"Problem with leases is that if a hunter gets hurt on the farmers property, that farmer become liable (thats what I have been told by several people hunters at least, but I am sure there is lawyers and paper work for that as well). " Yes, the absolute truth, sue the dumb farmer.
Yes I read the article last week and the part time auctioneer who wrote the article should keep his mouth shut.
Yes, give permission to hunters who ask, sign the form and the farmer is exempt from 99% of the hunter getting hurt. It would take a deliberate act by the landowner to make him liable. Like running somebody over with a tractor. Now if your the guy who leased, and you fall in a old well and drown, your wife can sue the cr*p out of the farmer.
I would guess most leasers do not issue 1099's for the amount they paid the farmer so the Farmer includes the money on his IRS 1040. Yes all these leasers, there is a ton of money NOT being reported to the IRS and the Ohio Dept of TAxation.
The biggest problems are two. these lease hunters do not carry liablity insurance in case the damage the farmers house or put a 45/70 thru the gas tank on a $500000 John Deere. If I was leasing I would demand proof of $2mm liability insurance from each of the hunters.
The next big time problem is the sub leasing, when some phony outfitter cons a lease from a farmer then charges some ungodly price to out state bozos. The unlicensed outfitter, gets rich, the farmer loses.
Why does OHio require guide licenses for fishing and NOTHING for hunting guides and phoney outfitters?