Asking landowners for permission to Hunt

hayduke

hayduke

New member
We hunted the Selby/Gettysburg area over Thanksgiving day week. The last couple of years the walk-in around Selby was pretty nice. This year we found that the best pieces were no longer in the walk-in program and the parcels that were, looked like moon landscape. We also noticed a few large cornfields that would have taken way more hunters than we had to hunt. The part that was a little disturbing was a 20 ac. strip adjacent to the feed plot were not in the program and posted. Wasn't sure if it was the same landowner, but it sure looked like the best hunting plot was purposely left for private parties to hunt.
We did make some mistakes, 1) Thanksgiving may be a time for family to visit and hunt 2) It was opening week for Deer season and a lot of Farmer had paying customers or Family Hunting Deer and didn't want Pheasant Hunters screwing up their hunt.We tried knocking on doors, but found many farmer no longer live on the family homestead, but prefer to live in town. The ones that were home were friendly, but for a number of reasons did not allow us access to their fields. Does anyone have any suggestions on ways to gain access to private ground. We not opposed to paying a modest trespassing fee for a couple days of good hunting, but we're working folks and $150 - $200 per day per gun for five or six days is just out of our budget. Any suggestions would be appreciated.
Thanks
Peter
 
We did ok, nothing to brag about. We worked hard, the dogs did well and we shot birds every day and we saw a lot of birds, mostly on private property. We just noticed that although there was a lot of public ground there was only few plots that really had good cover and those get hammered. The birds that hold get pointed or flush and shot, the smart ones get wild and learn to run. It makes for tough hunting. If we go back next year we would still hunt public, but would like to add a few private land areas to the mix. We did hunt one private homestead and the difference was amazing. That was the only day we limited out. We kind of luck out big time even getting the opportunity to hunt the farm and the owner made it real clear that it was a gift that won't happen again.
Duke
 
I have had lots of success gaining access to private land over the years. My hunting partners marvel at how well I have done. Based on that, I will give you my insight in regards to my method of gaining access. First, I only ask in December or September. Its a great effort to drive 400 miles in August or September to knock on doors. Most of the time nobody is home, but I have had luck at that time of the year. Its all about numbers and knocking on as many doors as you can. The best time to ask is December. The farmer's relatives are done hunting, both pheasants and deer and the farmers are home. If your group has a couple of vehicles, all pile in to one vehicle rather than have two vehicles pull in the yard. Less invasive that way. The key for me this time of year is to never ask. The farm is the farmers life, talk to him about that, talk about his livestock, let him lead the conversation. At some point the farmer will ask you, I suppose you are looking for a place to hunt? I have never been turned down in 40+ years of hunting when the farmer asked me. If you walk up and ask right away, its too easy for the farmer to say no. The whole time you are talking with him he is analyzing you to get some insight on what type of person you are. With all that said, what you are really doing is showing him respect. Everyone on Earth wants to be treated with respect. It will go a long way towards gaining access. After you are done hunting, stop back, let him know how you did and offer to pay him an amount your party can agree on. It may be a small amount, but it will be appreciated and remembered. Also, don't forget to send a nice cheese and sausage gift pack at Christmas along with a gift certificate that the farmer's wife will like and use. Good luck and I hope this helps. P.S. Don't get discouraged and keep knocking on doors.
 
I have hunted with a guy in ND who always carried at least 15-20 bags (5-10 lbs ea) of potatoes and carried a couple to the door with him when asking. Whether permission was given or not, he left the bags thanking them anyway. He had lots give permission, some deciding as he was walking back to the car to give directions to a weed patch or better place. We were given access to some unbeliveable hunting.
Another guy hunting in Nebraska would have all the guys pitch in and we would load up the pickup with frozen turkeys( a few years ago when they were cheap) and we spent half a day just stopping a farms we had previously hunted dropping off the birds before Thanksgiving.
 
The later in the year it gets, the more permission opens up. We were just up in redfield area and passed a great looking piece of habitat. We were in 3 trucks so i told the other two to wait while i went and asked. Not only did the guy allow us to hunt the south side where we only got 1 rooster, he moved his cows off the north side corn where we shot 3 more. He planted some grass for the birds in a draw. Birds were not wild and had only been hunted a couple of times. What a great guy. He said we were the only guys to stop the last couple of years! Once in Iowa years ago i asked permission to hunt a great patch 1 mile north of Bedford. A thousand hunters had passed that farm and never stopped. We asked for and were granted permission to hunt ground that had not been hunted the previous 6 weeks. What a hunt. Never hurts to ask, be respectfull and all they can say is no. They cant eat you. You have everything to gain and nothing to lose.
 
Try to be unique. One year I made lots of jerky and passed it out to people whether access was granted or not(don't really recall that many no's). Went back next year to one person in particular, knocked on the door. Didn't quite remember me but during the conversation got " oh your the guy with the jerky". That time I passed out hats. The wife remembered me the following year and told me the husband liked the hat so much he wore it to dinner that night(blaze orange Pheasants Forever hat).
None of these things have to cost a lot of money. I've sat there and talked to people for 45 minutes, check in when I'm done, and they invite you to stay for dinner. It's an investment in friendships that last as long as you are willing to put forth the effort.
 
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