One of the most common questions landowners have about allowing hunting on their property is liability. It is a reasonable question. What happens if someone gets hurt on your land?

The good news is that Ohio law strongly protects landowners who allow recreational use of their property. When hunting access is structured correctly, the legal risk to the landowner is extremely limited. Our system is built around those protections, and we add additional safeguards on top of them to protect every landowner we work with.

Ohio law provides guidance by saying there should be a written lease between the landowner and the hunters.

Ohio law affords very strong protections to landowners who lease hunting rights

Ohio has a law called the Recreational User Statute that provides powerful liability protection to landowners who allow recreational activities on their land. Activities such as hunting, fishing, hiking, and camping are specifically included in the law.

The purpose of the statute is simple. The Ohio legislature wanted to encourage landowners to allow recreational use of their property without fear of being sued if someone gets injured.

Under this law, a landowner generally does not:

• Owe a duty to keep the property safe for recreational users
• Promise that the land is safe simply by allowing access
• Assume responsibility for injuries caused by recreational users

In practical terms, this means that if a hunter is injured while hunting on your land, the law provides strong legal immunity that protects the landowner from liability.

This protection applies to non-residential land such as farms, woods, fields, and other rural properties.

The law even allows landowners to receive a hunting lease payment while still keeping this protection.

Lease payments from hunters do not remove your legal protection

Many landowners assume that if they receive money for hunting access, they lose the protection of the Recreational User Statute. That is not the case.

Ohio law specifically allows landowners to accept a lease payment for hunting access while still maintaining the liability protection provided by the statute. This change was made because hunting groups wanted to lease land, but landowners were hesitant to accept payment if it meant losing legal protection.

As a result, hunting leases are fully compatible with the Recreational User Statute when they are structured correctly. An important key is to have a written hunting lease like those provide at HuntDeerInOhio.

Written hunting  permission and structured agreements

Ohio law requires hunters to have written permission from the landowner before hunting on private land.

Our lease provides that written permission while clearly documenting the relationship between the landowner and the hunters. The written lease establishes who is allowed to hunt the property, when they may hunt, and under what conditions.

This written documentation helps demonstrate that the hunters are recreational users who have permission to access the land, which is one of the requirements for protection under the Recreational User Statute.

The lease also sets clear expectations for safety, conduct, and property use.

Additional protection through liability insurance

While Ohio law already provides strong liability protection, we add another layer of protection for our landowner clients.

Each year we purchase a liability insurance policy that provides one million dollars of coverage for every property enrolled in our hunting lease program.

This policy is specifically designed to provide additional protection related to hunting activity on the property. In the unlikely event that an incident occurs, this insurance coverage provides another level of financial protection for the landowner.

In other words, the landowner is protected both by Ohio law and by insurance coverage.

Limited access reduces risk

Another way risk is reduced is by limiting the number of hunters on a property.

Instead of allowing many different people to hunt a property throughout the season, a lease typically allows a small number of responsible hunters to access the land. This keeps hunting pressure low and reduces the number of people coming and going on the property.

All hunters who are included in our leases must sign a page stating they understand and agree to follow the terms and conditions of the lease document. Only those hunters who sign are permitted on the property. They may not bring anyone to the property, including friends and relatives who are not members of the lease.

Because these hunters are paying for access, they have a strong incentive to follow the rules and treat the property with respect.

Maintaining control of your property

Leasing hunting rights does not mean giving up control of your land.

Landowners still control how their property is used. The lease agreement can establish rules about access points, vehicle use, stand placement, guests, and other details that help keep the property organized and safe.

The landowner decides what is allowed.

Peace of mind for landowners

Many landowners worry about allowing hunting simply because they are concerned about liability. Once they understand Ohio’s Recreational User Statute and how hunting leases are structured, those concerns are usually removed.

Between Ohio’s strong legal protections, written lease agreements, limited hunter access, and a one million dollar liability insurance policy covering every landowner we work with, the risks are carefully managed.

This structure allows landowners to enjoy the benefits of leasing hunting rights while maintaining strong protection for themselves and their property.