Benefits of AHLA Hunting Lease Insurance
Hunting lease insurance...
- Protects the landowner and the hunter from legal liability that both parties assume.
(You aren’t fully protected by a hunting lease or by common law. Learn more below.) - Provides legal defense in court for both insured parties. Defense expenses for the hunter and the landowner are included in the coverage.
- Impresses prospective landowners with your commitment to responsible and safe hunting.
- Creates the opportunity for a safe hunting experience, without the competition found on public land.
Hunting lease insurance, also known as hunting club insurance, is the best way to protect your hunting club. It allows you to focus more on the enjoyment of the hunt and less about liability concerns should an issue arise.
Common Law Doesn't Fully Protect You
Under common law, landowners have a duty to guests, those paying to hunt (lessees) and to a lesser degree, even trespassers.
Landowners must…
- Inspect their property
- Remove hidden dangers
- Keep the property in a reasonably safe condition
- Take precautions to protect users from foreseeable danger
Many states have recreational use statutes that attempt to limit the landowner’s liability. But most don’t limit the liability when the landowner charges a fee (lease). The amount of that fee varies by state, but it’s generally small. In most cases, any compensation at all—including barter arrangements—remove any liability limits.
Common law is not insurance protection for the landowner or the hunter. For that, you need hunting lease insurance.
Hunting Leases Don't Fully Protect You
Most hunting leases don’t fully protect the landowner or the hunter from legal risk. Here are some examples:
- Most written hunting leases have an indemnity clause and hold harmless agreement. Those release the landowner from liability that may arise because of the hunter’s actions.
- But they don’t say that the neighbor who gets hit with a stray bullet can’t sue the landowner.
- And they don’t prevent the hunter’s wife from suing the landowner if the hunter loses his life to an accident on the property. She may feel she has to sue just to keep food on the table for her family once they’ve lost an income.
Hunting leases don’t provide insurance for either party. That’s why you need hunting lease insurance.