You've just inherited a 300 acres of land!!

landman

landman

New member
Let's say that you've just received a call from a lawyer who told you that you've inherited 300 acres of land near where you usually hunt. It seems that there was an old never-married lady who worked in a cafe where you usually enjoyed lunch while hunting in the area. Unbelievably the old lady died and left you 300 acres of land just because she liked you. Upon inspection you see CRP, sloughs, waterways, shelterbelts, some corn and bean stubble and lot's of wildlife including deer and pheasants. You cannot believe your good fortune.

Ok now what would you do?

1. Post no hunting signs and hunt it yourself
2. Share it with your friends.
3. Share it with your friends, friends of friends and other acquantances
4. Start a limited fee hunting operation
5. Make it a hunting Preserve
6. Contact the GF&P's and enroll it in the walk in program
7. Allow strangers to hunt just for the asking without restriction and without supervision.
8. Post a sign that says your land is open for public hunting.

My guess is that there isn't one person on this site that would choose options 7 or 8.
 
Option 1, 2
Add the following options

9 - secure mineral rights.
10 - Name the new dog after the old lady,
11 - Put flowers on her grave every month with heart-felt prayers,
12 - Install a high fence :D
 
build a high fence isn't as an option?..;)
great post landnan, I was just perusing the other one...
I have noticed more and more, that it is becomng all about the money.
This year is the first time that I have ever paid for ground to hunt 'wild' birds.And for some odd reason, I feel fortunate to be allowed that. :eek:
 
Houston54 said:
Option 1, 2
Add the following options

9 - secure mineral rights.
10 - Name the new dog after the old lady,
11 - Put flowers on her grave every month with heart-felt prayers,
12 - Install a high fence :D
Click to expand...

Exactly what Houston said, but I would also try to figure out how to give kids an opportunity to hunt it.
 
Well this is what would probably be the norm for Union county SD or Sioux county IA.

Plow up the CRP
Drain/Tile the slough
Push over the shelter belt and burn it
Plant Corn on Corn
Farm it from road to road including the waterway.
Collect $250 an acre rent or $75000 a year rent.

Not what I would probably due but you can see why when your favorite hunting spot changes owners it might disappear. Even if rent was $100 that is still $30000 tuff for a lot of people to turn down. If you don't think land that qualifies for CRP can get that type of rent I can show you a bunch that does.

As far as the original question goes, LM is right it would be hard to do 7 or 8.
 
Last edited:
I have done #7, # 8,I have not, because I want people to ask. But #8 is done by everyone who puts there land in a walk in program basicly.

You know come to think of it there is quite a few acres around here that land owners left to the DNR for free, for public use that is to remain wild forever. One such tract, is one of the only pieces of land that is 100% native wild untoouched prairie, ever.
 
I would start with #9 which is - Figure out who makes an Anti-Viagra pill because I would have a Woody so big I wouldn't be able to stand and get out of the chair I was in when the Lawyer called or able to get out and hunt the place.
 
LM is absolutely right & the same add-ons as Houston (minus the high-fence - uggh, I HATE those things, even if I am originally from TX - just remember, they keep as much "wild" game out as in & in the case of pheasants you would need an unsightly net/cover over the whole thing like one ginormous flight-pen to keep hunters out and "your" birds in - ROFL)...

I would take awful good care to greatly enhance the property & then make it available mostly to select family, friend, & kids...and maybe even an occasional hunting stranger IF he properly asked me for permission - as long as he agreed to all my stipulations & did not abuse the privilege by showing up every d@#! day of the season or coming back unannounced or with a truckload of brand new "stranger" friends! ;)

Anyone who says they would grant unconditional "FREE-FOR-ALL" access (Ha-Ha) is either a liar or a fool - and anyone foolhardy enough to let the property be run over roughshod at any-and-everybody's will/whim, would soon find himself with just another shot-out "public" piece of property like everybody already complains about!

For the record, landman is also very correct on exactly who it is that grants private-land access/permission...I do often gain personal permission to hunt on good private ground, but it is granted to me almost 100% by farmers/ranchers/landowners who do not hunt themselves & almost never by someone who hunts themselves with family & friends (and rightfully so - I got no beef whatsoever with that)...The only problem I ever run into with the hard-working farmers or ranchers who allow me to hunt is the sometimes weekday scowl that seemingly implies, "Gee I wish I had nothing better to do with my time than all you no-count hunters, some of us have to work for a living)! :D
 
hen said:
The only problem I ever run into with the hard-working farmers or ranchers who allow me to hunt is the sometimes weekday scowl that seemingly implies, "Gee I wish I had nothing better to do with my time than all you no-count hunters, some of us have to work for a living)! :D
Click to expand...

Thats the look my father-in-law gives me.
 
FCSpringer said:
I have done #7, # 8,I have not, because I want people to ask. But #8 is done by everyone who puts there land in a walk in program basicly.

You know come to think of it there is quite a few acres around here that land owners left to the DNR for free, for public use that is to remain wild forever. One such tract, is one of the only pieces of land that is 100% native wild untoouched prairie, ever.
Click to expand...

Just for clarification, I'm referring to someone who likes to hunt, like all of us on this Forum, who would open their land to unlimited, unrestricted public hunting. I'm saying there are none.

A new landowner might allow a stranger permission to hunt a time or two but they will quickly learn what happens if they do. He might even let a Dad and young son hunt on their own too but again they have to be very careful so that it does not translate to unlimited hunting.

I just don't think that anyone on this Forum, if they owned land that was good for hunting and they are able to hunt it themselves, would open it up for Public Hunting or enroll it in the Walk-In program.
 
my wife would have to decide because I probably would have had a heart attack learning that I had obtained the property, but if it did not kill me, I think I would try to enhance the land for hunting, mainly for winter survival and yes I probably would let a father take his son/daughter on A hunt on my land but only with me going along,even if I did not take a gun, but you know what I aint gotta worry about it, even though I try to be as friendly as I can with the waitres I deal with,this would NEVER happen to me. Matter of fact I will wager on it not happening.Any tskers out there. :)
 
FCSpringer said:
You may be somewhat right, but there is a guy right accross the road that has family that hunts and he is putting his land in that stuff, Open to the public. There are also several other places where I ask that the people hunt, and got permission. Never been there before. Five different land owners in fact. They might not be on this forum and most likely don't even have a computer, but they enjoy hunting all the same. They still let me go.( Unwatched without supervision). I doubt they would let me go on a day they were planning but thats fine and understandable. Two of those places I had my new UPH friend with me.
I don't think the world as a whole is quite as hostile as it is being portrayed here is all I'm saying. Just because there is problems in some areas by you does not mean the rest of the country is as unfriendly so to speak. You are right in the fact that they don't just want people to come and go as they please, but there are a great # that will let you go when asked, weather they hunt or not, I see it most every day afield.
Click to expand...

I think the question is would you allow unlimited unsupervised public hunting on 300 acres of land you owned, if it was good for pheasant hunting? let's say you decided to take a couple of friends hunting and when you arrived a party of hunters are already on your land and they've shot a bunch of birds. You gave one guy permission to hunt the weekend before and wasn't expecting him to be back. Would that be OK?

Let's say you decide that, since you have your own land, it would be nice to have a food plot and some wildlife trees. So you spend about $5,000 to make that happen and the hunting gets better for you and your friends. So one day some guy calls to ask for permission to hunt, would you just let him go ahead and hunt?

Sure a person can always find an exception. I know of a guy who farms and likes to hunt big game so after harvest he heads to Montana to hunt elk and deer. Since he does not care too much about pheasant hunting he may let folks hunt his land.

I just don't think anyone on this Forum Board, if they owned some good pheasant hunting land and were able to hunt it, would allow unlimited public hunting. There may be one or two that might say they would, but I still doubt if they actually acquired some good land that they would really do it.
 
Last edited:
it depends whether or not I already owned land

I also wonder what your real motivation is for this thread, I sense that your waiting, baiting and almost taunting someone to say they would pick 7 or 8 so you can jump on them
 
UplandHntr said:
it depends whether or not I already owned land

I also wonder what your real motivation is for this thread, I sense that your waiting, baiting and almost taunting someone to say they would pick 7 or 8 so you can jump on them
Click to expand...

My point is this. We have heard many times on this forum that landowners should grant free hunting to the general public. Some of the reasons include "the pheasant is owned by the public" or "taxpayers pay for CRP so it should be open to the public" or even "landowers are not sportsmen if they don't grant free hunting to the public" and so forth.

I'm just saying that there isn't any one person on this Forum who would grant unlimited, unsupervised and free hunting to the Public if they owned good hunting land and they were able to use it.

There probably isn't one person on the Forum Board, who if they owned land, would not, at some point, attempt to improve the habitat and thus the hunting. At that point a personal investment begins to be made and the resistance to public hunting becomes even stronger.

If you don't believe me, go buy some land, and you will soon understand.
 
Last edited:
I'd post the heck out of it and not let anybody access and here's why. Yesterday I get a call from my neighbor in WI and he tells me somebody was trespassing on my land. He parked in my driveway and walked in on a trail right past my no trespassing sign. The only reason he could park in my driveway was because I put a chain across it but moved it further in on driveway so folks could use the driveway as a turn-around spot since the the valley road is dead end. Could I be anymore obvious? NO. Guess what I got to do now? Move the chain. More work.

"That" my friends is "the guy" that ruins access for everyone else.
 
UGuide: I have met that guy (and worse) way too many times, both on my own property & also having "ruined it" for me and everyone else on more than one piece of property where we previously had longstanding permission to hunt on! :mad:

Landman: It seems that there is a total disconnect for some people on this thread between the difference in one-on-one courteously asking-for & granting-of permission between a hunter-and-landowner on an individual basis vs your point of allowing total "unlimited"/"unsupervised" public access (which I would NEVER do unless I either didn't hunt myself or enrolled in the WIA program subjecting hunters to DOW supervision)!

Upland: Geez, don't be so harsh & downright accusative toward a fellow/brother in the ranks - landman makes a very legitimate/vaild point! At least you admitted "it depends whether or not I already owned land". :)

Springer: "Supervision" does not necessarily have to mean hand-holding and "hovering over" - it could simply mean checking-in each time beforehand & playing by the owner's rules (whatever they may be)! You are right - some people who do hunt themselves will let you on their property, but it is usually later in the season AFTER they & their family/friends have had their fill!...Your idea about letting "anyone" who wants to, hunt the property as long as it doesn't cross-over with any of your hunting plans is a really nice gesture coming from a good heart if that's what you choose to do with your property - but I'm afraid it is a bit impractical to carry out in the real-world with "free-for-all" access unless you happen to live on the property or nearby and/or the hunter is a local neighbor or at least a regular & respectful acquaintance - otherwise, you can almost expect to sometimes take a walk over your own property & come up empty-handed right AFTER someone else has already had a good day! BTW, you mentioned that you would allow unlimited access if you had 5 million acres (so "MIGHT" I) - but I wonder if you would do the same thing on 5, 50, or even 500 very-limited acres??? Smaller chunks of land can only support a certain amount of animals & it really doesn't take all that many continual hunters to put a real & lasting dent in the population (especially with a couple of irresponsible hunters or game-hogs in the mix--which is gonna happen with "unlimited/unsupervised" access, sooner or later you can count on it)!

C'mon guys, lets all be honest - I for one would NEVER under any circumstances allow unlimited/unsupervised hunting by total strangers on any piece of property that I paid for and worked my fingers to the bone improving!!! I WOULD allow at my discretion, people who courteously asked permission & properly followed all MY laws of the land on MY property if granted access - I am probably a little more open to this than some on this thread, and a bit more cautious than others! But hey, last time I checked this is America - at the end of the day the property belongs to whoever owns it & they can each do what they dang well please with it, from non-hunting greenies to pretty much allowing anybody who wants to tromp all over the place & do whatever they want - regardless of what either you or I think about it! If every one of us respected that basic property right, we might all be surprised at how many landowners would allow more access to their properties!!! :cheers:
 
I have often thought about a situation like described here. My goal at retirement is to buy a 160 acre tract in Kansas that has pheasant and quail. I would try to improve the habitat for upland birds and have a place for family to hunt. I really have no interest in deer hunting, so under the right circumstances, I would allow deer hunting if say a father and son wanted to hunt. Maybe other local land owners would allow me to quail and pheasant hunt their properties in exchange for me letting them deer hunt my place.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top