Tips to Approaching Landowners For Hunting Access

Tips to approaching landowners for hunting access:

Start Before Season

Don’t be the guy that calls and asks to hunt the next day. This is going to inevitably happen plenty, as birds or deer will move around, but you can be proactive based on previous years knowledge of animal patterns or migratory reports. Use tools such as OnX, GIS mapping, locals with phone numbers, etc. Usually you will be able to find out who you need to talk to without much hassle.

Get to the OWNER, Not the Farmer

In some cases, farmers do own the land. If you get in touch with the farmer, maybe during planting or harvest when he is in the field, go into the conversation assuming he is the one who would make the call on whether or not you can hunt. At a minimum, he will be the one to get you any other info you would need to get permission, and his blessing will go a long way, so be very respectful. Be ready with the below items checked, and be sure to explain your cleanup process. Farmers/Landowners won’t let someone run amuck through their land. They will need to know it will be cared for as if it was your own.

Clean Your Pickup

Very simple: you show up looking like a hillbilly who can’t take care of a vehicle, why would they trust you with their personal property? Spend some extra time and knock the mud off. It would also be prudent to remove any offensive stickers or license plates prior to arriving as well.

Clean Your Face

Also very simple. There is nothing wrong with facial hair, but first impressions are determined usually before any words are said and can be heavily influenced by appearances. It is acceptable to clean up, even in No Shave November if you have to. Take a shower, wear something decent, and let the first impression be a great one.

Bring a Permission Slip

There are basic hunting permission slips available online. Presenting this to the land owner and showing them the verbiage that removes them from any liability can bolster your chance of getting to hunt.

Bring Your Wife. Bring Your Kids

If your wife enjoys hunting with you, and ACTUALLY hunts, bring her with you. Same goes for your kids. When you explain that you aren’t just wanting permission so you and some rowdy buddies can come in and wreck havoc, that you intend to bring family or youth out to create memories, educate and maybe harvest some game, you will oftentimes pull heart strings with land owners.

Do Some Research on Fields

If you have been a student of the animals, you likely have some idea on where they’ve been in the past. Knowing where they want to be will help you from asking on fields that are a coin flip on whether or not they produce.

Accept a No

Everyone knows a guy that hears No, but takes it as a maybe. Maybe you’re that guy. Being a good stewards of animals and good stewards of land means sometimes we don’t get to hunt. Something that is the best field in the surrounding three counties. If you are told no by a landowner, thank them for taking the time to discuss with you, if possible give them your contact info on a card, and be gracious and walk away. There are always other fields to go ask on, and being told no doesn’t feel good, but to become a pest to the land owner or, even worse, illegally hunt the land, make you a real idiot (or worse). You want to never get permission again? Illegally hunt someone’s land. When you get caught, your reputation will be ruined, and landowners all around will associate your name with bad company and never let you in a field again. Take your No’s, be a man, and walk away.

Follow Up During and Immediately After Season

A good practice to do is to communicate the day prior to a hunt with the land owner. Letting them know where you’ll be, what you’re driving and where you are going to park all help them to be more comfortable with letting you be there. Once the season is out, immediately thank them for the opportunities and share some stories with them. Try to do it in person, but a phone call works too.

Get a Gift Postseason

Some quality summer sausage, a Visa gift card, or something more unique are all good postseason thank you gifts to hand deliver to a landowner. Follow the same procedures as when you asked; clean up yourself and your truck, bring the wife and kids, maybe a homemade pie or a hand drawn hunting memory (from the kids), and deliver in person. It is appropriate to ask for continued permission, given you will follow up in the off season. An offer to help with possible chores or land work that needs done can help here as well.