So it has finally happened, the land owner who has let me hunt his land all my life has finally divided it up and roads and houses are already being built...
I have gone around and asked about 20 landowners for permission to hunt. Most of them said they already have a bunch of guys that hunt the property and a few flat out said no. I told them I have all the appropriate licenses and have even offered to do yard work/barter in exchange for land rights.
Im guessing the simple answer would be to ask 20 more but in my area land is so scarce that I feel I will have the same luck.
Does anybody have any tips or advice that might make my search more productive. Thanks!
You may not get to hunt private farms this year but you might talk to some of the farmers in your area about crop depredation if your state allows this. This might be a way in for you. Crop destruction is a serious concern for many farmers.
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Not knowing what state or area you are from but just keep asking. Eventually I'd bet you will find some ground to hunt. Its tough these days. Landowners are not as trusting as they once were, especially if they do not know you.
Buy yourself 100 acres....thats my dream some day.
Just keep asking...check realestate listing for land for sale near you, and maybe you can come across a bank owned property that you can get permission to hunt.
If all else fails, hunt the public land with all us schlubs:-)
Asking and getting permission is an art. I've sat on both sides as a seeker and seekee. The more you can alleviate the fear of the unknown (you), the better off you will be. You may want to try getting limited permission, e.g. bowhunting by yourself, during the week, and does only (if that makes sense) - don't just ask an open-ended question, "can I hunt your land?" You have just 30 seconds to convince the landowner that you are responsible and safe. I teach Hunter Safety, and I believe it has helped when I say "I not only hunt safely and ethically, I also teach it." Offering to do chores never hurts either.
-fsh
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The gods do not subtract from the span of a bowhunter's life the hours spent in a treestand...
Here is a tip that has helped me to lots of land. Go to your county tax office website, there is usually a program that you launch that will allow you to satellite view the properties within the county. It shows property lines, who owns it, how much acreage and usually current address. Use that info to look them up on yellowpages.com. Call and ask permission. Works great for me on rainy days when you can't get out and beat on doors. Now I do have a great personality, so that helps. I am also quite charming, so another bonus for me.
Another cool things about the website is that it allows you to satellite view it and zoom in quite well (my counties website). You can see possible bedding areas, ravines, draws, close feeding areas, etc. Mine also allows to do topography views.
FYI - write things down. I usually spend a whole day looking at properties and writing down all the info, including address of said property and any thing that may distinguish it from another (that I can see from pics)
Not getting permission to hunt any property.
