MAHA Hunting - How it all works

Hunting

As it has been...

When it comes to hunting we cater to the do it yourself hunter that knows the value of hunting is enjoying the day in the field. That enjoyment is of nature itself as a whole and not the absolute necessity of filling all tags and bags. This means more to us than the other. This reflects reality.

Anyone that does not recognize that hunting is a 50/50% success/failure activity is kidding themselves and better belongs to a guide service, shooting preserve or fence hunt. Or, some other paid hunt that guarantees some level of success on pen raised animals.

Those that seek the other 9% of the time of the perfect dog point, great fishing, the watching of a true trophy whitetail or the thrill of calling and decoying a big tom or a flight of a thousand greenheads is the hunter that enjoys the hunting we offer. And, there is always that 1% true success greater than ever achieved before we all strive for and routinely accept much less, but when it happens those are the memories of a lifetime.

Our hunting ranges from those that want to hunt hard to those that enjoy the day alone with nature. Compare one of MAHA's fishing lakes, its remoteness and serenity to that of a public water with personal watercraft and beer drinkers. That is also the difference we offer for our hunting land.

Resource

The value we bring to hunting is providing the all too hard of a resource for any self guided hunter to find on his own and that is land. Not only do we provide that land we do all the work securing it and the hunter simply writes a check to hunt. For most that is all that is required and for most it is the opportunity to make their own success that is the true reward of the hunting experience rather than paying someone to set them up for success. That one small distinction separates our hunters from the rest of society.

Our approach is simply to lease the land with the right habitat in the right region of the state and make that lease land available to the do it yourself hunter that seeks to hunt to his own comfort level. That comfort level runs the range for the pure trophy whitetail hunter to the granddad that takes his grandchildren for a day of fishing to enjoy watching their having fun.

We do not have meetings, require no member volunteer work or any of the social activities of the more common hunting clubs. We simply are about hunting and that hunting while having limits is organized through our administration to relieve the self guided hunter from having any contact with the landowner or any other management requirement of release of liability, insurance coverage, contract enforcement etc. Our hunters simply hunt. And they hunt without competition for others.

We further simplify the hunting by giving recommendations of where to hunt on the map issue initially provided to the hunter on a CD then all updates are online. Every hunter receives the entire map issue of all lease lands, has the MAHA staff for recommendations of where to hunt and all have the same telephone reservation system for a first come first served hunt scheduling. The value of the reservation system is that it is the means by which we do not place too many hunters in the same place.

Reservations may be made up to 30 days before the hunt or as late as the day of the hunt. The real limitation on reservations is when we man our office with our secretary from 9 to 530, Monday thorough Friday. Come Friday afternoon all must look ahead to what and where they want to hunt or fish for the weekend and make those reservations.

Telephone reservations only as we want to directly speak to all that call in and confirm during that conversation their hunt location.

Do it yourself hunts. While we provide the private lease land within the right regions of Kansas, Missouri and Iowa that has game productive habitat the best any DIY hunter of wild game can expect to achieve in one day is probably around 10% of the existent opportunity

"...this picture was from a day where our camera had far more success than our guns. The habitat was right, the location good and the early duck plenty, and the weather was against us with high winds, 'T' shirt warm temperatures and clear skies. The exact opposite of what we want for good waterfowl hunting. And, that did not matter. It was a great day to spend away from all else in life...." Jason S.

Always hunt

No one is ever denied a hunt on their schedule during any open season on all land, in all three states and for all game types. That is the general description for Mule and Whitetail Deer; Eastern and Rio Grande Turkey; upland bird hunting for pheasant, Bobwhite Quail, Prairie Chicken and dove as well as upland game of Jack and Cottontail Rabbits, Grey and Fox Squirrels. We also have our own wetlands and blinds for goose and duck hunting.

What we do not allow hunting for is furbearers by trapping or dog running. This includes badger, fox, coyote, bobcat, raccoon, etc. We also do not allow pre season dog work for upland birds or on the wetlands. Our organization exists for the hunt. Keeping it that simple keeps it good for all.

via email: "...by nine moths old he has very good stand off (6-8 feet) on pheasant so as not to pressure them to flight or run. He has had enough quail exposure to identify and dive into target cover. He has become an efficient bird hunter that no longer just runs haphazard around me..."

The hunter

The first year member will spend some time talking to us on telephone looking at the same map sheets as we are when talking about where to hunt right down to county, unit and property numbers. By this means we "jump start" the new to the central mid-west hunter ensuring he is in the right region and habitat for what he is after. This prevents floundering, makes for a better first hunting trip experience and enhances the likelihood of that hunter's return.

The returning member will most likely return to favored spots and then explore when having had enough time looking at the same habitat. It will not be long before each hunter finds himself with first hand, boots on the ground experience with more land than he will have time to hunt during any trip a field. It is at this point the hunter realizes he no longer is looking for one place to hunt he is actually subtracting by tens of thousands of acres where he is not going to hunt. Simply a problem of having too many options that reduces down to the hunter being able to select his best choice of locality, habitat and time of season.

Hunts

This is a hunt on your own organization and at some point the hunter on his own or with our encouragement will progress to simply making telephone reservations and going hunting.

Remembering that our initial first year jump start is guidance without guiding. Our organization is a do it yourself hunt service that simplifies the hunter's access to habitat. To make this possible requires a great deal of time working the land and meeting landowners. This requires us to be as efficient as possible given our two land staff, one secretary and one part-time wetlands builder. This translates to the member that if he should be wanting detailed recommendations after the first year he will find us weaning him away from the anxiety of uncertainty and encouraging the enjoyment of the day. This is achieved through the added little adventure of exploring new areas simply by making a reservation and go hunting.

Members only

We exist to support our members alone and the quality of their hunting they paid for. The land we lease is expensive and leased exclusively for our organization and its members use. We no not sub-lease or offer any form of franchise. This members only immutable regulation includes policing the members themselves though membership card check and vehicle registration. Our response to any infraction is simply to dis-enroll that member and we do so to at least one hunter every year though abuse of illegal guests, hunting without reservation, driving vehicles on private land and any other infractions.

The rules of the Association are conditions of membership and are immutable. They establish the relationship between the hunter and the Association and have been tested, refined and tested again since 1965. For 99% of all hunters they amount to a listing of common sense requirements and for that 1% that fails to comply the means by which that relationship is severed.

Business not a social club

As alluded to earlier we exist as a business responsible for the family income of four and the hunting quality of the members. As a business we recognize the level of customer support we must provide as outlined in the paragraphs above and work toward that every day. What we do not permit is any of the social activities or special interest grouping of favorites associated with a lodge or hunting club. This assures all equal treatment as the means by which to enhance the hunters' renewal of his membership.