The Firing Line Forums

Go Back   The Firing Line Forums > The Hide > The Hunt

Reply
 
Thread Tools Search this Thread
Old December 17, 2004, 11:32 PM   #1
MikeTBC
Member
 
Join Date: December 17, 2004
Posts: 23
Hunting Permission

Have you ever been turned down?

What are your techniques for success when asking for permission to hunt?

TBC
MikeTBC is offline  
Old December 20, 2004, 12:42 AM   #2
MikeTBC
Member
 
Join Date: December 17, 2004
Posts: 23
OK, I'll go first.

I had a Farmer so impressed with the TerraServer aerial photo l had of his farm, that permission was easy when I offered the pic to him free.

TBC
MikeTBC is offline  
Old December 20, 2004, 03:31 AM   #3
Hollowpnt
Member
 
Join Date: December 16, 2004
Location: California..or Kalifornia
Posts: 40
Where I'm from in Oklahoma, never had a problem. I always offer some of the game to the land owner too. Now that I'm in Kalifornia I ran into alot of problems based on liability. Land owners don't want to be sued, and I don't blame them. But as I lived here longer and got to know people things loosened up. I don't know about other states but in Kali virtually all state wilderness areas are legal hunting grounds! See guys west coast ain't all bad. I'm a pack hunter by passion and I love Big Sur (Ventana Wilderness). It can take 2 to 6 days to hike in and out with my game as it is mostly coastal canyons with habitats ranging from chaparal to redwood forest. Rough hiking, to say nothing of a challenging hunting ground. I generally go solo, to the surprise of the local rangers, but leave them maps and plans of my route in case I have an oops. A bit of venison for them too when I return of course makes for a good reputation.
Here's a funny link about some associates who heard of my exploits and wanted to hunt in Ventana Wilderness but didn't want to hike in. They had, more money than brains in this instance though. "No offence if one of them is reading this, they should have known better though."
http://www.ventanawild.org/news/releases.html
There are two blurbs about it towards the bottom of the page.
Getting to know people is the best advice anyone can offer you to get permisson to hunt anywhere.
Hollowpnt is offline  
Old December 20, 2004, 07:27 PM   #4
MeekAndMild
Senior Member
 
Join Date: August 2, 2001
Posts: 4,988
Once, when I was seventeen I was turned down. I'd been swapping hunting and fishing rights on a big farm nearby for feeding the cows once a day. Then the farmer sold his cows but told me I could keep hunting and fishing.

One day I was walking through with a .22 and this big gaudy cadillac came rattling up the dirt road and a big old man jumped out ranting and raving. Turns out he was a land speculator (polite name is real estate developer) and he had just bought this farm (doesn't know how close he came to really buying the farm jumping out and screaming at a frightened kid like that) and "I don't want anybody hunting on my land".

SOB cut it up and sold it into a couple of hundred lots. I went off to college shortly after that. Made me really sad to drive through it fifteen or 20 years ago and it was nothing but aging burb houses.

And in my entire life I have refused exactly one of my neighbors hunting rights. Fellow is disabled which is not important except that it means he takes lots of pain meds. He gets hopped up on pain meds and decides to go poaching on land one of my other neighbors has leased to some hunters. So the police pick him up and on their way to taking him home he talks them into bringing him to MY house to get permission to hunt. I listened to his story and told him I couldn't speak for the hunting club but he needed to stay off my land, especially if he was so high he fell out of the police car getting out to talk to me.
__________________
In a few years when the dust finally clears and people start counting their change there is a pretty good chance that President Obama may become known as The Great Absquatulator. You heard it first here on TFL.
MeekAndMild is offline  
Old January 10, 2005, 09:18 AM   #5
Rojoe67
Senior Member
 
Join Date: January 7, 2005
Location: Wolverine State
Posts: 767
asking for the right....

I would say over the years I have asked 10 different owners..... here is my nickel worth of ideas.....

When you exit your vehicle that you have parked in plain view of a window make certain you use the sidewalk and walk at a calm pace. If you dart out of nowhere and I can't see a vehicle - I for one won't be letting the door open to often. If you have a hunting buddy with you let him stay in the car until you start the conversation and you can then slowly include him and motion for him to come up and meet the owner. Just think of the farmer or owners thoughts....are these guys here to rob me or are they friendly?

The whole idea of asking is a huge plus....so many slobs cross the fence and trespass like nothing is wrong with it. The owner might say no at first but as you continue a polite conversation they could and do change their mind. Remember the fact that first impressions make a lasting one.... it is so true. Let the owner of the land know your intensions if they say yes. Have a prearanged spot to park out of the way. Let them know when and where you would like to be hunting. If a yes comes of it let them know you would be happy to share some steaks and jerky with them... and follow thru on that promise cause next year you would like to hunt again.... You can even offer to do a few odds and ends of labor on the land if they would like you too. Not only will they likely say no....they will start thinking you are a candidate to be a friend.... I think thats a win-win deal. Last thing I always did was send a thank you note in the mail....or a Christmas card stating the great time you had hunting on the land....

I have been told YES 75-80% of the time and always was rewelcomed to return any time. One older gentleman is now a very close friend of our family.
His place is a hunters dream..... Wooded, duck-geese ponds, creek and river not to mention about 450 acres of hay fields......

Good luck and good hunting...
Rojoe67 is offline  
Old February 28, 2005, 10:28 PM   #6
Jseime
Senior Member
 
Join Date: December 31, 2004
Location: Canada
Posts: 1,775
dunno

i have asked some of my neighbors a few times but they say that any time i want to go out on their pasture i can go as long as there are no cattle or horses out there. whenever i ask i always drive at a reasonable pace into the yard walk slowly enough but dont gawk around the yard and make sure i never ever ever have a gun with me or blood on my coveralls. a good appearance can make all the difference in the world. and i also close any gate i open and try not to make any tracks on the land so ill be welcome back.
Jseime is offline  
Old February 28, 2005, 10:58 PM   #7
impact
Senior Member
 
Join Date: January 8, 2005
Location: the great state of Texas
Posts: 854
I have about 6 thousand acres around here to hunt coyotes and pigs. Once a rancher knows you won't shoot a cow thay will ask you to come back. Sat I had a rancher ask me If I would take his grandson out to hunt on his little 150 acre spread. the kid is 15 and I said sure.
impact is offline  
Old March 1, 2005, 08:59 PM   #8
siotwo
Senior Member
 
Join Date: February 6, 2005
Location: The Woodlands, TX
Posts: 217
Hello, I am a responsible Texas hunter looking for a place to hunt. Can I hunt on you land....PPPLLEEEEAAASSE.

Seriously....I'm not much of a sweet talker , but I am looking for somewhere to hunt, if anyone has a lead or land to share I would gladly share the bounty.

Ron

The Woodlands, TX
siotwo is offline  
Old March 3, 2005, 09:22 PM   #9
impact
Senior Member
 
Join Date: January 8, 2005
Location: the great state of Texas
Posts: 854
siotwo. Once you get your foot in the door and get to know ranchers and gain there trust you will have many places to hunt. Some of the places I hunt are in Hempstead. This one rancher has a place just down the road from the Clay Walker ranch. he told me to go over and talk to Clay Walkers ranch hands (his brothers) because they have a pig problem. This rancher talked to clay walker about it. I never did go over there. I like to hunt pigs at night with night vision and thought that might be a problem being that clay walker is a high profile kinda guy. I will tell you the ranch next to his is infested with pigs.

All the ranchers I know are self made millionaires. They don't make any money ranchen. They ranch because they like to. They are easy to get along with because they are down to earth people.

I was talking to a ranch hand today that runs at a ranch just north of Katy. he wants me to go shoot water turkeys with him? I don't even know what a water turkey is . he said they are eating all of his bass in his stocked stock tank. I need to go see what they are. if they are some kinda protected bird we can't shoot them
impact is offline  
Old March 3, 2005, 09:52 PM   #10
Rich Lucibella
Staff
 
Join Date: October 6, 1998
Location: South Florida
Posts: 10,229
Quote:
I like to hunt pigs at night with night vision
Impact-
Quick question. Is hunting hog with night vision legal in the great State of Texas? I always wondered about this because they are basically pests.....but I assumed it was prohibited....as in most other states.
Rich
__________________
S.W.A.T. Magazine
Weapons, Training and Tactics for the Real World
Join us at TFL or at AR15.com or on Facebook
Rich Lucibella is offline  
Old March 3, 2005, 10:39 PM   #11
impact
Senior Member
 
Join Date: January 8, 2005
Location: the great state of Texas
Posts: 854
Pigs are non game animals in texas! You can hunt any non game animal at night with lights or night vision in texas. Coyotes and coons are non game animals as well. It is allways good to let the local game warden know what you are doing. yes the great state of Texas has a honor system. Go out at night and have fun. but break the rules and you will have hell to pay. Gota love Texas
impact is offline  
Old March 3, 2005, 10:41 PM   #12
siotwo
Senior Member
 
Join Date: February 6, 2005
Location: The Woodlands, TX
Posts: 217
BigPIGS by spot light is legal in TX. Some species are not, I think Javalina is not.

Impact, If you ever need "another gun" on a pig hunt.....I will buy the gasoline and the ice. I would love to see you work your majic with the ranchers/hands and get "us" some hunting.

I have a new .44 that needs to be broken in right.

Ron
siotwo is offline  
Old March 4, 2005, 12:07 AM   #13
impact
Senior Member
 
Join Date: January 8, 2005
Location: the great state of Texas
Posts: 854
Javelinas are game animals! can't hunt them with lights at night! But you will only find them south and west of here.

I would have to get to know you siotwo before I took you out to a ranch I hunt. These ranchers realy trust me and I would hate to break that trust. the rancher that got me into varmint hunting I have known for 19 years. he is kinda like my dad. I have a lease in crockett. It has lots of coyoties and some pigs. Maybe in the next month or two we could make a run up there and do some hunting?
impact is offline  
Old March 4, 2005, 09:29 AM   #14
Rich Lucibella
Staff
 
Join Date: October 6, 1998
Location: South Florida
Posts: 10,229
Thanks, Impact-
I've always wanted to do coyote by NV. Our lease is an enormous cattle ranch and they ask that we be off 30 minutes after sundown unless there's a hog on the ground. So I just never knew if it was Texas Law or Ranch Policy.
Rich
__________________
S.W.A.T. Magazine
Weapons, Training and Tactics for the Real World
Join us at TFL or at AR15.com or on Facebook
Rich Lucibella is offline  
Old March 4, 2005, 01:00 PM   #15
siotwo
Senior Member
 
Join Date: February 6, 2005
Location: The Woodlands, TX
Posts: 217
Texas is Great! Hunt all year not just a couple weeks a year.

Sent you an email, Impact.

Ron
siotwo is offline  
Old March 4, 2005, 09:11 PM   #16
impact
Senior Member
 
Join Date: January 8, 2005
Location: the great state of Texas
Posts: 854
Rich I have been on some nice leases in south texas. in most counties down there you can shoot 5 deer a year. some leases will only let you take three deer a year and the bucks or buck. has to be 10 point or better or whatever there policy is. varmint hunting at nigh can be dangerous. So like you said I'm sure they have policys so you can't. Liability thing.
impact is offline  
Old March 4, 2005, 10:22 PM   #17
impact
Senior Member
 
Join Date: January 8, 2005
Location: the great state of Texas
Posts: 854
Ron how old are you? and do you have a hunting license? even to varmint hunt you will need a hunting license. yes you can varmint hunt all year round. but I will tell you what! Come around August when it is 90 to 85 degrees at night with 95% humidity and the mosquitos as bad as they can be. It's takes the fun out of hunting.
impact is offline  
Old March 5, 2005, 02:11 PM   #18
siotwo
Senior Member
 
Join Date: February 6, 2005
Location: The Woodlands, TX
Posts: 217
Well, as a matter of fact, I just turned 39 Friday!!! Yes, I hunt with a hunting license and obey the laws. I even attended a hunters education to satisy Wyoming rules...missed the cut-off date by about 3 months
I agree August is too hot to do much. I hate mosquitoes.
Ron
siotwo is offline  
Old March 17, 2005, 02:14 PM   #19
20cows
Senior Member
 
Join Date: February 22, 2005
Location: West Texas
Posts: 376
'Skeeters ain't too bad in the desert and it's cooler after dark in August.
20cows is offline  
Old March 18, 2005, 08:35 PM   #20
siotwo
Senior Member
 
Join Date: February 6, 2005
Location: The Woodlands, TX
Posts: 217
Any Desert Mullies in your neighborhood, 20cows?
siotwo is offline  
Old March 18, 2005, 08:53 PM   #21
FirstFreedom
Junior member
 
Join Date: May 31, 2004
Location: The Toll Road State, U.S.A.
Posts: 12,451
Those that hunt hogs with night vision - what specific gear do you use? Goggles, or NV scope, or independent NV device in front of the stand-alone optic?
FirstFreedom is offline  
Old March 21, 2005, 04:16 PM   #22
20cows
Senior Member
 
Join Date: February 22, 2005
Location: West Texas
Posts: 376
Siotwo- Mulies

Where I used to live, out in the deep sand, there were a few, but the rancher that owned the 25 section ranch I had permission to hunt on did not want folks to shoot his quail (there were a lot) or his deer (a very few). He kinda thought of those as pets. But I had permission to be there any time I cared to be, and could shoot anything else in season (oh yeah, he liked javalina too). In fact, we were obligated to shoot any feral hogs we saw. Out there where water is restricted to windmills, there is no better dove hunting in the world. When I was kid, 30+ rabbits a night was not uncommon.

I now live in a little wetter country where there is a stock tank every two to three hundred yards, so the dove are way more spread out. There are no mule deer, but we're practically covered up with white tails. Our place is not very big (notice the handle), but it's ours and a good place to raise kids. It's also nice to be able to deer hunt every day of the season just by checking on the livestock.
20cows is offline  
Old March 21, 2005, 08:10 PM   #23
siotwo
Senior Member
 
Join Date: February 6, 2005
Location: The Woodlands, TX
Posts: 217
20's enough

Hey 20, sounds like a piece of heaven.

I was talking to a buddy of mine (he likes to eat) and I told him it would be cool to own some longhorns..he said "aaaaahhhh.. I'd have Black Angus" I was rolling.

Well, since this is the permission thread....If you ever need help with shooting any thing, you know who to call.

siotwo is offline  
Old March 21, 2005, 10:30 PM   #24
impact
Senior Member
 
Join Date: January 8, 2005
Location: the great state of Texas
Posts: 854
FirstFreedom. Using night vision at night is not as easy as it sounds. You are pretty much blind compared to the game. I have been busted my coyotes at up to around 400 yards using night vision.

When I hunt pigs at night I go to a place where the pigs are going to be (or hope they will) and just sit and listen. "piglets make so much noise" I use the night vision to get a good look at the pigs. Then I use a light and a red dot to make a shot.

I just use a hand held spoting scope. I tried to sneak up on deer with the NV and had no good luck. I don't know what it is. but I think the deer and coyotes can see better at night or there senses are so good that "day or night" it really does not matter. The only thing the NV does is allow you to see at night but it seems like we still stick out like a sore thumb even at night.

I looking at getting a NV scope and give that a try. I can be more selective with my shot. With a flash light and red dot you don't have much time to make a shot.
impact is offline  
Old March 21, 2005, 11:00 PM   #25
Coltdriver
Senior Member
 
Join Date: March 2, 2001
Posts: 683
I always approach the ranchers in the off season so I can scout the property if I get permission.

Last season I got access to over 6000 acres of land. One fellow turned me down for shooting deer but invited me to hunt antelope, he was trying to raise a small herd of mulies back to a larger herd. I thanked him and told him I'd try for an antelope license again next season.

A couple of the ranchers have given me carte blanche to come on their property anytime and shoot coyotes. Out in the Eastern Plains of Colorado there are some of the biggest coyotes I have ever seen.
Coltdriver is offline  
Reply

Thread Tools Search this Thread
Search this Thread:

Advanced Search

Posting Rules
You may not post new threads
You may not post replies
You may not post attachments
You may not edit your posts

BB code is On
Smilies are On
[IMG] code is On
HTML code is Off

Forum Jump


All times are GMT -5. The time now is 05:07 AM.


Powered by vBulletin® Version 3.8.7
Copyright ©2000 - 2024, vBulletin Solutions, Inc.
This site and contents, including all posts, Copyright © 1998-2021 S.W.A.T. Magazine
Copyright Complaints: Please direct DMCA Takedown Notices to the registered agent: thefiringline.com
Page generated in 0.12330 seconds with 8 queries