Gifts for Landowners

springerchaser

New member
When a farmers allows you to hunt their property, What is a good gift of appreciation? We have 3 of us hunting for a couple of days per season. I was thinking a frozen ham along with candy for the Mrs. What do you guys do? Thanks.
 
what would you want

Think if you were the landowner would you want a ham? Not really boring (not that it wasnt a good thought)think about it me personally i want to get them something they can use knock them off theire feet make an impression!Thats just me though.Land is way to hard to come by i have land in nc ks and it is primo land so im def going to give lots i gave his son a 200 dollar game vest i had an old 1100 shotgun i seen him eyeballing he can have it who cares! That land is more important to me!
 
For us guys that do not have $200 or an extra gun, a ham is a very nice gesture.

I know if I was a land owner any gesture would be very much appreciated, it is still the thought that counts in my book -- old school.
 
They will like anything, we will give em fresh walleye or sunnies, some good vennie sausage or beer sticks or the right flavor of beer works some too. It goes a long way for getting to go again and keeping a spot. We try to do it in the off season too so they will remeber us. :thumbsup:
 
I have done the Ham thing for people who have land I hunt PDs on. They seems to like it. I send'em a christmas card and gift also. My pheasant ground is either family or neighbors and I am always doing work for them.
 
A gift cert for 2 at the best steak house in the area might be something they would appreciate....that's what I am doing. Include enough for drinks or a good bottle of wine
 
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I think a lot of it depends on the landowner-such as age, married/single, etc. We have given everything from a couple bottles of Creme de Menthe (for the single middle aged farmer) to fruit baskets and wine (for the married older couple) to fire department hats and t-shirts. You get my drift, just kinda feel them out. You can never go wrong with a nice gesture. Every time we were invited back. Good hunting.

Best
 
:thumbsup: on the steak dinner for two; I also throw in a bottle of decent Vino for the wife.
 
After having hunted freelance style for a long time...

Any gesture for a landowner is much appreciated. The following is my formula for a welcome back...

My wife hand makes a card for them. The ticket here is to hand write a note specifically to the landowner about your hunt, their property and hospitality and how much you appreciate them. I also print a picture from our hunt showing how much we enjoyed ourselves. The card is sent within a week of our trip.

Close to a holiday we will send a smoked ham or turkey. We have also shipped knives, pocked multi tools, gift certificates, shelled pecans, etc. The cost does not matter. It is truly the thought that counts. Just show them that you care and treat them as you want to be treated. Don't get so hung up on the amount of your purchase.

Lastly, stop buy and talk to them personally. Take an interest in a relationship with them. Oh, don't wear out your welcome, either. Get enough spots rounded up so the farmer does not see you on his place every weekend. A good hunting friend to them is one that comes around once or twice a year, rekindles a relationship, treats the land with respect and shows their appreciation.

This formula takes work. However, if you follow these simple steps, or your modifications thereof, you will be welcome back for years to come.
 
There are 4 of us.

I'm a Firefighter and one of my buddies is a State Trooper, so the usual fire and police hats and t-shirts. The farmer we hunt on is also a hunter, so in the spring we send gift cards for Bass Pro or another sporting store. We have also gave him a framed DU print for his man-cave. It is always the thought that counts though and any gesture is appriciated.
 
I like to take a few pounds of elk steak (if my buddy's got any left from last year's kill) and/or a couple cases of good wine. I'm in the wine biz, so that part's easy for me, where it might be cost prohibitive for some...
 
If the landowner is married, I always try to gift with a priority to please the wife. IS there a supper club in the area that might be a little to "stuffy" for a man but a woman would love it? Thats where I'll get a gift certificate for two. My wife taught me this...you please the landowners wife and you'll get to hunt. If she doent like you I'll just about be able to gaurantee you will not get to hunt there. She will have that much say in the matter. She has to be comfortable with you and your group. No man in thier right mind would allow people on thier property if thier wifes feel threatened or uncomfortable with the people. If you are looking for ideas, just ask your wife.
 
I take wine made at the Lake Erie winery and a box of chips made at our local chip factory. It has always been well received. We pay a fee that includes a house on the ranch to stay at and gives us access to the land. We always leave cash for that. They tells us where they are seeing birds and we tell them where we are jumping big bucks as we hunt gun season.
 
We are usually hunting in a different region so we try to bring something that is known from our home state. For us - beer, cheese and brats will usually make them happy and show our appreciation. We also carry a fresh supply of iced tea for the non beer drinkers and follow up with a thank you card or holiday card during the off season.
 
We bring good WI cheese out for the rancher/wife. The rancher also stops in to eat and drink with us most nights. The last night of each trip we have prime rib and plan a peice for him. That night becomes longer then most. :cheers:
 
Like the previous poster we take Wi cheese from the local factory in Beechwood and it is always well received. We buy various types in small packages and hand them out to landowners and others we meet with. Last trip three weeks ago we took a huge Al Capone roast from the local meat market. If the rancher has kids, .22 shells always make you a hero!
 
It's great you guys do think of nice things to gift the land owner.

Just a question, are you gifting them as a way of thanks or to try and keep the right to hunt there?

For me, it is both but just remember this. In this day and age of dog eat dog. You can be out bid in a heart beat when it comes to locking up permission to hunt. There is always somebody willing to pay more and give bigger gifts than you are. What really counts is a great personal relationship with the land owner. Not just a person you see or contact a couple of times a year but maybe every couple of weeks. I have people that I let hunt who are like family. a course over the years I have had those that only show up when it's time to hunt. They bring nothing and expect the wife to wait on them hand and foot. They can't even bring their dirty dishes to the sink or pick up their beer can's. I have weeded them out over the years and a course they run around bad mouthing you because you chewed them out about carrying their load and to try and be more of a year around friend. It use to be packed here on the opener of both bird season and deer hunting. It's gotten kind of quite now. I have near 2 miles of mowed trails and several deer stands. Nobody ever shows up to help keep these trails open or maintain stands. than they want you to give them the best stands and you get whats left. You tell them, don't wonder around the property. You will drive the deer out and onto other property. By 9-10:00AM what do you see. Somebody that can't sit still for more than a hour or two and decided they have to go for a walk and do just what you asked them not to do. I had one family I let hunt and set up their camper in my yard I took them out and showed them where they could go, where the stands were. I told them don't go in the big tower stand on the north line bordering the neighbors hay field. That's not my property and he only allows myself to hunt from there. I told them don't walk all through the property and run the deer out, STAY ON YOUR STAND OR COME BACK TO HOME. By 9:00AM they were walking all over the place.That night we are putting the feed bag on for them, steaks on the grill, cocktails, brewskies, Etc. The guys uncle says to us, ya I was up in that big tower stand watching that hay field for a while. I just shook my head. I have never let them come back.

Sorry for the long stories, not trying to jack your thread. Just try and be more like family than a customer and I think you will go much further with the land owner.

One last thing, we have never charged to hunt here all we have ever asked is, bring food and beverages and help out to keep the dishes and cooking done. Maybe a few farm chores

onpoint
 
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