Private Land Advice

[CodyB]

Ok gents I'm 26 I have hunted public land pretty much my entire life. What I am looking for is some advice on how to go about asking for permission to hunt private land in my area. I live in Stark county. My dad said old days he would just got farmland to farmland knocking on doors but with everything as crazy as it is now I know the results may not be the same and I have a wife and daughter so would rather not get shot in the process lol. So basically any tip or tricks to introduce yourself to people to get hunting privileges. Any help would be appreciated.

 

[Geezer II]

How to Ask Permission to

Asking permission to hunt private property can provide access to low-pressure hunting areas. The best way to get permission to hunt private land is to ask. Here are five tips to improve your chance of success:

Write letters
Make an impression
Provide references
Show respect
Ask what you can do
Hunting-Permissions_1.jpg?mtime=20200624102705#asset:84085
Hunting Permission Letter
Knocking on a landowner’s door may work for some, but for a less intrusive alternative writing a letter to ask permission to hunt is recommended. The private landowner data in the onX Hunt App generally includes a mailing address in addition to landowner names and boundaries. This is a great place to start.

Whether you’re driving through a potential hunting area and viewing public and private land boundaries on your phone or e-scouting with the Web Map, pay attention to any details you can reference in your letter to the landowner.

Here’s how to ask permission to hunt in your letter. First, introduce yourself. Include relevant background information, perhaps noting your place of work or familial ties to the area. Next, show that you’ve done your homework about the property and the landowner from whom you are asking hunting permission. Begin to close the letter by explaining your hunting ethics and what you would like to hunt on their land.

End the letter by asking permission to hunt, what special rules or regulations they might have for their land and when you can come by to personally introduce yourself. Be sure to include your mailing address, email and phone number.

Anything you can do in return goes a long way with private land hunting. And once you get access to a property, keep it by doing what you said you were going to do.

Make a Strong First Impression
Whether you’ve written a letter first and gotten a positive response or you’ve knocked on a landowner’s door, making a memorable first impression will help your chance of getting permission to hunt private property. Look presentable at the meeting. Some hunters favor bringing along their kids, especially if they plan on hunting with their kids on the private land.

If you do not gain permission to hunt their land at this moment, don’t ask for an explanation but do thank them for their time. You can also ask the landowner if they would recommend someone else who might allow hunting access.

 

[CodyB]

How to Ask Permission to

Asking permission to hunt private property can provide access to low-pressure hunting areas. The best way to get permission to hunt private land is to ask. Here are five tips to improve your chance of success:

Write letters
Make an impression
Provide references
Show respect
Ask what you can do
Hunting-Permissions_1.jpg?mtime=20200624102705#asset:84085
Hunting Permission Letter
Knocking on a landowner’s door may work for some, but for a less intrusive alternative writing a letter to ask permission to hunt is recommended. The private landowner data in the onX Hunt App generally includes a mailing address in addition to landowner names and boundaries. This is a great place to start.

Whether you’re driving through a potential hunting area and viewing public and private land boundaries on your phone or e-scouting with the Web Map, pay attention to any details you can reference in your letter to the landowner.

Here’s how to ask permission to hunt in your letter. First, introduce yourself. Include relevant background information, perhaps noting your place of work or familial ties to the area. Next, show that you’ve done your homework about the property and the landowner from whom you are asking hunting permission. Begin to close the letter by explaining your hunting ethics and what you would like to hunt on their land.

End the letter by asking permission to hunt, what special rules or regulations they might have for their land and when you can come by to personally introduce yourself. Be sure to include your mailing address, email and phone number.

Anything you can do in return goes a long way with private land hunting. And once you get access to a property, keep it by doing what you said you were going to do.

Make a Strong First Impression
Whether you’ve written a letter first and gotten a positive response or you’ve knocked on a landowner’s door, making a memorable first impression will help your chance of getting permission to hunt private property. Look presentable at the meeting. Some hunters favor bringing along their kids, especially if they plan on hunting with their kids on the private land.

If you do not gain permission to hunt their land at this moment, don’t ask for an explanation but do thank them for their time. You can also ask the landowner if they would recommend someone else who might allow hunting access.

Extremely helpful thank you! I never thought to write a letter.

 

[Wildlife]

Do you have good lawncare, woodwork skills & outdoor equipment, or any carpentry skills? Offer trade in work for access. That's what I have always done for years and very rarely have I been turned away. Have your equipment well maintained, clean and functional. Your attitude, speech and attire may have an impact as well. Be grateful for their time, and polite. Always, and I mean always respect their time, their land and always leave their place better than what it was when you start hunting it.

Just a few quick suggestions of mine, and I leave you with an example that I did myself quite recently. Just click the link,

What did you do for the deer today?​

 

[CodyB]

Do you have good lawncare, woodwork skills & outdoor equipment, or any carpentry skills? Offer trade in work for access. That's what I have always done for years and very rarely have I been turned away. Have your equipment well maintained, clean and functional. You attitude, speech and attire may have an impact as well. Be grateful for their time, and polite. Always, and I mean always respect their time, their land and always leave their place better than what it was when you start hunting it.

Just a few quick suggestions of mine, and I leave you with an example that I did myself quite recently. Just click the link,

What did you do for the deer today?​

Thank you for the info. I do actually have decent amount of carpentry skills and mechanical skills as well. This is helpful thank you @Wildlife

 

[giles]

Try some searches here. This topic has been covered a few times but always seems to be something add.

Someone also posted a new program the state is doing somewhere here. Some sort of paying land owners to let people hunt. Just get creative with the tab in the upper right corner.

 

[CodyB]

Try some searches here. This topic has been covered a few times but always seems to be something add.

Someone also posted a new program the state is doing somewhere here. Some sort of paying land owners to let people hunt. Just get creative with the tab in the upper right corner.

Thanks guys for all the help. Very much appreciated

 

[bowhunter1023]

Paging @SheddingLightTravis, who wrote 100 or so letters before landing one good property. Somewhere deep in the chronicles here, is an example of a tri-fold pamphlet I created to accompany a personalized letter to target landowners. This was the "COVID-friendly" approach before that was a thing. If you want to go in person and not get shot, dress nicely and I'd suggest taking a kid with you. Plenty of phone #s available on the web these days, too. Use your county auditor's real estate search, FB, and Google, and you can track just about anyone down.

Good luck.

 

[giles]

OnX app a bunch of people use.

 

[5Cent]

OnX app a bunch of people use.

I'll second this App, great tool to have in the toolbox and not just for hunting purposes.

 

[triple_duece]

If you write letters send a pic of you. Putting a face w the letter goes a long way….. unless you look like a crackhead holding a sign at an intersection lol.

 

[Fletch]

My first choice would be go knock on some doors as I feel this is the best approach... As Jessie said go well dressed and maybe bring your kid with you...This approach is more personalized and let's the landowner make a first impression... Come up with a good opening line other than: I was wondering if I could hunt your property.... Be sure to offer something in return... Letters are great, but alot of times thrown in the garbage and not even considered...

 

[giles]

Another good tip is to start by asking about small game or coyotes. Some land owners really love the deer and treat them like pets. Trapping is also another great way to gain some trust.

 

[Floki]

Well shiiiiiiiiiiiiiiit son , I’ll tell ya what’s ya needin to do… Or should I..

 

[Floki]

Ya just stomp your ass out out there with the got damn truck loaded to the tilt. 5 lbs soy 5 different kindsA beer,8 ball A Trump sign A Biden sign, 3 hookers a …aaaa nune .Couple fishin poles 4 no traspassinn signs, A wrench Some bondo,,,, a grill some chicken breastis, 13 lbs of vegetables/vegan.

Birth control pills!Show full support t for up to 577 different genders, A story about a hard working man. Another story about never working. 22 golf balls an A American Flag a rebel flag a Anifita flag A BLM flag. ID /passport Vegetable oil,Olive oil,

AND ONE HELL OF A BIG SMILE.

Yet I’f it was me ..Id knock smile and talk!

 

[giles]

Oh shit, who is this guy?!

 

[Floki]

Oh shit, who is this guy?!

I’m Nobody but a damn good time… Life’s good and for the lad that was asking send me a PM no gay stuff Like tits and ass. ROFL seriously tho send me a a PM may be able to help you with a local area to hunt. Guy only takes so many hunters a year.
May be filled. If your willing to travel an hour I can help ya there to.

 

[Wildlife]

Another good tip is to start by asking about small game or coyotes.

That approach has worked really, really well for me too. Landed three excellent properties by doing just that.
___________________________________________________________

Okay, I have some more I'll share with you Cody.

if I get facetime with the owner, I'm 98% in for access from my experience. Sales experience goes a long way, but I digress.

If & when you do get that face time, be thorough. Speak plainly and to the point. Don't promise anything you can't deliver on.

Dress appropriately, not to over do it, attire should be always neat, teeth brushed and do not smell like beer & cigarette smoke. Simply be a working blue collar professional that has a family to feed. Farmers are busy people, so don't waste their time or disrupt them if they're in the middle of somethin.

My approach has usually been first thing in the morning, on either a Friday or Saturday with a good weather forecast for the entire weekend. Typically well before any day type headaches settle in for the owner of their usually daily grind. People tend to be more open minded, laid back, easy goin during late week, and if you do offer any kind of service of work in trade, be prepared to get right on it immediately, like that day or over that very weekend. Shows promptness, attitude, means business, dedicated and thorough. Promise made, promise kept. Done deal!

Anyhow Cody, you have several excellent suggestions before you. If you're a confidante person and you can display that in such a way of being direct, stern, to the point, with a touch of professionalism in a respectful manner, and always being honest, NEVER COCKY, while looking them in the eye, then I don't think you'll have any problems whatsoever.

Again, always respect the owner's wishes, adhere to their directions or demands, which means listen very carefully to them, and try to go above and beyond their expectations with regards to taking care of their property. That will go a long ways for ya, trust me, especially if you want sole hunting privileges' to that property.

It can be quite competitive trying to lock in a property to hunt, especially if the habitat is great, which usually leads to quality and/or quantity of deer.

If or when you do get in, try to begin some sort of quality management program of some sort, so you can hunt the place potentially forever.

Good luck to you @CodyB ! Looks like you're well on your way!

 

[Floki]

Look ya don’t knock and start to set up deer management programs.

That’s straight BS agree with owner to what he wants. Me As A landowner….. Don’t just be around when season is in.

Act like you own lands and expect what ya would want if ya did.
Keep simple stupid.
Knock smile talk ya vibe ya vibe ya don’t ya don’t such is life.

By no means say your setting up a deer management system.

On property ya don’t own own.

 

[Floki]

Often times people forget they don’t own the land they hunt! That’s what kills getting permission.

The real land owners get fed up with the bullshit and politics from the people that don’t own the land.