Human Beings are Strange and Imperfect
Just try being a salesman. It's a wonderful experience on learning that people will tell you something and not tell you their real objection.
On the reverse side, I once knew a man slightly. He never asked me directly to hunt on his land. But he mentioned that the deer had hit his sister's food plot next to her home. He knew I was a archery hunter, with expertise. He made his request without me rejecting any request. So he just brought the deer problem to my attention.
Hunted that property for a number of years. The owner never told me that I had permission. It was an indirect understanding.
Instead of asking directly, you might ask if they know of someone in the area that needed an experienced hunter to cull some of their deer problems. Why you might get grabbed up, before some other neighbor starts using you for nothing.