Is it possible to get better news than get the OK to hunt the property you’ve been wanting? These days getting permission on prime deer ground is next to impossible in SW Iowa without some serious $$$ in your pocket. Luckily a close friend of mine became the permission granter for his family farms and gave me the go ahead on whatever they own. I can not wait to get cameras out. I have already worn out google earth looking at possible stand locations.
Gaining access to hunt private land these days is difficult, especially to deer hunt. Seems like you need to know someone like in your case or pay big bucks. And honestly I’d rather hunt public land than pay big bucks.
That is truly awesome news, enjoy!
Good luck! Sounds like an awesome opportunity! I had a spot for my son lined up for him to turkey hunt this Spring. Got the guys contact info, address, etc. Sent my son over there to introduce himself and the guy had a change of heart and wouldnt let anyone hunt now. Apparently some fool went wandering around all over the place and ruined it for anyone else. I havent seen the guy since. I dont blame him I would be ticked too!
Good luck! Sounds like an awesome opportunity! I had a spot for my son lined up for him to turkey hunt this Spring. Got the guys contact info, address, etc. Sent my son over there to introduce himself and the guy had a change of heart and wouldnt let anyone hunt now. Apparently some fool went wandering around all over the place and ruined it for anyone else. I havent seen the guy since. I dont blame him I would be ticked too!
That was actually my concern. I have definitely heard my fair share of horror stories from farmers and land owners. My go to comment to them is that I will always treat the land like it was my own. If I wouldn’t want to tear up my land why would I tear up theirs? Once they understand that then their anxiety levels tend to lessen considerably.
Good for you Jeff!
Getting permission can be tough, but it is doable even now days when big lease money gets thrown around. If you don’t want to pay add some value to you being on their land some other way. You also can’t get discouraged the first time someone tells you to get lost. Move onto the next property you have your eyes on and knock on the door. More than likely they’ll say no as well, but eventually you get lucky.
I’ve been working on earning archery permission on a farm less than half a mile from another farm I have permission on for the last few months. The farmer was cold to the idea when I first knocked on the door, but I left my phone number, and told him to call me anytime he needed an extra set of hands. I got a call Monday to cut up another tree for him so he had time watch the grandkids t-ball game. That night I got a text asking if I still wanted to hunt. I haven’t heard back since I answered, but I’m getting excited it might actually happen.
Congrats! I’d have a chat with my buddy about who else in the family might be out there, so you both know who should or should not be out there. And to keep it between parties that need to know. You don’t need the family non-hunting Karen coming in and raising a stink that he let you on.
I have permission to hunt a prime piece of land. The owner years ago asked for permission to gather downed trees for firewood on a different, but nearby, property that I managed for some old friends. He cut wood there for several years before the old couple sold the land. So I asked if I could hunt on his land and have been there since then. I take some fresh crappie fillets to he and his wife occasionally as well as share the deer sausage, sticks and jerky I make from deer taken off his land. His wife loves the sticks so I generally leave them with a couple dozen packages, a half dozen sticks of summer and a half dozen packs of whole muscle jerky.
The day before opener he takes my bucket full of soda, plastic garbage bags, heavy clothes in a heavy garbage bag and folding chair up to the stand I use. When I get deer I call and he comes up with a 4 wheeler and trailer to take it down. If he’s going to be gone and his wife isn’t home he has a key for me to get in the garage for the wheeler and trailer. The guy’s great. We’ve been friends now for about 25 years.
The hill of his I hunt is a unique deer funnel and as a rule the deer traffic is all day. No other hunters have permission other than those I bring with me.
The hill has a buckthorn issue and he does regular cutting and poisoning, which I also help with thru the summer months.
When anyone finds a gold mine like this, don’t forget to offer to help with stuff that the owner may need help with and if he offers to pay, decline it. Your hunting will far outweigh the pay he’s offering. I know of people who’ve lost their hunting on free land just because they were asked to help out once in a while and felt they shouldn’t have to pitch in a little.
I take some fresh crappie fillets to he and his wife occasionally as well as share the deer sausage, sticks and jerky I make from deer taken off his land.
I offer fish, pheasant, and/or venison to every single land owner that lets me pheasant or turkey hunt every year when I go ask for permission from them. You’d be surprised how many people don’t want any of it. Their reason is that they don’t like eating it. 9 out of 10 people literally don’t want anything and I offer to clean it, vacuum seal it, and hand deliver it right to their door.
I once offered some canadian geese to a landowner who let us hunt on an active hayfield for honkers and he said “if you ever drop off a dead goose here you won’t be coming back here to hunt again.” LOL
Congrats! I’d have a chat with my buddy about who else in the family might be out there, so you both know who should or should not be out there. And to keep it between parties that need to know. You don’t need the family non-hunting Karen coming in and raising a stink that he let you on.
We’ve already had those talks. I told him I didn’t want permission if I was going to be stepping on anyone’s toes. He informed me I was the only one to be out there. Previous to him taking over the hunting rights their family always required yearly permission so if anyone is out there this year they definitely don’t have permission.
I have already informed him that when the big one hits the ground that he will be the first to be informed and also the one I will be cooking the fresh back straps for. He is also excited to see what the trail cameras show. Hunting doesn’t run in the families blood. He has a sister that enjoys it but doesn’t live in the area and also just doesn’t have the time.
I’ve never had land owners take wild game except a pack of venison sticks. I do have one farmer who let’s me in to shed hunt who asks for a big bag of morels and chicken of the woods mushrooms each year. They take me up on free labor way more often. In December I also hand deliver a christmas/thank you card to all the land owners that let me on their land whether it’s coyote, deer or shed hunting. They often comment how this makes me stand out from other hunters who they never hear from again once they get their deer or find a few antlers. Getting permission is only half the battle. Keeping permission year after year is whole different battle especially when another hunter does something stupid on their land.
Is it possible to get better news than get the OK to hunt the property you’ve been wanting?
Test result came back negative
I just got the same news, that my son and I are welcome to hunt the farm this season. I met the old farmer last year by getting in to a very heated argument of him accusing me of trespassing. I proved to him it wasn’t me but I wasn’t polite doing so. ( this land butts up to public, and he came to a blind I was in and ruined a evening hunt). We yelled at each other for a while and he then said he liked my attitude. We have since became buddies and now he allows the kid and I to deer hunt out there. His only pay back he wants is me to keep a eye on the place because I’m a mile down the road and he is 6 miles out.
Great news. I hunt on some neighbor properties when I have some buddies come out to shoot roosters later in the year. Its not much, but I always stop in the local meat locker and buy the landowners a $25 gift card. Small gestures mean a lot to people
Great news. I hunt on some neighbor properties when I have some buddies come out to shoot roosters later in the year. Its not much, but I always stop in the local meat locker and buy the landowners a $25 gift card. Small gestures mean a lot to people
The kid and I dropped off 6 walleye and 20 crappies to the farmer last night. He loves fish but doesn’t fish. Him and his wife love that we do that once a month or so.
As a land owner the only time I see any one ask permission to hunt is the week before deer hunting. Where were you this last spring when ice and snow took down around 20 trees across my fences, or brush hogging out fences or keeping my trails open. Nope not going to happen the week or two before hunting season.
As a land owner the only time I see any one ask permission to hunt is the week before deer hunting. Where were you this last spring when ice and snow took down around 20 trees across my fences, or brush hogging out fences or keeping my trails open. Nope not going to happen the week or two before hunting season.
Taught my son this very lesson a couple years ago. I hunt mostly public land but the few privates we have access to, we do chores and help when they need a hand. Cut trees, push snow, help with mechanical crap or with what ever they need help with. When not helping we bring fresh fish and the random t bones and what not. Just to throw our thanks to them
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