Hedonic Analysis of Hunting Lease Revenue and Landowner Willingness to Provide Fee-Access Hunting

Abstract Selling hunting access may supplement household income, yet only a small proportion of nonindustrial private (NIP) landowners in United States lease the right to hunt their land. Based on a survey of Mississippi landowners, the decision to lease hunting rights and factors influencing lease revenue per leased hectare were analyzed. The two issues were jointly modeled consistent with Heckman's sample selection model, and the lease revenue was specified in accordance with hedonic pricing theory. Empirical results showed that landowner concerns about loss of privacy, accident liability, and conflicts with personal use of land reduced the likelihood of leasing; total landownership and specific landowner characteristics increased it. With regards to factors explaining differences in lease revenue per leased hectare, bottomland hardwoods commanded a greater premium than many other land uses. In addition, lease revenue per hectare was distinctly higher where a landowner had expertise in managing a hunting lease enterprise. These findings have implications for landowners interested in managing wildlife-associated enterprises and public agencies engaged in the provision of natural resource-based recreation.