Permission to hunt private property

[irishevox]

yeah... some people don;t even give you the chance to be neighborly espically on the islands where i live.

[furbearer365]

Also, land owners know most to all the other land owners in the area.  Once you find a good spot to hunt and get to know them fairly well, ask if they know anyone else who may allow you to hunt.  They may send you down the road to "Bills" house.  Then when you knock on the door, you will be able to introduce yourself to him and be able to say his name, instantly giving you credibility.  Once the new house associates you as a friend of the guy up the road, you may put him at ease and could gain more land access. But don't forget to pop in once in a while or even call just to chitchat.  Do your PR work

[hdshot]

At first asking permission might feel odd, but you will get the hang of it. I don't even blink an eye now, probably knocked on hundreds of doors in the last few years. Once you get it dialed in you will end up with more land to hunt then you have time to hunt them. That's when things start to get fun! Best tip I have is if you get permission outline the specific details on the agreement to hunting that property. For example what days can/are you allowed to hunt, number of hunters allowed on the property, number of game animals the owners will allow you to take and so forth. Following the rules always ensured my invitation to hunt the following season and on the flipside I have seen it earn lifetime bans for other hunters.

That's right, when you cold knock get to the point because the landowner has what you what instead of acting like a pushy salesman trying to provide service or products and payment will be hunting access.  Later on if you and the landowner get to know each other then helping out could be an option but farmers are people that don't need much help.  It can be more helpfull just to stay out of the way and leave the property the way you found it.  Also report problems to the farmer if seen such as down fence around cattle or possible tresspasser. 

[irishevox]

All of this is extremely helpful information

[irishevox]

^^^ I checked it out good stuff there to..... Island county is tough to get access but I am trying

[redfish]

My family has farmland in Alberta in the prime flyway.   They and their neighbors get asked for permission seemingly every day during hunting season.   The best tip by far for getting access.....is to keep it simple.  You will likely get access if its just you and your son...or you and one other.   Group hunts are what annoys the land owners.  No matter how careful a group is....candy rappers, pop cans, spent shells seem to get left in the fields.  The other thing hurting access is group hunters (mostly goose) that get access to multiple fields (to keep options open) and then only hunt the one.   Farms figure this out and get annoyed and stop giving permission.   In short....keeping it simple will usually give you access with most farmers.

[irishevox]

Yeah I am gonna start banging on doors with in the next month

[JJD]

Hunting geese of the east side, we are constantly getting permission to hunt private land.  Only issues we have met are a result of lazy hunters who have messed it up for the rest of us.  If they tell you not to drive in their field and to pack in, don't drive in them regardless of conditions and how tired you are.  County plat maps work well, many counties have them online if you know where to find them.  Another thing I use is Hunting Maps GPS, which is a chip you can put in a GPS, and it tells you who owns every piece of property in the state.  If worse comes to worse we knock on a door and find out who farms said property.   

[irishevox]

how is it to like leave a post card in thier mail box?  espically if i never see them at home.

[hdshot]

how is it to like leave a post card in thier mail box?  espically if i never see them at home.

Not a bad idea but you better mail it and do not touch their #$%& mail box.

[WSU]

Face to face is better.  Also, ask neighbors if they'd share a phone number.  I've had the work a few times.

[GameHunter1959]

Buy a Garmin GPS with "Hunt WA" map card. The Hunt WA map card contains all the land owner names, property lines, GMU they are located etc. I can sit on my couch in western Wa and navigate the GPS to a specific area in eastern Wa. Once I get it to where I want to be, I simply zoom in and the landowner information is listed. Anyone that is not listed, will list their property as private. Most land owners are listed. Everything is color coded, which makes it real easy when trying to trace property boundaries etc.

GMUs that I preceived as "mostly private" I now hunt, because I was able to locate DNR, State Land, or land owners willing to let me hunt.

I purchased the smaller Garmin GPS (burnt orange and dark grey in color). Don't buy that model; the screen is too small when your trying to zoom in and out. Spend the extra money and get the larger screen. It is about the same screen size of the Galaxy cell phone. Also burnt orange and dark grey in color.

Total investment is about $500

You will spend that over a couple of seasons wasting time driving GMUs. Well worth the money, and it protects you from some jerk trying to tell you he owns the land, when the GPS says otherwise.

[irishevox]

i like the GPS Idea.   I might go that route... the postcards i sent never got a response... but i did go to a farm and talk to a land owner and acquired permission.... going to pick up permission slip today