Why can't you pay the land owner a dollar for the lease and then both of you sign a liability realease. That way if something does happen the owner has the proof that you both agreed that he's not liable.

It don't matter. After going to the Illinois DNR website, its all messed up! According to minutes read, a landowner is clear from a lawsuit only if the general public has access to the land for recreational purposes.

My landowner does not want to provide access to everyone who asks, just those he wants.

Cougar, it still doesn't sound right. To say that the "general public" has access to the land does not necessarily mean that the land has now become public property and that the landowner no longer has any say about whom can hunt or trespass.

Something sounds very screwy with this, but I haven't read what you have so I could be wrong.

In Ohio, the landowner is essentially absolved of potential liability by granting written permission to a hunter that requests it. Of course that does not mean that the landowner cannot get sued (anyone can sue for just about anything...some idiotic lawyer will run with it, and an idiotic judge will hear the case), but it certainly would lessen the landowner's chance of losing.

I will say that I hate to hear stories like this because it means that, once again, lawyers are removing rights and privileges from the American people. They are one of the top reasons that America is not what she could be.

Sad.

Sounds like an antihunting motivated agenda......if such a law passes, imagine the outcome of all private lands being shut down to hunting.....imagine the impact on incomes of families and so on.....sounds like such a law would be unconstitutional but I'm not politician and so on.....

I would go with the leasing idea. Also get a hunters liabilty insurance policy for your group. These are very inexpensive and may set the landowners mind at ease if he knows you have your own coverage.

Sounds like to me it will be overturned in a higher court. I know this stuff takes time. I have one spot that I had to sign a release against any lawsuit. Sounds like common sense. I choose the sport, I take the risk with no guarantee. It would be nice to get back to common sense in our court system.

Cougar, can you pass along the link to what you've been reading?

I wonder who we could talk to about this. I also hunt private farm property in Illinois with exclusive hunting privileges - I don't want my privileges taken away either.