AS a land owner who gets asked A LOT by people if they can hunt some of our ground for animals ranging from coons to deer a few things go a long way.

Talk to me in the spring. Heck, talk to me in December about next year. Don't wait for hunting season to start and show up in a truck filled with people in camo asking if it would be okay if you and your 6 buddies go hunting. I don't know you and I sure as heck am not going to be happy with your aproach. I have had this happen for archery and firearm seasons and the answer was no. A little respect goes a long way.

Don't flag me down like it is an emergancy when I am working a group of cattle. Generally, if you walk up slowly and calmy and wait by a gate I will be there as soon as I can. Or wait for the tractor to show back up at the gate after I finished feeding. I know a previous poster said lunch is a bad time but around here that is the best time to talk to a farmer becasue they don't mind there meals going a little longer, they mind starting some work and being delayed.

In Illinois we have the state slips of liability. Bring those becasue without them, well, you have no proof that I gave you permission and I have no proof that you waived liability. Offer to help with something, anything. When I lived out west the rule of thumb was, if you had any knowledge about things, show up at branding, calving or lambing and offer to help. Try to build a relationship with the farmer/rancher and you will be way ahead of the game.

When you are told no, and you will be from time to time, accept the decision and move on. Don't lie and hunt the ground anyways and try telling people that so and so gave you permission or that it was a mistake, you thought you were hunting Mr. Smith's land. I know who most of my neighbors give hunting rights to and they know who I give them to. Neigbors talk out here in farm land and often a bad experience with one hunter will label that guy as a bad apple on all farms. Or worse, make the farmers in the area shut down their land all together for a few years. Most farmers would be happy to let you hunt because of crop damage or their grain trucks smaking into deer all winter long. They would rather see a hunter get him than that.

Good luck with your quest for new hunting ground.

Anthony