The American Beagler Forum

We have been busy moving and I finally got some time to get out and try to get permission from local landowners to run dogs/rabbit hunt. I have even been taking my secret weapon (11 yo daughter) with me to go knock on doors. Was looking for something close by but had a bunch of "no, good luck though" answers last night and was pretty well frustrated. Seems the deer hunters have most of the land around me on lockdown and not leaving any room for a new guy to get his foot in the door.

Today I was able to score a couple small sections of land from a lady who's family owns a few small wood lots close by (not sure if it will produce rabbits, probably better for deer) so that gave me a bit of hope. She also said I could run there at night, so that is a huge plus for me....she did warn of several coyote sightings and howling so I might have some work to do there.

Anyhow, I am trying something different today after studying tax maps, google earth images, and then refering to the auditors website to get a mailing address. I sat down and wrote a nice letter saying basically said who I was, what I want to do, and then if they were ok with my daughters and I stopping by to please fill out the "Date" and "Time" line and mail it back in the self-addressed stamped envelope and we will be there to talk to them in person rather than interupting their day.

Has anyone done anything similar to this and had success or am I waisting time and stamps? One side of me says it is very informal and cold....the other side says the old way isn't working and I am just intruding on these folks evening.

BTW - don't feel too sorry for me, I have running grounds on state land and at my old place but looking for something close to the house.

Probably couldn't hurt.... I would wait till the election is over because people are getting so jaded right now with people wanting their vote and what not they may not take the time to read it..

I have been told more no times than yes but some things that I have tried with sucess is taking a picture (you and your daughter and hounds) and posting them up on bullitin boards in farm stores, bass pro, etc... asking permission to hunt. I always say I'll trade some labor for letting me hunt although most of them never want anything out of it.. Even taking an ad in the paper isn't too bad of an idea.

Another thing you could do is volunteer work where farmers hang out.. Churches, FFA stuff, Farm Bureo is a good resource and get to know who owns what.. Its getting tough to find land but there are people out there who are more than willing to let you hunt if your nice to em..


THe best thing I have found to keep ground is to give Xmas cards with a small gift in it for landowners who do give you permission to run and a picture of your harvest from their land..

Good luck!!!

I say what ever it takes because land is geeting hard to fine,it sound like a good idea got to be cheeper then gas these days.I rather waste my time then my gas.Maybe you could also offer a back round check on yourself,if you get a yes.Offer to take the land owner out with his kids.Or maybe fine out the people that have the land for lease and offer some money just to hunt after deer season.You will never know if you do not ask.JMO Good Luck

When I talk with a land owner that is balking due to too many hunters or deer hunters in general I make sure to tell them when I would like to run. In Vermont we can run rabbits starting June 1st, start hunting them in late September and it ends in mid March. If a land owner has concerns about the deer hunters, I try to line up time outside of deer season. This gives me different options. A lot of times you are the only one on their land outside of deer season but they are not aware that rabbit season runs different than deer season. Good luck!

If you follow through with this, let us know how it works for ya. I would like to find out your findings. Good luck.

Jamey

Money talks tell them u want to run after deer season.

Money talks loud this day and age.
Around here we have amish owned farms were they never say no!
Good luck

We always go on Sunday afternoons (prior to football season though, no interrupting Sunday football!). We drive our car, not our truck. We wear nice clothes, not a speck of camo on us. We always tell them about the puppies we are training, and how we are looking to RUN not HUNT, and often times if they give you permission you will eventually be allowed to hunt. We also have permission slips for written permission and a disclaimer so they are not liable if we get hurt on their property. We also give them a business card with our information on it. It about being a SPORTSMAN and not a HUNTER. We have permission on a lot of places where no other hunters are allowed, and that is because of how professionally we approach them for permission.

We have never tried mailing out letters, but we have found that e-mails or leaving notes on doors end up without being contacted back. I am interested to see if your setting up an "appointment" with them will work. Let us know!

TOBY wrote:Money talks loud this day and age.
Around here we have amish owned farms were they never say no!
Good luck

Ask an Amish guy where I live if you can use his land he may shoot you for spite!! They are not very friendly here... But they also are loosing their members in droves to the English so they are pretty cautious about letting outsiders around..

I have always had the best luck by asking in the late spring/early summer. I think land owners get a lot of requests this time of year and get used to saying no. After all seasons are out, I always explain that I am not hunting, just want to get my dogs out a little in the summer. Then by hunting season I am a regular, they recognize my truck, and just get used to seeing me and hearing the dogs.

Nothing could beat having a cute 11 year old daughter at your side though.

JCM wrote:I have always had the best luck by asking in the late spring/early summer. I think land owners get a lot of requests this time of year and get used to saying no. After all seasons are out, I always explain that I am not hunting, just want to get my dogs out a little in the summer. Then by hunting season I am a regular, they recognize my truck, and just get used to seeing me and hearing the dogs.

Nothing could beat having a cute 11 year old daughter at your side though.

Last night was a good night....secured some permission I had 14 years ago but the lady warned me she has several deer hunters she has given permission to. Then just so happens my youngest daughters best friends dad has some family land a few miles from my place. He originally wanted me to stay out until after bow season and then emailed me back saying that he has other places to bowhunt and to have at it. We are meeting up this weekend so he can show me the boundaries of what they own.

JCM - I sure am missing my setup I had before by your uncles place....everyone knew my truck and would set out listening to the dogs run at night without any hassles. Tough deal but overall I did the right thing for the family....I do think I am going to line up a few rabbit hunts with Kent around his place because his boys are wanting to start rabbit hunting.

I should have asked this summer during the 100 degree heat wave, but then they would have thought I was the crazy neighbor.

I sure hope a certain one letter gets a hit...I drove past the place last night and it would be ideal. Tax map shows it is locked in an LLC so my only hope is that the letter finds its way to one of the members that will actually read it because the LLC only has a PO Box and nobody around the CRP/Thicket/Woods even knows who owns it.

If you were a school teacher you could always give bonus points for permission! Although most the land over here is crop land anymore. Not too many grown up places around me. I have been working on some more spots as well. Difficult to find land anymore that the deer hunters don't have stands all on it or leased.

As stated Money does talk. But it doesn't always say what we want, and it is best to have a plan other than money. In West Virginia, and I would guess in most other states as well, once a landowner accepts money, goods, or services from you then he places himself in a position of accepting a higher liability for your well-being while on his property. Something for Hunters as well as landowners to be aware of!

Schag wrote:If you were a school teacher you could always give bonus points for permission!

And this my friend is why my hunting jacket is always filled come season... Then again it always pays to have a good P.R. guy like cuz, ha ha.

Being a teacher does have its perks sometimes...I once gave my wife's cat away for some bonus points as well! She hated me for a while, but I hated that stupid cat!