I always try to find somebody that I know, that knows the landowner. This can help. It also helps you build a network of people that will keep an eye out for you. If you ask 5 co-workers if they know the owner of a particular farm, only one of them might know him, but all 5 now know that you are looking for land to hunt on.

I also make sure that the person I'm asking knows my name. I tell them my name when I introduce myself, and then again when I leave, whether I gain permission or not. I've had good luck getting permission to hunt, mostly because of networking.

The few times that I've been denied on the 1st attempt, I ask them if they'd mind ifI asked again next year, just in case anything changes. They always say they don't mind. Show up the next spring to ask if you can hunt turkey. In doing this you show them 2 things. You show them that youwould really like to hunt their land, and you show them that you're a responsible hunter willing to take the proper (legal)steps to hunt their land. Many time land owners don't let hunters on their land because they've had experiences w/ tresspassers in the past.