“They aren't making any more of it!”

This famously effective and motivating phrase is commonly used in the auctioneering business when negotiating raw land sales under striped tents on Saturday mornings.

Although the statement is a simple one, it is rooted in a somewhat alarming truth: No matter how large the human population grows, the green areas painted on classroom globes are not going to expand.

Without delving any deeper into such complicated matters, this fact does have an impact on fishing and hunting in the present - and, undoubtedly so, in the future. More people plus less undeveloped space equals increased competition for prime grounds suitable for outdoor pastimes.

We all want our own little “slice of heaven” to get away from the hustle and grind, but nowadays the vision sometimes appears to be drifting farther out of reach.

Not everyone can afford the time, money or equipment to keep up land for the sole purpose of recreation, and knocking on doors to gain permission is becoming harder with each passing season. Years ago, like-minded Southern sportsmen were encountering some of the same obstacles people in our locale are now facing. These individuals were willing to pay a monetary premium for their pastimes, and a common denominator between landowner and sportsmen was discovered.

Hence was born the age of “leasing” places to hunt and fish. Since the 1960s, my uncles have been using the same leased portion of the Deseret Cattle Ranch in Florida. Similar to a fine family heirloom, their much-coveted membership will continue being passed down so that future generations have a place to sit around a fire, telling stories about tusker boar hogs beneath towering oaks draped in Spanish moss.

Leases are the norm in other parts of the South as well. Large landowners - such as timber companies or ranches that own thousands upon thousands of acres - have created additional income while better managing the wildlife on their property by creating structured lease agreements which uphold higher standards than conventional state guidelines for game harvest data, limits and restrictions.

Landowners leasing ground are eager to improve property for game and fish - the higher the quality and quantity of the wildlife, the more money they can receive from sportsmen.

Up until about 10 years ago, I had not seen or heard of many lands or waters leased for hunting and fishing around here, but today the process has become more commonplace throughout the commonwealth.

Landowners gain monetary reimbursement for their natural resources and sportsmen rest assured that they have a place to themselves (or their predetermined group) in return. The exchange is a win-win.

How much does a lease cost? In some of the places I have visited in Mississippi, Alabama and Florida, the yearly rates are quite steep, but members say the dues are worth the price, and all camps have had a lengthy waiting list filled with additional prospects.

Near Stuttgart, Ark., a prime waterfowl pit under the Mississippi Flyway can yield a yearly lease fee large enough to purchase a brand new pick-up truck , while prime ground in Pike County, Ill., fetches big bucks because of the big bucks that roam the region.

It is simply a matter of supply and demand. Leases in our area are usually based on a per-acre cost somewhere between the ranges of $2-$10 an acre. Forested acreage fetches a higher price most of the time, and leases for long periods of time (such as in five-year increments) are usually less expensive than renewing annually.

However, as western Kentucky continues to be mentioned in magazines nationwide as a big buck destination, those rates will likely increase due to out-of-state hunters seeking trophy whitetails. Although a lease can be little more than an oral agreement and exchange of funds, it carries more weight when in writing.

Dozens of printable lease agreements, tailored specifically for hunting and fishing, can be found for free online, making the process much easier for both parties. A form can be tailored to just about any specific situation or property.

Although it is a hard pill to swallow for some people - paying money to pursue a public resource on private property - leases are probably only going to increase in popularity.

Once accustomed, most sportsmen recognize the system for its benefits and view it as a step forward instead of a step back.

- Geordon T. Howell is the outdoors writer for the Daily News. Contact him at highbrasshowell@yahoo.com.