Door to Door Hunting

[leewillis92]

Hey everyone, name is Lee and i'm fifteen.

I have heard my fathers friends talk about when they were about my age, and how they got to hunt when their family didn't have land.  They would go up to the doors of houses on large plots of land, and ask them if they could hunt on their property.  The guys told me that they would be accepted to hunt on the land about 75% of the time.  I'm not a kid that does drugs or has long hair and I don't think that I look very intimidating.  Do you think at this day in age I could try that same technique and explain to the landowners that if the 2% chance I would actually get a shot off, I wouldn't kill anything more than a spike?  I would also tell them that I respect the land and the animals I hunt, and I would DEFINATELY show them I hunt with a longbow and wooden arrows.

What do you think?  
Would it be safe to do?
How many people do you think would say yes?

Thanks a ton and shoot straight! -Lee

[Recurve50 LBS]

Give it a shot. You'll never know till you try.

[Killdeer]

If I had land, I'd let you hunt it. You sound like you have the right attitude. It would have been better if you had scouted in the spring and offered to do chores in exchange for priveleges. Too late now, though it wouldn't hurt to make the offer when you ask. Mucking stalls, stacking brush, whatever you can do.

It is illegal to shoot a man on the front step, so the worst they could do is tell you "No".  :D

Don't restrict yourself to spikes right off the bat, feel the landowner out and listen to hints (and blatant instructions) regarding their concerns and desires. Leave gates as you find them, and take out some of the litter that you find on the land. Farmers like it when you love their land too.

Killdeer

[Gehrke145]

I did it in WI all the time.  Dont go to farms as much as try the big expensive houses with a few acres! Lots of them have problems with deer eating thier plants.

[BodarkOkie]

Lee,

When you ask a land owner to hunt...Also, offer to help him during the off-season a little: haul hay, fix fence, help at roundup time, etc.  
Also, offer some of your "take" if you should get something.

Listen to Killdeer, the landowner may just want his does thinned out.

Gene

[Ian johnson]

Lee, I'm 17 and started hunting seriously when I was 15, I was in the same situation as you, I asked around, sometimes I was told no, and sometimes I was told yes, now this season I have a 40 acre plot of land right by my school that I can bowhunt and a 110 acre plot of land a half hour away that I can kill one doe and from then on just bucks, one thing though that is a lot easier than going door to door is putting the word out, my mom's boss is a big turkey hunter and now I have an invitation to go turkey hunt next spring, even got an offer to go hog hunting with the guy who fixed my truck, have your parents and friends put the word out and make sure to tell them you use a bow because some people dont like firearms going off behind thier house, hope this helps!

[Patjoe]

Lee,
One trick that has worked for me is asking permission to hunt during the spring.  Landowners do not expect to get a knock on their door and have someone ask to hunt the coming fall.  During the fall you may have more competition for permission.  Also,  write the landowner a thank you letter stating in was nice to meet them and you hope they keep you in mind if they should happen to change their minds about letting people hunt.  The most important thing is not to give up!  If I had a dollar for everytime I was turned down I would be rich, but I have a lot of places to hunt because I kept going back to each "no" and showing my face.

Good luck!

Patrick

[rascal]

I used to do the same thing a few years ago, although again Im from a different era, and yes I suspect it can still work. I would like to add some further pieces of advice here though.  When you do get told "No" be just as respectful as if you had been told yes, thank them for their time and for even considering your request and bid them a pleasant day. Surprisingly enough Ive had more than one person call me back before I got out of the drive way.

Also you might want to write down your contact information on a slip of paper for each house you stop at, at least if they reconsider your request later they have your phone number and address to contact you.

If possible also write down the name and adress of the landowner and send them a thank you note for considering your request, again this might lead to them reconsidering and granting permission to hunt their land.

All of these seemingly little gestures let the land owner know you are polite and care about not only your own gains but their property as well.

***Also dont forget to offer up some of your services and some of your game as suggested before.  Just one more nice gesture to keep you in the good graces of your host.***

Good luck.

[Chris O]

Im actually about to start doing this. My friend just got a sweet location doing the same thing.  Good Luck!

[jimmyZ]

You might want to carry your hunter education card and bowhunter education card if you have them. Good Luck.

[tradtusker]

whats long hair got to do with it? lol   :D

you don't get without asking, some very good advise above.

one more i would add is try not to be in full Camo gear when you go ask.

let the farmer/landowner know you are prepared to take full responsibility for everything you do. also if you get permission keep an eye out for the farmer whilst you are out hunting check the livestock is well, gates are closed, if you think something is wrong report back to him. like if i find a broken fence or something i will let the farmer know about it and i will offer to come back and fix it for him.

[leewillis92]

Hey thanks for the advice everyone...and no offense by the long hair tradtusker, I should have said 'clean cut'. Thanks again! -Lee