Asking permission

Ive gotten a fair amount of permission over the phone from guys for trapping and then have followed up a year or so later with a few asking about bird hunting. Always spots ive set coyote traps, so ive always assumed they didnt bird hunt, with dogs at least.
Have a couple spots in Nebraska a buddy and I have turkey hunted for 13 or 14 years. We drop off a case of Budweiser to the one guy. The other guy is in his 90’s-not positive what to get him to be honest.
I have found when calling, dont beat around the bush with small talk. Especially with all the spam calls anymore. I say my name, where I live, and that im calling to see if I can get permission to do whatever it is im asking to do.
 
I agree with duckn. It's always better to ask in person. As hard as that can be, farmers and ranchers respect a firm handshake and looking them in the eyes more than a letter.
 
I've had good luck with letters. I am better at composing my thoughts and communicating in a clear, concise manner. And to make it easier, I always give them the option of calling, texting or emailing, or let them know that I plan to call and at what time of day. I'm very clear on what I'm asking, i.e., date, time, number of people, species I'm after, offer to sign a waiver, etc. I work in sales and as time moves on, it seems more and more people kind of clam up when they're approached in person or with a cold call, but laying the foundation with a letter where you can provide them with a lot of details with what I'm asking for and who I am, it helps segue the conversation when it goes to a phone call/email. I even had one guy remark how much he appreciated that I sent a letter versus just showing up. There are several ways to skin a cat. Your mileage may vary.
 
One other thought to throw in the mix. It also helps to have earned the respect and trust of other landowners in the area. That seems to carry a lot of weight.
 
Drew said:
It also helps to have earned the respect and trust of other landowners in the area. That seems to carry a lot of weight.
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You are wise, Drew. Many of the places I have permission to hunt at know their neighbors, and that information is very useful when asking for permission there.

I've also run into the complete opposite a few times too, because some neighbors do not get along very well.
 
Even relatives that farm don't trust each other. Permission from one brother is not assumed by another. Crazy world.
 
gimruis said:
You are wise, Drew. Many of the places I have permission to hunt at know their neighbors, and that information is very useful when asking for permission there.

I've also run into the complete opposite a few times too, because some neighbors do not get along very well.
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Most of my permission the past few years has been for trapping, which seems to be a little easier to come by. Once Ive had friendly conversations with the farmer/landowner, Ive sometimes asked about the land a couple miles away owned by such and such. All farmers know who farm their area. Ive even had guys take their phone out and call on my behalf, without me asking to.
But I have been given the warning “dont tell them I told you who farms it, theyre a prick and we dont get along”, as you stated.
 
Yes it helps to have some connections in the area, and yes, many producers are friends, but they are also competitors to some degree. They compete for buying land and for tenancy on land owned by others. I even saw two guys go from frenemies to outward hostility over a "right of first refusal" on the informal equipment resale market. I'm undecided on whether cold name-dropping is more often good or bad.

Update on the letter I sent earlier this year: it was exactly the kind of letter GH described above. Who I am; I'll be calling about this piece of land for a specific date; these are the numbers I have; name drop on an adjoining piece of land I've hunted before and hope to hunt on the same day; call/text/email via the info below if you want to avoid the call or provide a different number. I even enclosed a screenshot from onX showing the land, the addressee's name and address, and the adjoining piece I name-dropped. Note this landowner lives in Wichita, like I do, about 120 miles from the land, but still has family in the area.

I got a call. No was the answer, with a reason given that they hunt it themselves. Probably true, but who knows for sure. What was for sure was the "no." Easy for them to say no on an outbound phone and avoid the inbound call. Perhaps in-person might have been different, but I don't think I'll knock on a door in Wichita to ask about a piece of ground 120 miles away.

Oh well, I didn't have permission before and I still don't. Cost me stamp and a few minutes to write a letter. The real kick in the pants was that the guy owning the adjoining piece quit farming and leased his ground to someone else, who is a hunter. So I lost that one too.
 
I've found much better success late in the season for getting on new spots. I've got dozens of spots, and most of them have been acquired through in-person stops.

The biggest "key" that I've found is making it as easy as possible for the landowners to say "yes". Most landowners that are going to let you hunt already have others that may hunt from time to time as well, so asking permission early on the season or on a Saturday makes it much more probable to get a no. However, late in the season, week days, etc., make that first yes much easier in my experience. Once you get in once, it's much easier on follow-up visits (I will usually try and get a phone number after I've hunted a few times).

Don't bother knocking on doors with a big group or more than 1 other person max. You're odds will exponentially decrease. Once you get permission a few times, then you can get a sense for the landowner and then potentially explore having a group of 3-4 hunt.
 
cyclonenation10 said:
I've found much better success late in the season for getting on new spots.
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Completely agree. I already know that most of the land I'm seeking permission to hunt on is going to be hunted for deer. Simply offering to voluntarily not go onto that land prior to deer season here in MN gets a lot more yes answers than no answers. Once deer season is over, they are far more willing. Just off the top of my head, I probably have permission at 20+ spots to hunt pheasants on private land, and all of them except 2 are hunted for deer.

I also think its far better to do it solo mission than with a group. I don't hunt in a group anyways, so that's a moot point, but if I was a landowner I'd be far more willing if one person came to the door rather than 4.
 
Farmer here. Always helps to look the part. I ask for permissions and get asked. If you show up in new clothes I assume you’re a greenhorn towny, and that doesn’t help your cause. Faded and frayed clothes mark a veteran of the field. Don’t look sloppy but don’t look like the Cabelas catalog either. I haul my air compressor and tool box always. Helped a game warden with a tire one day and he put me on the birds and I mean to a T. Keep yer powder dry and run em to me.
 
Hutcho said:
Good morning guys

I am thinking ahead to next season a lot this morning. I would like to find some more local ground to chase some quail on. Would it be inappropriate or ineffective to mail letters to some local land owners asking for permission? Looking on OnX is seems like half of them don't even live around here, so hard to go knocking on doors. Anyway just a thought, would love to hear some feedback.

Pic just because.
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Had a guy that used to hunt with me that would not knock on doors since he was afraid of being told no - said he didn’t like rejection.
 
Hutcho said:
We do have a wheelchair at church, maybe you're on to something here! 😂
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We used to practice signing all the time. One day we were driving into a farm north of Lewistown Mt.and my nephew suggested we sign.My cousin sat in the ramcharger.
 
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