How to get permission to hunt

[Nomad]

I put this here as i feel it may get the most views and deer season is coming and you should be knocking on doors NOW !

A commen complaint I hear is " I can't find anyone to let me hunt his land ." So here is what worked for me very well in the past. Feel free to add your ideas.

Get out now, not a month before the season .

Don't show up with your NY Yankee hat sideways and a ripped Jack Daniels t shirt.Ok no need to dress up just be neat and clean.

Got kids ? Bring them along .

Tell them its just you, not you and all your friends and stick to it. If you hunt with another TELL them up front.

Bow seems to be easier to get on then gun.

Helps to have some tie to the area. Grew up near here, wife lived here,used to hunt a farm down the road,just moved here .

If a farm offer to do some work, couple days of loading hay .

I took a photo of my van with me by it, on the back i had my cell, home numbers as well as lic.# If it looked like they might let me hunt  I'd give it to them and say," heres all my info, if I park, hunt or walk where i should not call the D.E.C on me.

If they say (I loved it when they did) "I don't let hunters on  my land". I would say,well I bet there are hunters there but you don't know who or where. I can be your eyes and ears out there . I can post it or replace posted signs if you wish .

Make it clear you'll follow all THEIR rules and do.

  I got on I would guess 5-6 out of 7 or so farms. Including one that was the guy everyone fears, you know we all have one near by. This guy would cut down trees with his chain saw if he saw a stand in it .He spent more time hunting hunters then deer. Not only did I get on his land  he offered me the use of his atv.......

Happy Hunting

[6 Does n a Buck]

How about sharing the deer with the land owner.? (the meat)

[sweet old bill]

good luck

I sure went for zero last year.

number 1 was a person who owned a piece of land on the road I live, we found the owner was out of state, send him a letter telling him who we were, I own the land across from him and built a home there two years ago. I asked permission to bow hunt. I gave him my email, phone and address and asked him to reply to me with approval ofr non approval with 30 days or I would coindier it was ok. The land did not have any poster on it and the year prior ZIsaw several hunters putting drives on the land. Nothing came to be, I gopt ready for the opening of bow season and put a blind on the land with a plastic hair init as I am physical challenged hunter. The day prior to opening of hunting season, a guy drove up and said he was the caretaker and I did not have permission to hunt and if found I would be taken to court. I told him I had a blind up and would take down that same day which I did.

number 2 Our back pasture runs into another piece of land that has easy access by car. I stopped and asked permission to hunt and or could if I got a deer drag it down to were I could drive my car up his road to pick up the deer. I got permission to pickup the deer but again no hunting permission. He no longer hunts but keep it for family only hunting.

so good luck 

[Canmandan]

There are lots of things you can do and I am not sure anyone has the total answer.

•         As I land owner I am kind of leery of people who show up a  week before and ask permission. I figure if they are serious hunters they would  want to scout the land early, know where the property lines are, etc. 
  When I am looking for a piece to hunt I make up an index  card with contact information including vehicles and license plate numbers. I  dress decently and act respectful. If it is an active farm I don’t show up at meal  time or milking time and never show up Sunday morning (people go to church). I tell the owner that I grew up on a farm and will respect  his property. I ensure him that we will abide by his rules and won’t break his  fences down, leave gates open, shoot towards buildings, leave trash in the  woods, etc. If possible I bring my two boys with me, introduce them and tell the  farmer we are hunting family and were brought up to be good hunters who abide  by the game laws and respect other people’s property, including his neighbors.  Typically after getting permission I find out  who the neighbors are and give them a call just to let them know I will be  hunting the property and will respect their borders. BTW- I have three adjacent  pieces I hunt now because the neighbors of the original piece I hunt were impressed that  someone would be courteous enough to do that so they allowed me to hunt their  too.
  I have hunted a few pieces of property for a number of years  and have always kept myself in the good graces of the owners, enough so that a  couple of them are now willing to give me a good reference if an another owner  wants to call about my getting permission – that is invaluable if you can  manage to get someone to do it for you.
  If you want to find and keep a good hunting spot there is more  to it that just getting permission though. Once I find a spot I go the extra  mile. I do things like offer to keep an eye on the property, replace posted  signs or post the property for them if they want. If I find a broken down  fence, I prop it up temporarily and then tell the farmer about it, even offering  to go back in and fix it (since I know exactly where it is).  My buddy in the Syracuse area has life time  permission to hunt this really nice farm because he offered to give the farmer 2-weekends  a year in the spring to help fix fences before  the cows are let out.
  

[steve863]

good luck

That about says it in my opinion!  Not that it isn't possible finding land to hunt, but in most cases if land is of any suitable size and has some deer on it, it most likely already has people hunting it who don't want company or willing to give it to someone else.  Once in a while someone lucks out knowing a friend of a friend who owns some land that he doesn't use or something, but that is pretty rare and getting rarer all the time.  If someone really wants to know what the surefire way to get private land to hunt is, they have to realize it's MONEY.  Show someone some money and you might get somewhere.  Not that I like this idea, or am promoting it, or that it's good for hunting in general, but that IS the reality in todays world.  Being friendly, wearing nice clothes and having a winning smile only gets you so far.  I have been lucky enough to have a friend with a good amount of property.  For several years he was more than happy to let me hunt just because we were friends.  Of course reality set in eventually and he realized that he could make a buck off his land so he asked me if I am willing to pay him some money for the use of his land.  What I pay him is surely within reason for the enjoyment I get from his property, but again, friend or NO friend, the handshake thing is becoming a thing of the past!

[solon]

this is a tough in this day and age, but a few things that have worked

1) offer to trade for work on the farm or house

2) walk up the door with a fresh home baked pie (this has worked twice)

3) follow up - if you get permission -

    a)give them venison after the season

    send a xmas card

    c) drop by in the summer to talk - don't just show back up before hunting season

and don't look like Elmer fudd

[ELMER J. FUDD]

and don't look like Elmer fudd

Gee thanks!

[Doc]

2) walk up the door with a fresh home baked pie (this has worked twice)

If they still refuse permission do you rip the pie back out of their hands and walk away? ......  ;D

[burmjohn]

That about says it in my opinion!  Not that it isn't possible finding land to hunt, but in most cases if land is of any suitable size and has some deer on it, it most likely already has people hunting it who don't want company or willing to give it to someone else.  Once in a while someone lucks out knowing a friend of a friend who owns some land that he doesn't use or something, but that is pretty rare and getting rarer all the time.  If someone really wants to know what the surefire way to get private land to hunt is, they have to realize it's MONEY.  Show someone some money and you might get somewhere.  Not that I like this idea, or am promoting it, or that it's good for hunting in general, but that IS the reality in todays world.  Being friendly, wearing nice clothes and having a winning smile only gets you so far.  I have been lucky enough to have a friend with a good amount of property.  For several years he was more than happy to let me hunt just because we were friends.  Of course reality set in eventually and he realized that he could make a buck off his land so he asked me if I am willing to pay him some money for the use of his land.  What I pay him is surely within reason for the enjoyment I get from his property, but again, friend or NO friend, the handshake thing is becoming a thing of the past!

Friend or no friend that guy still has to pay taxes on the land you were using for free.

[solon]

elmer fudd - sorry for the offense

[steve863]

That about says it in my opinion!  Not that it isn't possible finding land to hunt, but in most cases if land is of any suitable size and has some deer on it, it most likely already has people hunting it who don't want company or willing to give it to someone else.  Once in a while someone lucks out knowing a friend of a friend who owns some land that he doesn't use or something, but that is pretty rare and getting rarer all the time.  If someone really wants to know what the surefire way to get private land to hunt is, they have to realize it's MONEY.  Show someone some money and you might get somewhere.  Not that I like this idea, or am promoting it, or that it's good for hunting in general, but that IS the reality in todays world.  Being friendly, wearing nice clothes and having a winning smile only gets you so far.  I have been lucky enough to have a friend with a good amount of property.  For several years he was more than happy to let me hunt just because we were friends.  Of course reality set in eventually and he realized that he could make a buck off his land so he asked me if I am willing to pay him some money for the use of his land.  What I pay him is surely within reason for the enjoyment I get from his property, but again, friend or NO friend, the handshake thing is becoming a thing of the past!

Friend or no friend that guy still has to pay taxes on the land you were using for free.

Exactly, that is why I pay him gladly and don't complain.  That is also why I stated that MONEY will get you access before anything else will.  The handshakes, offering to help with chores, and blueberry pies won't get you very far these days, that's for darned sure!

[burmjohn]

Well money could be anything, it could mean meals for the week etc.  Although I did not pay my uncle I always brought up trays of stuff for the week (Cutlets, Ziti), bread, cold cuts.  And was there to build stands, maintain property, etc.

[Nomad]

I do agree money has really become a factor as of late,i also know I got on a good number of farms by knocking on doors as well . The last one wanted help bringing in the hay no big deal couple days work , still happens but you gotta bang on them doors . That said I do own 116 acres that I mostly don't hunt and have let others hunt it who just gave me a call....

I hunt the land across from mine , that owner rents my farm land .

And as far as money goes. Looking at what guys spend on "hunting" trucks,atv's trail cams,scent blocker everything a few hundred bucks each and 4-5 guys gets you a nice lease, and for WAY less then buying land .

Or I spent a week in prime Montana river bottoms, for around $ 1,400 bucks for everything,flight,lic. food everything ! best deer hunting around for less then the taxes in one year on my NY land.......

No guide, no need the deer are everywhere. The farms are big, and they get paid for letting guys hunt them. You sign in  on a book at the gate. Had 2 miles of river bottom all to ourselves !

[bubba]

the other solution buy a piece.  Then you can either tell others no or charge them.  Maybe you can get a pie or two though.  Seriously though  get a few hunting buddoes together and buy a chunk. No one can tell you no then.  We have been checking the upcoming tax sales and one of my hunting buddies is deputy county treasurer as well as running for county treasurer.  You can get decent stuff for a deal.  Go to the owners before it goes up for auction an dmak ethem an offer pay it off and own it.  Even if it is a few not so big pieces.

[Doc]

When a bunch of guys get together and buy hunting property, what happens when one of them has to move away and the rest don't have enough money to buy them out. Also, how do you handle disputes, or people who want to invite a gang of outsiders, or those that want to do deer drives when the others don't want that kind of thing going on. Or any improvements that you might want to make ..... how do you make other members pay their fair share. In other words how do you legally control what goes on on that land or what rules you all intend to engage in and enforce. (maybe AR or EAB or any of some other special hunting restrictions)? Can't be a real trick since guys have been doing it for years, but I was just curious how they handle any personal difficulties and special events as they arise.

Doc

[bubba]

well since my bunch of guys have been hunting together for 30 years, we dont have the disputes.  You put down the rules on paper and agree before buying. Be selective who you buy with.  Most tend to hunt with people of the same ideas on hunting.  All decisions are done as a group.  One man one vote.  We selected one guy as treasurer and all contribute so much a year in either installments or lump sum. The treasurer pays the bills and can show it. Since our treasurer is the deputy county treasurer abou to be the vcounty treasurer, we trust him.  Any left over goes into upgrades etc.  I guess I would say if you have bad feeling about the people getting in, dont do it. 

[sweet old bill]

I was a member of a great hunting club that purchased a old farhouse in the 70's that was next to 7500 acreas of state land. It was a good time and like all clubs you got about 20% are active and use the place and also are the worker bees. They did not have a issue with you having other come for a weekend. The only time was the opening week of gun and that was for memeber only and or family as a guest.They did have bi laws thaqt seem to work well. One of them was make sure you have permission from all posted lands, if you are found on them you are out of the club. We did not want any problems with local owners. We all would make up xmas cheer baskets for all on are small road to thank them for checking out our house to see if we had weather problem or breakin...