Paying to Hunt in the palouse.

[SirSpencer]

My room mate and I were looking for some new hunting lands out here in the Palouse. Were WSU students just looking for new areas to pheasant and deer hunt. We go to the same farmers land for the last 3 years but weve pretty well cleared it out for deer. While we were out we kept running into the same situation. "were all full." after the 3rd farmer to tell me this i asked him what do you mean by all booked. All of our openings have been bought up already. I talked to about 13 different land owners and they were charging to hunt their lands varying from 150$ for a season to 1000$ for a season. Some of them justified it by saying that the state uses the money we pay for our hunting tags to bid against them on farming fields. Others said it was to maintain a quality hunt, or to keep out the "undesirables."

So i'm wondering if how many of you out there have run into this as well; and what you think about this. I'm not saying what they're doing is wrong, but i just remember being a kid with my dad and knocking on a door and we just got a yes or a no, didnt have to get the check book out. Things just arn't the same as when i was a kid, which is sad since im only 22.

[DBHAWTHORNE]

I ran into this for the first time this year myself. These are different times but don't be discouraged there are still plenty of landowners giving permission to hunt their property. I do agree with you that there is nothing wrong with what they are doing. It is their right to earn a living from their land by any legal means. I currently don't pay for access to any private lands but I would if it was the only way for me to hunt. Fortunately Washington also has plenty of quality public lands available.

[spikehunter]

it is a State wide problem. If the land owner charges a "trespass fee" they can NOT file with state on damages made by state owned wildlife. at least that's the way it is supposed to work!

[SirSpencer]

I've been avidly looking within an hour area of pullman (on the washington side) I've only got one person who is willing to give us free access. It's just frustrating being a student who relies on game meat to feed himself in order to eat regularly. Next year when I graduate it's not an issue, but for this year i'm just looking for a good private land or maybe some public land thats near by.

[jjhunter]

Apply for a doe tag. You will never be turned away and will get your meat.

[high country]

I won't pay to hunt exclusional of a reasonable trespass fee....ie, paper land pass. but to buy the right to hunt a farm just does not do it for me. I theink the farms should have the right to make their land pay to play, but if they are recieving a penny from wdfw, then I feel it is totally wrong. if you are gettng turned away by farmers who have wdfw signs on their land call joe mc kenna down in st john country.....he will get them out of the program.

[Atroxus]

Apply for a doe tag. You will never be turned away and will get your meat.

Not to hijack the thread, but I don't recall seeing an option for a doe tag when I got my license and applied for special permits. Did I just miss it somehere in the hunting regs book?

[buckmaster_wa]

I have been hunting that country for twelve years now and every year there are more and more landowners converting over to tresspass fee hunting. Last year was the last time I was able to hunt a certain piece of land for free. This year he said he is gonna post his property on Craigslist and sell the hunting rights to the highest bidder. Oh well theres still a few pieces of ground I have permission on. But that one piece of ground produced 22 bucks in eight years for me, My father and hunting partner (BLRman). It will definatly be missed.

[piled-up]

Apply for a doe tag. You will never be turned away and will get your meat.

Not to hijack the thread, but I don't recall seeing an option for a doe tag when I got my license and applied for special permits. Did I just miss it somehere in the hunting regs book?

really    pages 23-27  antlerless and second deer tags!

[Atroxus]

Apply for a doe tag. You will never be turned away and will get your meat.

Not to hijack the thread, but I don't recall seeing an option for a doe tag when I got my license and applied for special permits. Did I just miss it somehere in the hunting regs book?

really   pages 23-27  antlerless and second deer tags!

My bad, I misunderstood. I thought he was saying there was a way to get a guaranteed doe tag. My hunting partner and I applied for antlerless but did not get drawn.

[SirSpencer]

Yeah, i kinda figured that a doe tag would be something of an open invitation. I'm glad a lot of you are experiencing this too. It's just a shame that most of these farmers are doing it because they have encountered bad hunters in the past.

[Three_Oh_Eight]

There is public land in the area.  Nisqually John Canyon is public.  Lots of public land north of Spokane. Saw a bunch of green free-to-hunt signs on the south side of the Snake west of Pullman as you cross the bridge to go toward Walla Walla.

[huntncoug]

I went to school and hunted every year from 2001 till 2008 in Pullman I lost some of my good private land but there is still lots out there.  As long as you stay away from the river and the ID state line you should be able to find plenty of good hunting.  Im not gonna give you my honey holes but pm me and I will set you in the right direction, btw I am in Pullman right now and saw some pretty good bucks tonight on public land.