Connecticut hunters rake in around $1.6 million in revenue for the state, yet despite relatively steady hunting license sales over the past few years, finding a hunting spot in the state can still be a problem for many sportsmen.
According to the financial ranking site 247WallSt., Connecticut comes in at No. 45 on their list of states with the most registered hunters. In fact, hunters making up less than 1% of the state’s overall population. The website said that the state’s dense population along with a smaller percentage of public lands makes hunting a challenge in the state.
The state has around 173,000 acres of public land available for hunting, which is around 5.6% of the state’s total area, according to data from the Connecticut Department of Energy and Environmental Protection. In contrast, 94% of land in the state is privately held.
While hunting is allowed on private land in the state, hunters are required to get permission from the land owner, which could be both verbal or written. However, a signed and dated private land consent form is required for both archery and firearms hunting, according to DEEP regulations.
Because so much of the state is made up of private land, hunters historically had to rely on word of mouth or personally knowing a land owner, to gain access to some of the state’s best hunting spots. But a new company is changing all that and connecting hunters with land owners through an app on their smartphones.
HLRBO, which stands for Hunting Land Rentals By Owner, is quickly gaining popularity among the hunting community, according to the company. The Minnesota based company launched in 2021 and allows hunters to lease land from owners for a set period of time. Some rentals on the site are listed for an entire year and others for just a few days.
Co-founder Heath Schubert said that the idea was born from his brother who was a duck hunter that had trouble finding land to hunt on. Schubert said that public land sometimes isn’t the best experience for hunters, as it can become crowded and over-hunted, making the experience less enjoyable. Many hunters prefer private land for its privacy, unique terrain, and abundance of deer, he said.
“We quickly realized there was a need for connecting hunters with land-owners,” Schubert said. “My background is software development, so I built out the system and created the app. We have had tremendous growth over the last four years. Many hunters have shared positive feedback with our site and the rentals.”
The platform now has 6,000 listing offering more than 1.5 million acres across the United States and serves more than 165,000 users, according to Schubert. For state’s like Connecticut, where the vast majority of the land is privately held, the app has been a popular resource for hunters. Around ________ acres of private land in the state are listed on the app.
Currently on the website, two properties are listed in New London County totaling 135 acres. One property, which totals 105 acres, is being listed to lease for $13,680 per year. The other property, only 30 acres, is being listed to lease for $1,000 per day. The company said that pricing is dependent on the size of the property and for the length of the lease. Some properties come with amenities and housing rentals, duck blinds, trail cameras, and all-terrain vehicles.
“For a state like Connecticut that is mostly private land, we look to continue to expand in the state,” Schubert said. “There’s a lot of potential for landowners to offer up their land for hunters while also getting paid. So it’s really a win-win for both the hunters and the landowners.”
Stephen Underwood can be reached at [email protected]