy is easy and can be completed online with the AHLA at www.ahuntinglease.org.

 

AHLA policies start at just $185 for any property up to 499 acres!

 

To make sure you are purchasing the highest level of coverage for you and your landowner, it is important to understand the coverages and limits of a hunting lease insurance policy. Below you will find simple explanations of coverages and why they are important to you and your landowner. At the end of the day, our goal remains the same. We want to make accessing quality private land beneficial and safe for landowners and hunters everywhere.

 

Master Policy

Nearly every policy you will find available online is a master policy. A master policy has several advantages, but the most beneficial is cost. Providing a master policy compared to a custom written policy can differ dramatically in price. The AHLA policy offers coverage starting at $185, while the cost of a custom policy for identical coverage can start at over $800. The only limitation of a master policy is that the start date is predetermined. The AHLA offers two different master policies. Our spring policy starts on March 1 each year and our fall policy starts on August 1 each year. Offering two different start dates allows us to accommodate more hunters and landowners and their hunting lease needs.

 

Named Insured (Add up to 7 landowners FREE with AHLA policy)

Nearly every policy you will find online will offer to add your landowner(s) as additional insureds. While this is an important coverage feature, it really doesn’t offer the highest possible coverage. Additionally, most companies selling this type of insurance will require separate fees to add landowners as additional insureds. These fees add up fast and can turn your total cost of insurance into an unaffordable situation. The AHLA recognizes the importance of protecting your landowners AND your hunt club. That is why we require that all parties be listed as named insureds, offering you the highest level of coverage, and we provide that benefit to you at NO ADDITIONAL COST!

 

Coverage For Every Member Of Your Hunt Club AND Landowner

There is a simple answer to an often-asked question. The AHLA policy covers every member of your hunt club as well as your landowner(s). Although we don’t ask for the names of your hunt club members, our policy provides coverage from liability based on the hunting lease agreement between your landowners and hunt club. If a claim were to be filed, the independent adjuster will then ask for a copy of your lease agreement and confirm that the party filing a claim was in fact listed on the hunting lease.

 

Medical Pay (no less than $5,000)

Under no circumstance should you purchase a hunting lease insurance policy with medical pay coverage less than $5,000!

 

Although hunting has proven to be one of the safest activities Americans participate in, accidents can and do happen. Fortunately, the insurance industry recognizes that some injuries require immediate medical attention and insured parties may need funds sooner rather than later to address medical bills. The medical pay benefit addresses this concern by issuing funds for the sole purpose of addressing medical bills quickly. Any claim investigation is completed and approved/denied without regard to medical pay benefits already paid. This coverage is a goodwill gesture on the part of the insurance industry and should be considered an important benefit when researching hunting lease insurance.

 

The AHLA coverage benefit for medical pay is $5,000.

 

Coverage Limits ($1,000,000/$2,000,000)

The industry standard coverage for a master policy is $1,000,000/$2,000,000, but what exactly do these numbers mean? Simply stated, coverage with these limits would allow up to $1 million coverage benefit per occurrence. So, if property damage or bodily injury were to occur due to one incident. This liability coverage would pay no more than $1 million to settle claims from that particular incident. The $2 million limit is an aggregate amount or maximum the policy will pay for all incidents or occurrences during the policy period.

 

Guest(s) Coverage

Under the AHLA master policy, guests of hunt club members are covered for bodily injury or property damage they may have caused accidentally. They would also be provided coverage from injury or property damage they suffered due to the (non-intentional) actions of a hunt club member or landowner. This is an important coverage for hunters that may want to take a child on an occasional hunt or for any hunt club member that wants to bring a guest. Of course, individual hunt club rules apply, but coverage is afforded to those guests when they are hunting on the listed property.

 

Member To Member Coverage

Can one hunt club member file a claim accusing another hunt club member of causing bodily injury or property damage? You bet they can. In many instances in the South, hunt clubs can have well over 100 members. It is possible for one member to unknowingly and accidentally cause injury to another member. The AHLA master policy covers all members of your hunt club, including from each other. While most policies on the market today offer this type of coverage, it is worth asking before making your purchase.

 

Liability From ATV’s And Tree Stands

The key word in this coverage is liability. Many companies selling this type of insurance will simply tell you that ATV’s and tree stands are covered. To be honest, this is only half true. Remember, this type of insurance is not meant or designed to be health coverage or offer protection against theft. Hunting lease insurance is designed to protect you or your hunt club in the event you cause damage or injury to another person. In the case of ATV’s and tree stands, if you are found to be liable for injuries sustained in a fall from a tree stand then coverage would be triggered. However, if your ATV was stolen, this coverage would simply not apply. So, liability that arises from the use of ATVs’ and tree stands is certainly covered by the AHLA hunting lease policy!

 

Lease Agreement

If we have learned anything over the last eight years, we know that good communication is the key to a successful hunting lease arrangement. When both landowners and hunters can sit down and agree to terms like price, tree stand use, ATV use, camping and etc., it makes everyone’s expectations clear from the beginning. A written hunting lease agreement is a vital part of the hunting lease process and simply is crucial to any arrangement involving access to another person’s property. The amount charged for access can be zero, but a written agreement will provide everyone with a clear outline of expected behavior. It is also important to remember that a written agreement must be signed for your hunting lease insurance policy. The AHLA provides the use of our custom hunting lease agreement FREE with every insurance policy purchase.

 

Whether you pay for a hunting lease or work out an arrangement with the landowner standing on the front porch, we just want you to safely enjoy your time in the woods!