Written permission only question

[SpokaneSlayer]

There is a lot of land that say "Hunting by Written Permission Only" and was curious on the procedures on that.  The signs have the phone number of the landowner and I know there are cards you fill out.  Do I just call the landowner and does he/she have the cards?  Or do I get those from the WDFW?  I want to bow hunt mulies on some of these properties.

[ThePascoKid]

Contact the landowner they have the slips, I hope you have better luck than I do with the written permission only program, very rarely do they say yes.

[SpokaneSlayer]

Cool, that's all I needed to know.  Hopefully it'll work out.  If not, no big deal as it's not my main plan but it couldn't hurt to try.

[ThePascoKid]

Yeah by all means give it a shot I didn't mean to sound negative, I've just had some bad experiences trying to get written permission. That's kind of always been my attitude also, I don't rely on it as a first option but if I do get permission it's just one more place to check for deer.  The farmers might be harvesting right now depending on what area your talking about and they really don't like to be bothered during harvest.

[SpokaneSlayer]

I'll see if they are harvesting when I go down to get the phone numbers off the signs.

[rosscrazyelk]

I have called those numbers hundreds  of times and have never had luck, That program is a joke. Good luck thou

[BLKBEARKLR]

I contacted them and they said I could only shoot a doe.....

[SHANE(WA)]

+1 To a stupid program

[jjhunter]

Our Snake River place is in the program.  They did away with funding last year but we are still enrolled in the program so the game warden can give tickets to anyone without a card (trespassing is bad).  Although we did not allow deer hunting, we did open access to excellent bird hunting to people who we would have never let hunt otherwise.   The trick to access is to ask early as the phone rings off the hook starting mid-August.   Remember that many landowners and their friends hunt as well - just because you can't deer hunt doesn't mean that they won't allow bird hunting or visa versa......

It is a good program - although I have been turned down myself on numerous occasions, I have gotten awesome access during "off times" like mid-week during the rifle season or alternative seasons like archery/muzzleloader.   Study the regs and try different weapons....if you are trying to gain access during the "peak" times, you probably won't have success.  Try early/late archery, early/late muzzleloader, or mid-week rifle and you will have a lot more success.  Also, be specific as to season and time-frame you are looking to hunt.   Ask about property boundaries/ landmarks........This will help as well.....  I can't stand it when someone asks to hunt and doesn't ask about boundaries/off-limit areas/ fencerows, etc..... all they are going to do is piss off my neighbors by walking around aimlessly and probably trespassing on my neighbor's ground.   Hope this helps. 

[SpokaneSlayer]

Thanks for the advice.  I plan on hunting early archery and have taken the entire first week off from work.  I could probably work with the landowner and be flexible on taking another day off specically to hunt there.

[Straight Shooter]

There is a lot of land that say "Hunting by Written Permission Only" and was curious on the procedures on that.  The signs have the phone number of the landowner and I know there are cards you fill out.  Do I just call the landowner and does he/she have the cards?  Or do I get those from the WDFW?  I want to bow hunt mulies on some of these properties.

This is how me and my hunting buddies got free unlimited access to 500+ acres.  One of the guys went to the house, and introduced himself.  Once the land owners found out that we were active/retired miltary, they considered it a honor for us to hunt on thier property.  We make sure that we bring gifts and offer to help with farm work.  I had an American flag flown for them (on several different aircraft) when I was deployed to Iraq... which they fly over their property.  They even attended my Air Force retirement ceremony... a real cool couple.

[ThePascoKid]

Ask about property boundaries/ landmarks........This will help as well.....  I can't stand it when someone asks to hunt and doesn't ask about boundaries/off-limit areas/ fencerows, etc.....

If you have some specific areas you don't want people to go wouldn't it be easier just to tell them rather than get pissed they didn't ask?  By the way the way you described the program is exactly how most people view it, the land owner gets free "No Hunting" signs and then only lets his family and friends hunt.  Having grown up on a farm I can totally relate to hunting your own property and not letting others on at premium times, but those signs just give people a false sense of hope most of the time.  I've actually had guys act like they were annoyed that I was calling, if you don't want to be bothered don't enroll in the frickin' program, by the way I'm not saying that you and your family are like this, this is just from past experience.  Some of the big ranches on the Snake get hit hard by Tresspasser/poachers and this is one tool they can use to identify who is and who isn't supposed to be on their property.  So in that respect I can see how it could be a good thing.
 

[Machias]

I've asked once for some turkey hunting property and was allowed on.  I have also asked and been turned down and then asked about coyote hunting.  Hunted it for a year for yotes and made contact with the landowener a few times and showed them some of the songdogs I was removing.  Got permission the next year, no problem.  It's easier when you get a foot in the door and then get to know them a little.

[yelp]

If you are having a problem with landowner consistently not giving you permission you should call WDFW and complain.  I have a friend that is a landowner in this program and he allows as many hunters as he can each year.  Last year he had over 100 hunters call him.  He only has 1000 acres and so many deer.  From a safety stand point he spreads out the hunters on the farm  on different parts and dates.  He told me that the WDFW collects all of the slips annually to see if they are allowing the public to hunt and not abusing the program.  He said once he gets to know certain hunters he likes he will give them permission if they ask, but he also lets a few new ones on every year.

My friend likes the permission program because it gives him some control and he can say no to the occasional slob hunter.  He told me about a father who had two daughters who just passed hunters education.  My friend was out plowing on a tractor in a wheat field when he saw a pickup drive up and three people got out and shot off of the county road towards the tractor.  He made a note on the make of vehicle and happened to run into it later that evening.  He recognized it to be the father and two daughters.  He asked them what they were doing shooting off the road towards his tractor..the father he said was white as a ghost..he said we were shooting at a coyote..he said he didn't think it was a big deal.
My friend chewed him out. The father didn't get permission the next year.  I have personally been denied  but have been given permission more times than not. 

[andrew_12gauge]

i had good experiences with the program out around washtucna most of the landowners i spole with gave a buddy and me permission for archery season, that being said if you want permission for rifle you need to be very early calling them up but i think for archery most are willing to allow you to hunt

[wastickslinger]

I have had great luck with it. But you gotta get out early and be freindly.  They really do not like the guys who just pop in or call the nght before season and expect to hunt next day. 

[jjhunter]

I have had great luck with it. But you gotta get out early and be freindly.  They really do not like the guys who just pop in or call the nght before season and expect to hunt next day. 

Or, during Thanksgiving and Christmas dinner - it happens, believe me.........

[HoofsandWings]

It really varies from land owner to land owner. The one's I love say sure you can hunt. I am giving you permission to hunt this section on this date during midweek.

[Old Dog]

Ask about property boundaries/ landmarks........This will help as well.....  I can't stand it when someone asks to hunt and doesn't ask about boundaries/off-limit areas/ fencerows, etc.....

Excellent advice!  It shows the landowner that you respect their property.  I do very well with the program using that very tactic.  It also helps to show up well before the season with your work gloves on.

[ThePascoKid]

Calling early doesn't always do the trick I've called months in advance only to be told "Oh I hadn't even thought about it yet call back about a month before season" so I call back and the guys gives me the run around until 2 days before season and then tells me "oh my boy is handling it all this year" needless to say I never got the permission and this was for Muzzleloader not modern rifle.  I hunt private ground now so I don't have to deal with the BS of the written permission program and I don't miss it a bit.  I love the Feel free to hunt program but for the most part I think the written permission program is a waste of our money.

[bobcat]

That's the problem I've had. I called 3 or 4 months before hunting season and they said to call back just a couple weeks before the season. So I call back then and a kid answers and says "oh you need to talk to uncle jack and he's not here right now, call back later." I call back later, several times, and nobody ever answers the phone again.  

Oh, and I was only calling for permission to hunt pheasants.

[SHANE(WA)]

I have way better luck just going and knocking on doors and asking 8 out of 10 tell me yes to bowhunt

[jeepasaurusrex]

Actually, asking during the harvest season is a good idea. Offer to help for free and put in some hours helping them around the farm. That has worked well for us. 

[jackelope]

i know of a couple members on here who got access to a lot of land from several different landowners in the program  last year down in the blues. it works for some for sure. one particular landowner i heard about won't allow anyone to hunt big game in the general season but will allow special permit hunters on and will show them around so they know the boundaries.

[scroder]

My hunting partner and I had very good success getting private land to hunt for a permit last year. We looked the area over got as many names as we could find then started calling. It does take a lot of work but it paid off for us. Just remember to be as professional as possible when speaking to the land owners. If they say no, thank them for there time and move on. We even got permission from someone that said no at first, but after he heard that another land owner had said yes he allowed us to hunt.

Try the county extention office for a map of public/private land and definitely ask if there are off limit areas.

After our hunt we mailed the land owners a small gift,(a package of pepperoni) and a thank you letter. Maybe that will make it easier for the next hunter who calls for permission.

[Fish4Fun]

I have been doing the same thing of giving gifts to the 2 farms in the Blues that allow us to come in for the late season doe hunts. The normal for me to bring is a fresh out of the salt Coho that has been cleaned, head and tail removed. fresh salmon down in that part of the state seems to make lots of happy families. The one farmers wife always asks that we come have dinner with them to help eat the fish up. just little token like that go a long ways when asking for permission. The other thing that has already been mentioned is don't look like a bunch of boneheads when you go out to meet the ranchers. To me it is almost like an interview, the rancher is sizing up the whole deal as you are chatting with them. From the way you look and act to the rig you are driving.

[yelp]

Most of the landowners that I know that are in the permission program have had problems with trespassing, littering, vehicles driving through crops, poaching , etc.  The WDFW came up with a program that assists these landowners with these issues.  I think it has opened opportunities up that normally would be closed.  Before County Deputies had to respond to a trespassing issue..which it rare to see anyways in certain parts of Eastern Washington.  Now WDFW enforcement patrols these lands to assist these landowners who allow permission.  Feel Free to hunt Areas can get overcrowded depending on where they are.  I like the permission program it spreads out the pressure and gives hunters in most cases a quality hunt.  Some guys have a hard time getting turned down and then they think its a bad program or a waste of money.  Not sure if it is but it seems to work for most.  The WDFW Gohunt site has a private land layer you can look at if that helps too.  

[Wacenturion]

Like anything else in this life......present yourself rather than call....do it early....stop by when it's an appropriate time, both hour wise and season.  Persistence pays off....just because he said no, don't assume it's because he doesn't allow folks on his property....just probably inundated with requests.
My experience has been many who complain about not getting on, wait till the last minute to ask.....not all mind you, but many folks.  I personally know of one idiot back in the 90's who knocked on a landowners door at like 4 a.m. in the morning and asked for permission to turkey hunt....and it was opening day to boot.  Gee....I wonder why he got turned down....he was lucky he didn't get shot.

[Pathfinder101]

I have a Snake River Ranch that I usually get written permission to hunt.  We always send them a thank you card and a bag of jerky, even though I have never killed a deer out there.  I think the muzzy hunters usually do pretty well on that ranch, but not much left by the time the modern season opens.

[Gobble]

Miles step away from the bong! 

[Armadillo]

you dont have to step away, just change the water every once in awhile 

[mossback91]

I LIKE THE CARS, THE CARS THAT GO BOOM, WITH ZIGYY AND BUNNY AND I LIKE THE BOOM!

Miles you aint supposed to drink the whole bottle of whiskey in one sitting all on your own man

[FISHBOY]

Looks like Annie got a hold of Miles' password......

[GrainfedMuley]

 MILES.......................WHY ARE YOU YELLING?   

[Skyvalhunter]

Because he is hard of hearing.

[huntnphool]

 One very big problem for hunters these days are the outfitters leasing the best properties. Land owners will seldom let others hunt or even use their land as access if a outfitter has leased it. Unfortuneatly the way the economy has been, and the price per head ranchers get for cattle has dropped, the land owners need the extra income from these leases so they don't want to risk the outfitters dropping the lease. I know several land owners that repeatedly turned down outfitters wanting to lease their lands for hunting but now have to because they need the extra money.

 I have been contemplating paying the money my friends get from the outfitters myself just to lock up the land for myself and friends, kind of a hunt club. Then whenever we draw we have a great place to go hunt with loads of critters. I figure it would cost each of us about $1000/year but to me would be well worth it for all involved. The outfitter takes way more animals off the land than we would so what is already a fantastic hunt would be even better.

[Pathfinder101]

Phool, that may be where we are heaed here in the west.  Kind of sad to see it happen.  I know most of the decent hunting land in the southeast is locked up that way.  Almost impossible to get a good hunt in a lot of southern states unless you belong to a hunting club.  Most hunters I knew in Mississippi, Alabama and Tennessee had a lease payment each month, like a car payment.  They just considered it part of the sport.
I know we have a lot more public land here in the west than there is in other parts of the country, but I remember being stationed in the south, seeing the situation, and longing for Washington state where I could knock on a farmer's door and if I was polite and offered to help mend a fence I could usually gain access (at least for the day).

[Buckwheat]

butter them with some salmon

[nw_bowhunter]

A lot of great areas I enjoy hunting were "ask for permission" but now are controlled by leased by outfitters. It sucks!  When I called to find out much I was very surprised to be told 3k and up. At one time it did not cost me more than a gift to the farmer. I just move on and look for other opportunity. I do like it when the state takes parcels of land above the private areas and makes it walk in only areas. I found these types of area to be pretty productive during archery season.

[lazydrifter]

salmon doesn't work anymore.  We've had people show us a freezer full.   We lease property.  We have a good hunt every year.  Next time you knock on a door instead of just asking for permssion tell em you'd like to lease the hunting rights.  I bet you get invited in.  They like us being the only party there.  They don't have to patrol it.  We watch for outsiders.  We don't leave garbage.  We don't leave gates open.  It works good for both of us.

[SHANE(WA)]

very few if any leased north of spokane to canada