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Old November 22, 2009, 08:08 AM   #1
roy reali
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Local Land Owners

Instead of hi-jacking another thread, I decided to start a new one based on an idea from the other one.

In general, how are the private landowners in your area?

Do they say yes to most people that ask?

Do they say yes to some people?

Or do you save time and just don't even ask because they will say no?
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Old November 22, 2009, 08:57 AM   #2
Uncle Buck
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Asking Local Landowners for Permission

I am assuming you mean asking them for permission to hunt. As a local land owner, if you come up and asked me to hunt, I will usually say no.
I do not know you. I have holes in my barns because of hunters who have trespassed. I have had gates left open and livestock get out. Where are the hunters who left the gates open? Do they help round up the cows? Catch the donkeys when they get out?
There are a few exceptions to this rule. If you are in the military, I will probably let you hunt, but I want you to see me before you begin hunting and I want you to let me know when you leave.
I have had some military folks offer to help me around the farm in exchange for hunting. Never had a local person.

You have a better chance of hunting on my land if you look presentable when you show up at my door.
Do not show up with your britches hanging off your butt and dressed like 50 cents. Show some respect and be polite. Don't be eyeballing my nieces. Don't answer your cell phone while talking to me. I am not your 'dawg' nor your 'homey.' Don't park on my grass. (If you can't park in the driveway and walk to my house, how the heck do I think you are going to be able to walk into the woods.

If I catch you trespassing, and you have any type of game, I am calling the police AND the game warden (conservation officer).

I know this sounds harsh, but I am tired of people who think they have the right to hunt my property, but do not have to respect it. I pay the taxes on it and I decide who will hunt on it. I am tired of having to repair holes in my barns and repair fences. I do not like getting a call from my neighbors telling me my cattle are grazing their front lawns. I do not like finding the bag you carried your lunch in and all the candy wrappers blowing around.

If you want to hunt, do not show up the day before hunting season and ask.
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Old November 22, 2009, 11:17 PM   #3
snipecatcher
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Around here plenty of people are happy to let you hunt on their land. All you need to do is pay them $1000+ a year. Most people are scared of getting sued these days.
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Old November 22, 2009, 11:32 PM   #4
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as a private land owner, unless i know you and invite you on to my land to hunt, you had better not be there. too many kids that tresspass, too many people that will kill a buck and just cut the head off and take enough of the hide to make a mount.

also being in the military i do not have a means to keep a constant eye on the land, so i do not need someone down there without me. they usually end up getting lost, or even worse hurt.
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Old November 23, 2009, 12:23 AM   #5
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Following the trend. Getting on private land is tough in the beginning. Once you are on and proven responsible other areas will open up.

Offering other benefits such as taking out varmints during the off season will help. Coyote's are becoming a problem here with cattlemen. I'm willing to off them in exchange for hunting privleges.

Currently I can hunt nearly 1M acres from Big Cypress to Tallahassee. Add in some places from NC,SC,GA,MT, and CA and I've got a lot of space to hunt.
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Old November 23, 2009, 12:52 AM   #6
hoytinak
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I gave up asking to hunt private land around here. Unless you are a lifetime friend or family you're gonna get a no. Several years ago, they would allow people to hunt their land but too many of those people showed zero respect for the land owners property and tore stuff up. One guy had a generator shot up, some people were driving all over the place tearing up the farming land.

That being said there is one friend of the family that set up a nice 100 yard range that he lets us, the local police department and sheriff's department shoot at. He used to let a couple local highway patrols shoot there but we found out they were the ones shooting up the burn barrels, benches and target shack.
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Old November 23, 2009, 03:24 AM   #7
bamaranger
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tough

I've done a lot of asking, and come up empty most of the time. I come across clean cut, legal, respectful and alone. Seems like it just makes it easier for the landowner to say no.

What little private property I do have access to is the result of long friendship.

Most seems tied up with family or $$$$$$$, being leased. And typically leased land is getting priced higher and higher, w/ out of town high rollers from the city coming up with $$$$$$.

I'm hunting more and more on public land near home, and once gun season starts, have it near to myself as a bowhunter, since there are limited gun hunts.
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Old November 23, 2009, 04:19 AM   #8
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To the OP, I hunt very little private land. Too many others have gone before and screwed it up in Wyo. Now days it's just a method to make money by the ranchers/farmers. Would I do any different than them? Probably not.
Civility and respect goes a long ways. That goes for both parties. I have in the past shown up and been helpfull to ranchers who then let me hunt, I have also gotten my butt chewed for just breathing I guess. I am very fortunate to live where I live.
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Old November 23, 2009, 08:43 AM   #9
globemaster3
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What Unlce Buck mentioned seems to be happening more and more.

My personal experience by state since the USAF has given me multiple states to hunt in thus far:

Florida (home state): Don't bother asking to hunt private property. You will be told no. Learn to hunt WMAs very well and be willing to walk farther, wade through more mud, and generally take more abuse than anyone else to get to good areas.

Washington (East side of Cascades): Talk about friendly folks! 9/10 doors I knocked on gave me permission to hunt. Several landowners even recommended certain sections where they had seen birds, deer, etc. One particular landowner had a good size parcel that not only included wheat, but a 3 acre lake surrounded by cattails. We archery hunted for deer and duck/goose hunted as well, spending most of our season there. Every Christmas, both the couple guys I hunted with and myself dropped off several bags of game as well as walleye, rainbow trout, crappie, and the wives (all of ours collectively, I only have 1) kicked in with baked goods as a "thank you". We always stopped out on the farm to chat and they were genuinely good folks. Every year we got invited back. I miss that family! If you live West of Spokane and this description fits you, PM me, I'd love to hear from you!

New Jersey: I had so much great hunting on Ft Dix, then became the "Deer Depredation Program Manager" for McGuire, I really didn't have any need to go anywhere else. However, several of my C-141 Flight Engineers and Loadmasters were bowhunting off base as well as on post. They reported it was pretty easy to gain permission to hunt. Deer were really becoming a nuisance at that time in NJ, with as many deer dead on the side of the road as armadillos in Texas!

Oklahoma: Hit/Miss. There were a lot of farmers screaming about feral pig damage to their crops, but when I tried calling them, none were interested in a USAF guy and his kids coming out to hunt. That being said, I did get permission from a farmer I met through some meetings with the local township. The farmer was very kind and the kids loved running into him on the property where they could get tractor rides on his John Deer! Talking with him was like opening a chapter in a history book. I meet with him and his friends for breakfast (they did B-Fast every morning at a local diner), and loved being present with so much history (almost all of them had WWII time). We trapped hogs and hunted for deer on his property.

Illinois: More to follow. A fellow desk jockey who owns some land gained permission for me to hunt a neighbors property for geese last year and this year. I have not had nearly the time to knock on doors as in years past. I think this has something to do with an inverse relationship to the number of kids you have and increases in rank. I was expecting under the current economy to get into a lease this year, but after thorough searching through the internet and local rags, came up empty. Seems the local population is content paying their lease fees rather than buying food (I'd do the same thing!).

Respect and responsibility. As guests, you have to treat the land and the landowner with respect. Pack out your trash and any other trash you find. Leave the property in better condition than you found it if you can.

And be willing to shoulder responsibility. Ask questions up front about the rules of the farm and make sure you understand the landowners expectations, then live to that standard. Be willing to help out, expecially during tough times of the year (like harvest). Lastly, sometimes things might go wrong where you damage something you didn't intend through no act of negligence (genuine accident). Fess up early and take whatever means to fix it. Bad news does not get better with age.

On property where I've been invited, this has always served me well.
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Old November 23, 2009, 12:23 PM   #10
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As a previous poster said, in Texas, you can hunt on any private land if you have $1,000 or more. Very difficult to find a place to hunt around here. However, a fellow co-worker from out of state has been successful in finding two 1,000 acre ranches to hunt on. The catch, he is a bow-hunter. Even though I am an avid rifle owner/lover, I just purchased a bow and my friend will be teaching me the ins and outs of bowhunting this off-season for next year. Gotta do what you gotta do.
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Old November 23, 2009, 04:48 PM   #11
jakec2789
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Florida, from what I have seen thus far, is a lost cause on trying to gain access to private land. Most land owners are out of state people who plan to build a retirement home in the future at least down here.
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Old November 23, 2009, 06:02 PM   #12
johnwilliamson062
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In my area of Ohio it is pretty bad for all the reasons the original responder listed.

"Don't be eyeballing my nieces."
Well, that explains it. Stupid wandering eyes...
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Old November 23, 2009, 06:05 PM   #13
Dragon55
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A lot of the newer land owners here are future 'half-way backs' so are not even present to ask.
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Old November 24, 2009, 08:17 AM   #14
MTT TL
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As a land owner I can answer from my perspective. I only hunt on my land, or with Friends on their land (very rarely public land).

Quote:
In general, how are the private landowners in your area?
Tired. Tired of poachers, tired of people leaving trash and gut piles and other remains. Tired of trespassers and people who don't zero their rifles chasing deer all over hell's half acre.
Quote:
Do they say yes to most people that ask?
Do they say yes to some people?
If it is a friend or someone we know well than generally yes after we fill our bag limit (day one). If it is someone we barely know or not at all then normally no. We only have 20 acres, but it is adjacent to two 2000+ acre plots that are mostly wooded. The only source of running water in the area runs through my property and we get a lot of traffic there. With us it is less like hunting and more like harvesting. We keep an eye on the ungulates and figure out which ones we are going to shoot and which we ones we are going to keep for next year. You can't rely on everyone to fulfill your wishes for what you want to do with the local resources. Friends are different and generally respectful.

Quote:
Or do you save time and just don't even ask because they will say no?
I don't ever ask anyone, but accept if offered. It is about community. If you are just in it for the hunting than in my mind you are in it for the wrong reasons.
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Old November 24, 2009, 10:34 PM   #15
jakec2789
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MTT TL, question, have you had anyone offer to help out around the property in exchange for hunting rights? people in florida would rather pay for the help rather than let me help in exchange for hunting previledges.
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Old November 26, 2009, 12:32 AM   #16
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I find it very easy to get on some spots... HAVE DOGS WILL HUNT. But some folks won't budge. Some of my land owner folks will let me rifle hunt a deer or turkey while others will not.

Doing a service hardcore for hogs is different than what I been able to do since my wreck so I lost a few spots and just occasionally hunt with dogs or junior will. Just tryin' to keep permission on a few.
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Old November 26, 2009, 12:36 AM   #17
Eagleks
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we just say "no". Most around here do. Our reason is too many bad experiences with people tearing up fences, being stupid, etc.
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Old November 26, 2009, 01:18 AM   #18
kwells6
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around here, it just depends on who you know and what time of year...

my old football coach from HS moved down to where I live. Saw him in walmart and he asked me if i wanted to hunt his place...

I've asked around a bit too, generally got a no though.
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Old November 26, 2009, 07:14 AM   #19
ligonierbill
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From both hunter and landowner: The family owns land in PA, and we do grant permission to personal friends if we are not planning to be hunting there. Opening day, we will be on state forest land at the traditional camp. Others, no. Same story: quads tearing up the place, shacks being built, one dope told my brother, "No one owns this land." I live in Ohio, and permission is not to be had. First, most landowners are hunting their own place. Second, money. Friends of ours got an unsolicited offer to lease the rights on their family farm for a lot of money. That's exclusive rights, and they couldn't turn it down. The solution? Support acquisition of public lands...and ante up!
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Old November 26, 2009, 07:38 AM   #20
TheNatureBoy
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The only land I have ever hunted on is private land either owned or leased by the club that I belong to, family property, or land already secured by my hunting partner. When my partner takes me to property that he has been hunting for years I always get out of the truck and meet the land owner, shake his (generally speaking) hand and by way of my conduct help him to understand that appreciate his hospitality and will always respect his property. We always check in before we start hunting; always. We never ever leave trash, don't kill anything that isn't in season, and we get on well with others to include neighbors and fellow hunters who lease surrounding property.
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Old November 26, 2009, 09:13 AM   #21
globemaster3
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Please don't infer any negative stereotypes of landowners on this. Landowners have their justifiable reasons, and I respect that.

More and more, the only options available to new hunters are a) hunt on stressed public property and deal with the pitfalls entailed or b) expect to pay significant $ to hunt either on guided hunts or for leases.

With the # of hunters decreasing annually and these hurdles to cross, can we predict the future of hunting to be only for the rich or landowners within the next couple generations?
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Old November 26, 2009, 11:14 AM   #22
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Quote:
MTT TL, question, have you had anyone offer to help out around the property in exchange for hunting rights? people in florida would rather pay for the help rather than let me help in exchange for hunting previledges.
Never. But I understand where they are coming from. The headaches of letting loose an incompetent or dangerous hunter on your land and possibly being liable for their actions are not worth the price of split cord of wood or cleared drainage ditch.

Don't get me wrong, I imagine most hunters are competent, respectful and safe. But how do you know which one are and which ones are not? You can't until you get to know the person. Like I said if you are in it just for the hunting you are in it for the wrong reasons.
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