How do you guys go about obtaining permission to hunt or leasing land to hunt?

Thanks,
Kyle

Don't know if anyone else has tried this but if you see a "For Sale" sign on some land that looks like a potential hunting spot write down the company name and go to their website. Once on the site you can pull up the "listing" and find out all sorts of details: # acres, overhead map, tax map etc. You can also look through their "other listings" to see if any other potential spots. Once identified send the broker or listing agent an email asking about hunting. Really helps if you know somebody in the real estate business.

I actually did this this past year and picked up a new farm to lease. Unless you know somebody who owns land this is another way to find some spots.

Good idea. Thanks, Kyle

Out west the best way is to find a ranch that isn't leased and show up in the spring with a pair of fencing pliers and run a few miles for the rancher.  Brandings, etc. are other good ideas.

I have an outdoor resume I put together.  Lists hunter safety, years experience and anything else I think will help convince the landowner I am trustworthy.

I always present a "win-win" proposal. Few will say yes to a stranger on their land, and few will say no to an offer of help on the land, sharing the meat, etc.

an offer of some free labor goes along way especially if you volunteer for a job like unloading a truck of hay or straw or running fence. these are jobs that eat up a lot of hours from other jobs the farmer/ rancher could be doing. it also helps to remember them after the seaon with some venison or a smoked ham.

Hook up with the landowners sister.It got me an awesome spread that I still hunt after having gone our separate ways 15 years ago.Then I really went and did it,I married the landowners niece on another big spread.Not just for hunting rights of course.   :rolleyes:

I often hunt properity owned by parents of past students I've taught. I also offer free labor throughout the year.

I follow jcar315 around; and tell everyone I am with him.    :D  

I once went from one field full of quail to another- looking for something other than 'no hunting' signs.
I finally went to a promising looking farm and knocked on the door; and told him the quail were getting 'mad quail disease'; and were ripping people down to the bone 'like piranhas'.  
I told the farmer I was willing to try and kill the quail before they found him.
He laughed and let me hunt his property.    

I just ask, lol.  No harm in asking, but one thing I would say before you ask, is to not plan things in your mind.  I have dont that a few times before, and then heard the infamous no, and was diappointed.  Just remember no means no.  I live in a heavy menonite community.  And my neighbor, who is menonite, is a great guy.  He lets me hunt his property.  But I think it might be because his father in law while he still was the farmer(he has moved), but he was the origional one to say sure you can hunt.  I still dont like it though.  I hate fences, and there are no thousand acre farms around here, the animals are either there or not.  And with a farmer trying to limit trees and gain rows of crop, out of the 190 acres, about 5 of them are woods, lol.  But good brushy fencerows for wabbits

OOO, I just realized where you are from, are in you wine country?  I have heard that they dont care for hunters very much down there???

I fish and fish allot. I took a customer fishing and he has given me the right to hunt 3700 acres. He can't handle fishing anymore (pain from injuries) but I still bring him fish a couple of times a year. I can't hunt anything but hogs. He loves his quail and there are very few deer. If I draw a Tule Elk Tag LOL he said I can take one.

Most of the private land I hunt came from customers in my business but I also hunt a place that where I got permission by knocking on the door and asking.

What has worked well for me is to:

1. Always show the landowner respect
2. Don't ask to bring other people
3. Look respectable - when I interact with my landowners I wear my work clothes (khakis and button up shirt) - NO CAMO
4. I drive non-threatening vehicles. No monster truck, no deer skull stickers in the window

In short I try to differentiate myself from the herd of hunters.  I don't think like them, I don't hunt like them, so I don't want to give the impression I'm one of them.

MOST IMPORTANT- remember, the landowner gives you permission, but his wife can get you kicked off.  At the end of the season I bring them something that BOTH will enjoy (last year big basket of home made goodies).

Works for me, in an area that it is tough to get permission to hunt I have more hunting than I can get to every year.

R

Ryan has got it right.Act and look professional.Not sum Outdoor channel wantabe.
The realestate pitch above,dosen't work very well in my area.Brokers don't want camo clad,weapon carrying hunters on property they are showing to clients.

Many hosts will value a responsible hunter on their property. It gives them another set of eyes so to speak.
I agree with Ryan and will add to time your visit when he's is not busy.. Possibly mid Sunday afternoon or early evening, not during the busy time of the year.
My standard Christmas gift is a smoked turkey and a bottle of good but not over the top expensive wine, about a week before Christmas. I'll go so far as to give the Missus a little something special for herself if I know what she like. Maybe a coffee cup, that fits her personality or some other not too personal gift.
She can kick you off and she can save your butt too.

If you talk about traditional archery to enough people, you find some who are interested. They really seem to love the idea diy primitive bows and arrows. The idea of hunting them is a mind blowing novelty. The places I've picked up in the past couple years happened "organically" like this, without me having to ask an awkward question. It also helps to have job that gets you out in the community.

Bottom line... If you are enthusiastic about archery, and do good in your community, places to hunt will naturally follow.

Like he said i have a couple of places to hunt because i hunt archery and they don't want gun crazy hunters in there so i am the only one who gets it.

Sometimes it's good to start out by asking to hunt small game after deer season.When they see you small game hunting with trad equipment you will see a magic glow in there face.

Pretty much all the private land around me has people already hunting it - friends and family or leasee's. The days of fixing a fence for permission are in the distant past. If the rare case you do get permission by door knocking, you will be joining a group of others that will make the public land look private as far as pressure. Access is definately a challange.