Title: Hunting Lease Agreement: What a Landowner Puts in Writing | FOUND Description: A written hunting lease sets the term, area, members, game, stands, timber rights, liability, and termination. What North Carolina law adds on posting and recording. Canonical: https://lotsfound.com/insights/hunting-lease-agreement/ # Hunting lease agreements: what a landowner puts in writing A hunting lease agreement is a written contract that lets a person or club hunt your land on stated terms. It names the term, the area, who may hunt, what game, where stands go, how timber work fits, who carries liability and insurance, and how the lease ends. State law adds rules on posting, written permission, liability for paid use, and recording. [Talk about your land](/who-we-serve/landowners/) In this article 1. [What a hunting lease agreement is](#what-a-hunting-lease-agreement-is) 2. [What the written lease covers](#what-the-written-lease-covers) 3. [Posting and written permission](#posting-and-written-permission) 4. [Liability and the recreational use statute](#liability-and-the-recreational-use-statute) 5. [Recording a long lease](#recording-a-long-lease) 6. [Wildlife Commission rules that bind the hunters](#wildlife-commission-rules-that-bind-the-hunters) 7. [Key recap](#key-recap) 8. [Questions](#questions) 9. [References](#references) > **Quick summary:** This guide lists what a landowner puts in a written hunting lease and which North Carolina rules shape it. It is for owners of timber, farm, and recreational land who lease hunting rights to a person or a club. The key takeaway: a written lease protects the land, the timber, and the owner only if it covers each term below and fits the state rules on posting, liability, and recording. ## What a hunting lease agreement is A hunting lease agreement is a contract in which a landowner gives a person or a club the right to hunt the land for a stated term, usually in return for payment. The land stays in the owner's hands. The lessee gets a limited right to enter and hunt on the terms written down. A verbal deal leaves every question open. Who may hunt, where they may drive, what happens when the timber is cut, and who pays for an injury all turn into disputes without a document. A North Carolina real estate attorney decides how state law classifies your document and drafts the terms. This guide lists the questions; the attorney writes the answers. If you are buying land that already has a lease on it, the checks differ. See [Recreational and hunting land: what to check before you buy](/insights/recreational-land/). ## What the written lease covers A complete hunting lease answers each of these questions. | Term | What it settles | |---|---| | Parties | The owner, and the person or club that leases. For a club, who signs and who is responsible | | Term | The start date, the end date, and any renewal right | | Area | The tracts covered, by parcel number and a map, and any area left out, such as a homesite, a pasture, or a pond | | Members and guests | How many members, whether guests may hunt, and whether the club must give the owner a member list | | Game and methods | Which species and seasons, and any limits the owner adds beyond state law | | Stands and blinds | Where they may go, whether they may attach to trees, and removal at the end | | Roads, gates, and vehicles | Which roads and gates to use, and limits on vehicles in wet weather | | Food plots | Whether the lessee may plant, lime, or mow, and where | | Timber and farm work | The owner's right to cut, thin, burn, or farm during the term | | Liability and insurance | Who carries coverage, the limits the lessee must show, and the indemnity terms | | Termination | Grounds for ending the lease early, notice, and what happens on a sale of the land | The lease names the payment terms too. Rent and market rates are a matter for the parties and their advisers, not for this guide. If the same land is also rented for crops or pasture, the two leases must fit together. See [Farm leases in North Carolina: renting cropland and pasture](/insights/farm-lease/). > **Watch for:** A lease that says nothing about timber. A harvest in the middle of the season can start a dispute over refunds and damaged stands. Reserve the owner's right to cut, set the notice the lessee gets, and say whether any payment is adjusted. See [How to sell timber: cruises, bids, and the timber contract](/insights/how-to-sell-timber/). ## Posting and written permission State law gives a posted tract extra protection, and the lease decides who may post it and who signs permission. Under [the posting statute](https://www.ncleg.gov/EnactedLegislation/Statutes/HTML/BySection/Chapter_14/GS_14-159.7.html), either the owner or the lessee may post the land with signs or purple paint marks. The statute sets the sign size, the paint mark size and height, and the spacing. On posted land, a person who goes on the land to hunt, fish, or trap needs [written permission](https://www.ncleg.gov/EnactedLegislation/Statutes/HTML/BySection/Chapter_14/GS_14-159.6.html) from the landowner, lessee, or agent. The permission must be carried, signed, and dated within the last 12 months. For clubs, the statute adds a rule: a member has written permission if the member carries a current membership card and a copy of the written permission granted to the club. Hunting without that permission on posted land is a Class 2 misdemeanor. The North Carolina Wildlife Resources Commission explains these rules on its [Landowner Protection Act page](https://www.ncwildlife.gov/enforcement/landowner-protection-act). The page also notes that the legislature repealed the separate Registered Land Program, effective October 23, 2025. If your lease refers to that program, have your attorney review it. Put two things in the lease: - Who posts the boundary and who maintains the posting during the term. - That the club gives each member a copy of the written permission each season. Post the surveyed line, not a guessed one. A licensed land surveyor finds that line on the ground. See [How to find property lines](/insights/how-to-find-property-lines/) and [Recreational and hunting land: what to check before you buy](/insights/recreational-land/). ## Liability and the recreational use statute North Carolina limits a landowner's duty to recreational users, but the limit does not apply when the owner charges for the use. The [recreational use statute](https://www.ncleg.gov/EnactedLegislation/Statutes/HTML/BySection/Chapter_38A/GS_38A-4.html) says an owner who permits use for recreation without charge owes the user the same duty owed to a trespasser, with stated exceptions. The statute [defines a charge](https://www.ncleg.gov/EnactedLegislation/Statutes/HTML/BySection/Chapter_38A/GS_38A-2.html) as a price or fee asked in return for permission to enter the land. A paid hunting lease is the kind of use that falls outside the limit. The same statute says it does not conflict with a liability release, indemnification, or assumption of risk agreement between the owner and the user. That is why the liability terms of the lease matter. Ask an insurance agent what coverage the owner and the club each need, and have the attorney write the indemnity and insurance terms. This guide gives no insurance or legal advice. > **Take action:** Before you sign or renew a hunting lease, get the boundary, the recorded easements, and the open questions about your tract in order. Start with [Is your land a data-center site?](/who-we-serve/landowners/) ## Recording a long lease A lease longer than three years needs recording to bind a buyer. Under [the recording statute](https://www.ncleg.gov/EnactedLegislation/Statutes/HTML/BySection/Chapter_47/GS_47-18.html), a lease of land for more than three years does not bind a purchaser for value or a lien creditor until it is registered in the county where the land lies. You do not need to record the whole lease. State law allows a [memorandum of lease](https://www.ncleg.gov/EnactedLegislation/Statutes/HTML/BySection/Chapter_47/GS_47-118.html) that names the parties, describes the property, states the term with any renewals and options, and identifies the full agreement. A recorded memorandum has the same legal effect as recording the whole lease. The rent stays out of the public record. A short lease raises a sale question instead. Say in the lease what happens if you sell the land during the term: whether the lease ends, continues, or passes to the buyer. ## Wildlife Commission rules that bind the hunters The lease cannot loosen state wildlife law, and it should require the lessee to follow it. The North Carolina Wildlife Resources Commission sets the rules that bind every hunter on the land: - **Licenses.** Each hunter needs the license the activity requires, and the Commission states that [all licenses are nontransferable](https://www.ncwildlife.gov/hunting/license-types-and-fees). - **Hunter education.** The Commission runs [hunter education courses](https://www.ncwildlife.gov/hunting/hunter-education) of at least six hours. The Commission says a completed course card lets a hunter buy a North Carolina hunting license. - **Seasons and limits.** The Commission's [regulations digest](https://www.ncwildlife.gov/hunting/fishing-hunting-trapping-regulations) sets seasons, bag limits, and methods. The current digest took effect August 1, 2026. Write the lease so that a violation of wildlife law is a ground to end it. ## Key recap - A written hunting lease names the parties, term, area, members, guests, game, stands, roads, food plots, timber rights, liability, insurance, and termination. - The owner or lessee may post the land. Club members need a membership card and a copy of the club's written permission. - The recreational use liability limit does not apply when the owner charges for the use. Write release, indemnity, and insurance terms. - A lease of more than three years must be registered to bind a buyer. A recorded memorandum of lease is enough. - The lessee follows Wildlife Resources Commission rules on licenses, hunter education, seasons, and limits. ## Questions ### Do I need a written hunting lease? State law does not require one for every lease, but a written lease is the only reliable statement of who may hunt and on what terms. It also carries the written permission the posting statute requires. A real estate attorney drafts it. ### Who is liable if a hunter is hurt on leased land? It depends on the facts and the lease. The recreational use statute limits an owner's duty only when no charge is made, so a paid lease falls outside that limit. Ask an attorney and an insurance agent before you sign. ### Should a hunting lease be recorded? A lease longer than three years must be registered to bind a buyer or lien creditor. You can record a memorandum of lease in place of the full document. A shorter lease should say what happens if the land sells. ### Can I cut timber on land under a hunting lease? You can if the lease reserves that right. Write the notice the club gets, the areas affected, and any payment adjustment. Without that clause, a harvest during the term can start a dispute. ## References Primary sources cited on this page, in APA style. - N.C. Gen. Stat. § 14-159.6 (2025). [https://www.ncleg.gov/EnactedLegislation/Statutes/HTML/BySection/Chapter_14/GS_14-159.6.html](https://www.ncleg.gov/EnactedLegislation/Statutes/HTML/BySection/Chapter_14/GS_14-159.6.html) - N.C. Gen. Stat. § 14-159.7 (2025). [https://www.ncleg.gov/EnactedLegislation/Statutes/HTML/BySection/Chapter_14/GS_14-159.7.html](https://www.ncleg.gov/EnactedLegislation/Statutes/HTML/BySection/Chapter_14/GS_14-159.7.html) - N.C. Gen. Stat. § 38A-2 (2025). [https://www.ncleg.gov/EnactedLegislation/Statutes/HTML/BySection/Chapter_38A/GS_38A-2.html](https://www.ncleg.gov/EnactedLegislation/Statutes/HTML/BySection/Chapter_38A/GS_38A-2.html) - N.C. Gen. Stat. § 38A-4 (2025). [https://www.ncleg.gov/EnactedLegislation/Statutes/HTML/BySection/Chapter_38A/GS_38A-4.html](https://www.ncleg.gov/EnactedLegislation/Statutes/HTML/BySection/Chapter_38A/GS_38A-4.html) - N.C. Gen. Stat. § 47-118 (2025). [https://www.ncleg.gov/EnactedLegislation/Statutes/HTML/BySection/Chapter_47/GS_47-118.html](https://www.ncleg.gov/EnactedLegislation/Statutes/HTML/BySection/Chapter_47/GS_47-118.html) - N.C. Gen. Stat. § 47-18 (2025). [https://www.ncleg.gov/EnactedLegislation/Statutes/HTML/BySection/Chapter_47/GS_47-18.html](https://www.ncleg.gov/EnactedLegislation/Statutes/HTML/BySection/Chapter_47/GS_47-18.html) - North Carolina Wildlife Resources Commission. (n.d.). *Fishing, hunting and trapping regulations*. Retrieved October 3, 2026, from [https://www.ncwildlife.gov/hunting/fishing-hunting-trapping-regulations](https://www.ncwildlife.gov/hunting/fishing-hunting-trapping-regulations) - North Carolina Wildlife Resources Commission. (n.d.). *Landowner Protection Act*. Retrieved October 3, 2026, from [https://www.ncwildlife.gov/enforcement/landowner-protection-act](https://www.ncwildlife.gov/enforcement/landowner-protection-act) - North Carolina Wildlife Resources Commission. (n.d.). *License types and fees*. Retrieved October 3, 2026, from [https://www.ncwildlife.gov/hunting/license-types-and-fees](https://www.ncwildlife.gov/hunting/license-types-and-fees) - North Carolina Wildlife Resources Commission. (n.d.). *Take a hunter education course*. 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