Getting Permission

calebintn

calebintn

New member
OK guys I'm new to the forum and wanted to make a post that can help everybody out, though I'm sure its already been done.
I live in middle TN where farms are mostly small and people are very peticular about letting others on their land. So for me to have lots of yotes I need lots of places to go.

How does everybody go about getting permission to hunt predators?

Tell all your secrets, this could really help out some of us on here.

Has any one had any luck posting adds to hunt in newspapers or craigslist?
 
Just dress nicely and knock on the door. It helps if you know people. If they give you permission bring them a gift and be respectful so you can keep coming back.
 
I'm in the same boat your in! I have posted on craiglists, but did not get any responced (I did start getting a lot of junk mail). I thought about posting a flyer at the local feed store. Has anybody done that before?

Sparky13
 
These things take time.Imagine yourself in the position of the landowner. Would you let a complete stranger have total access to your own place? Probably not.Many times before you have had windmills shot,gates left open,trash strewn around,not to mention the chance of being sued when some idiot falls in an open hole.You need to spend the time necessary to cultivate a relationship.Spend time stopping by visiting without the idea of hunting today.Offer to help around the place,let them get to know you.Most people let their friends hunt.There is no secret to gaining land access, you have to earn it.
 

Being a landowner of a great hunting patch kinda gives me a look from the other side of the fence.I look for somebody that will respect ME and my Land.
Dressing neatly helps when you knock on my door.Be polite,listen to what the landowner is telling you,do not be a blow hard!!!Do not use foul language. Stress gun safety, find out where all livestock are,where neighboring houses are as well as any activity of any sort is going on.
If the landowner is kind enough to grant permission,treat his land better than you would treat your own.Do not litter,in fact if you see garbage pick it up!! Remove all shot coyotes,a dead yote is considered littering.If you shoot a mangy one,ask the landowner where to put it.Find out the boundry's of the property and do not cross them,however you may ask the landowner if there are any other neighbors that may want a few coyotes removed,often this will give you a lead. Drive where you are told and nowhere else,if you open a gate and drive thru it,shut it!!!! Leave a gate open on my place,even if is for a minute you will be evicted NOW!!!!If you see something out of place, report it to the landowner. Do not be a "hunting season " friend to the landowner.If they are good enough to grant permission,stop by a couple times in the off season.The better you represent yourself the more access you will receive. If you do not get permission,thank them for there time and respect there wishes,do not argue or try to reason with them however stop in the next year and talk again to them.I have had guys for whatever reason I have not given permission to only to have them come back the following year,and the year after.I usually will give in sooner or later,provided they are polite. Stop in and ask permission early in the year,lands can only handle so many hunters.
just my .02 worth
R
 
You guys have good advice, making friends with folks does make a huge differance. I like the flyer at a feed store idea, I will have to try that.
Keep on coming with those tips.
 
I just recieved access to two more pieces of ground by just a simple phone call. Most land owners here will welcome predator hunters, when talking with them on the phone assure them that you will have the utmost respect for thier property and it helps to offer information such as what your driveing, lic plate number, I think it helps to assure them that you are respectful. Also after the hunt follow up with a thank you phone call. I agree with "azmastablasta" 100% There is no secret to gaining land access, you have to earn it!
 
I would stress the connections game. Get to know one owner, show that you are respectful of their property, then ask for referrals. Who you know is the foundation of our social structure.

This is about the only reason I enjoy living in Arizona. It is full of public lands. In fact, way more public than private.
 
Don't forget to get to know your local Fish and Wildlife guys. They are a great resource and can get you hooked up with some unique opportunities. I know in the past we would avoid them like the plague. But since I have gotten into predator hunting, I have met many of our AZ game and fish guys, and they will drop my name to landowners and ranchers and the next hing you know you are getting calls and invites to come out and help clean up their coyote problems. For my partner and I we talked with the local farmers, and they were very eager to have us come out and help to clean out their rabbits that eat them out of house and home. It is a great opportunity for long range shooting during the summer when the furs are not so good, and then when the weather turns we go out and hunt the yotes and cats. The farmers don't mind us taking predators that might pick of their dogs and cats. In fact one farmer offered us a bounty on badgers that were tearing up his irrigation canals. Of course we declined the bounty, in exchange for being able to hunt the bobcats and coyotes that run that area.
 
Why not write a brief letter with alot of the above info coupled with a business card or at least return info? Ask for a call back 1 way or the other and a promise to do a "touch base" call in a couple weeks?

Give them time to contact you with a yay/nay or time to consider it before you call and verbally ask for permission.
 
We're landowners and what wolfhunter said is right on target. The difference here is that coyotes are the last remaining thing that I can hunt. I get too much $$$ for my antelope permits, I'm booked solid all summer on prairie dogs, and so forth. So, permission to hunt coyotes? Negative, sorry. But, I will point you to some other people you can go ask.

The one thing I have to add to what wolfhunter said is "Don't overtalk". I've met SO MANY people who talk the talk but don't walk the walk. The more you talk, the less inclined I am to believe you. Therefore, just ask a few simple but important questions "Gates- how do you want them? Dead coyotes- where? If I see anything that doesn't look right, call you?" Then SHOW me.

Another thing that irritates me, might not irritate other people, is when guys "talk down" to me. Some people seem to think that because we live out here that we're dumb illiterates. Umm.... wrong! In whatever you do, hunting, work, whatever, I think it's smart to find out where the person you're talking to is, and then meet at his level. If he knows more than you, learn something. If he doesn't, shut your mouth, unless he recognizes that you know something he doesn't and asks you for solid information. Talk to people like they're your peers, not like you're the know-it-all.

This goes with offering help. If you offer help, it's best if you know what you're doing. A guy that's never built fence before really isn't much good to me. But, if you're a good welder and are willing to offer your services, yessir!!! Or if you work at an auto parts store and can offer me either a discount or advice when I need it, that's valuable. Whatever you do, offer it. Toss it out there like a slow pitch and see if they swing. If they don't, let it go. If they do, proceed. Just don't be arrogant.
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I have permission to hunt neighboring ranches and, believe me, I take my own advice. I hunt on a horse ranch and I find out where the "wild" horses are so I can avoid them. When I'm at the house, I look around for piles of dirt that might need to be pushed around and offer the use of me and my skid steer. I'm good with computers and used to do tech-support professionally- if the topic ever come up, I offer my services. I ask if there are any particular areas they want me to hunt- any problem coyotes?- any areas they want me to avoid- the wild horse pasture, for instance. I send them pictures from my trailcam and if they like them, I keep them posted with interesting stuff. An important thing to know is "Where should I park?"- on the road, on the grass, look for turnouts? Some ranchers are VERY particular about driving on the grass, others not so. And so on...

Good luck!!!
 
Around here the poster at the feed store wouldnt work. Most of the time if I cant find the land owner for a face to face I will call. When I talk to them they usually want to meet me in person. Then like posted above ask the dos and donts and what they expect.
 
Dustballs got it right for sure
I wouldn't even begin to think about phoning someone or answering a add like that,feedstore, hardware,implement dealers or any anywhere else it was placed.Do your time and pound the payment,you will get access plus it's a lot harder to say "no" to someone in person. Oh and I forgot for you young bucks,"QUITE CHECKING MY DAUGHTERS OUT" that also doesn't work LOL
R
 
+1 wolfhunter!! I myself wouldn't even think about calling someone on the phone asking for permission. I wasn't raised that way. Look the man in the eye and respect his word to the letter. If I intend to hunt in the company of a buddy he is also included in company of myself when asking for permission. I make it a point to keep in touch with all landowners several times through out the year and ask permission every year. I've made some very good friends this way and wouldn't do it any other.
 
So I see this sweet looking piece of land & I know just over the hill there's more nice stuff but the ranch house sits back a 1/4 to a 1/2 mile & it's posted at the gate no trespassing. I would love to go knock on the door & introduce myself & ask permission to hunt coyotes,but really how can you honestly say that you respect the land & there rules if you just drove past there no trespassing sign to begin with? Whats the best way to go about it.
(calebintn not lookin to hijack your thread just another question to be asked)
 
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I just got access to another ranch this week. I was talking to a coworker who's dad has a ranch in CO. I always get a side of beef from him and just nonchalantly asked if his dad had any coyotes he needed to get rid of. His reply was yea, there's a bunch but they are hard to shoot out there cuz its so open. I told him no problem, I'd bring some calls and my new Savage and give it a try. Supposed to go out there with him in the next couple of weeks if it ever warms up at least to double digits.
 
Bigvalley, I'm not sure what the customs/habits are in your neck of the woods, but when I retired and moved back to my home county, I found that a lot of the 'old families' had disappeared and there were a lot less hunting areas due to population 'explosion' as well as a lot of property being posted or leased out for hunting...

Our farmers/landowners generally congregate at one of several local restaurants, just for coffee and comparing notes on a variety of subjects...

If that's the case in your area, you might try getting acquainted with one of the regulars, away from their farm or table (even if you have to follow them to the local supply/hardware store), and then work on getting acquainted in the group...I had it a little easier due to the fact that I grew up there and could run into an old acquaintance for further introductions...

Once the word gets around and you become someone that can be trusted to be responsible, even the "No Trespassing" owners are more willing to give you a chance...Unless they have been "Lawyerized" with liability issues...
 
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